Summer has arrived. The royal poincianas are blooming and songs of farewell are ringing out. Graduation season is upon us, and the sense of parting is thick in the air. While some of these new graduates are diving into the job market or venturing abroad to continue their studies, others are starting businesses or plotting their next steps in life. Regardless of the direction they’ve chosen, these young people should bear in mind that these decisions will become chapters of their lives, ones that they will thumb through again and again over the years. 

The tides of careers ebb and flow. Young people are bold and impetuous when embarking on their adult lives, whether challenging the world on their own or banding together with like-minded partners. Those going into business gamble their youths on the seas of fortune, wagering their time and effort against the prospect of achieving great ends, and giving little thought to the possibility of failure. It is young entrepreneurs’ need to transcend themselves and win public acclaim that keeps them moving forward in the face of social and commercial pressures.

While we shouldn’t mistake ambition for righteousness, neither should we think of it as unbridled or rapacious. Ambition gives us the courage to face challenges, the fortitude and tenacity to work through difficulties. It is what enables us to regroup and try again when we fail. The ambition of the young is a wonderful thing.

Our cover story, “Taiwan’s Young Entrepreneurs,” seeks to highlight the younger generation’s can-do spirit, commitment, and courage in the face of adversity. The plot thickens when their naive fearlessness runs headlong into the challenges of starting a business, as if their lives have been rewritten as portraits in valor. In this month’s issue, we tell six stories of these young people in an effort to characterize the ambition of their generation.

Taiwan Panorama has embarked on a series of articles on the seven traditional necessities of life: firewood or charcoal, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. Last month we detailed the process of making charcoal. This month’s feature celebrates rice. A versatile, tasty staple, rice has a history filled with innovation. This month’s issue also introduces a new series about Taiwan’s cities and towns, offering a window into their different cultures. Our first profile focuses on the southern port city of Kaohsiung. And we report on the storied history of the Tainan Prefecture Office building, currently the home of the National Museum of Taiwan Literature.

Many ambitious young people choose to take the entrepreneurial path in spite of its twists and turns, and many of these determined young dreamers ultimately achieve success. We applaud the efforts of all of them, and encourage them to keep forging ahead with new plans and ideas even if they’ve previously stumbled. Once fanned into life, the flames of youthful ambition are unquenchable.