Fifty years ago, this small island off the southern coast of China began seeing the inklings of a long streak of economic growth and tourism. By the end of the 1970s, Taiwan was informally inducted into the “Four Asian Dragons,” a select group of high-income economies that included Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea. With the influx of money came an increased focus on arts and culture, especially cinema. In 1962, the Taiwanese government established the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards to encourage and celebrate Chinese-language films. Held annually in late fall, the Golden Horse is the Asian equivalent of the Academy Awards; famous actors and directors from Hong Kong and China fly to Taipei for the event. Get in on the action in the month leading up to the awards, when nominated movies are screened around the city.