Janet Hsieh


Janet Hsieh is a Taiwanese-American television personality, violinist, author, and model based in Taipei, Taiwan. She is the host of the Discovery Travel and Living Channel's long-running series Fun Taiwan. The program is currently in its 13th season and has expanded to include Fun Asia and Fun Taiwan Challenge. She has been nominated four times for the Taiwanese Golden Bell Awards as Best Host of a Travel Program, and once for Best Host of a Variety Program.

Early life and education

Hsieh was born on January 20, 1980 and raised in Houston, Texas. Her father hails from Kaohsiung and her mother from Taipei. She has one elder sister. She graduated from Bellaire Senior High School in 1997. Hsieh married George Young in January 2015.
In 2001, Hsieh graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Spanish. During her time at MIT, she was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega women's fraternity and served on the university's Ring Committee, the group responsible for designing the MIT class ring. She also ran the Boston Marathon during this time.
She also studied at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina and at the University of California, Los Angeles in California.
Hsieh holds a black belt in Taekwondo and is a trained sushi chef and circus performer. She is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Taiwanese.

Career

Volunteer and EMT

After graduation from college, Hsieh spent time in Jamshedpur as a community outreach volunteer. She also received certification as an EMT from Boston EMS/MIT, and in September 2001 went to Taiwan for a medical residential internship, where she completed a six-month stint at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Tienmu.
She also worked in India in the city of Jamshedpur for Tata Steel

Modeling

In 2002, at the end of her medical internship, Hsieh met Jeff Huang of the Taiwanese rap group L.A. Boyz, as well as rising star Vanness Wu outside the popular Taipei nightclub, Room 18. On recommendations from Huang and Wu, Hsieh auditioned for being taller than other women, eventually landing an underwear commercial.

Television

In 2005, Hsieh auditioned for a new Discovery Travel and Living television series exploring the island of Taiwan, entitled Fun Taiwan. Since landing the role, she has been nominated four times for Best Host in a Travel Program at the Golden Bell Awards, achieving a win in 2011, and has been one of the longest running series on Discovery Channel's TLC

Music

Hsieh learned to play the violin at age five and was part of the Texas Young Virtuosos, who played at the White House for President George Bush and in Europe. In Taiwan, she has performed three concerts at the National Concert Hall, twice in 2011 and again in 2013. She also played as one of 4,645 participants at Changhua Stadium in 2011, joining Changhua County youth to set a Guinness World Record for "Largest Violin Ensemble."

Author

Hsieh published her first Chinese-language travel book, Traveling with 100 Toothbrushes, in 2010. She has since published two additional travel-related titles, Backpack to the Future and Au for You, as well as two English learning books, Janet's Funtastic English and j@net.com.
In 2016, Hsieh and her husband George Young co-authored the book "Starting at The End". The book shares their sometimes conflicting stories on how they met, as well as their fifty-day journey through Texas, Argentina, and through to their wedding in Antarctica.

Filmography

Television

Hsieh has served as the host of numerous programs on Discovery Travel and Living, including Fun Taiwan, as well as programs on local Taiwanese television networks.

Film