Janet Hsieh (Traditional Chinese:謝怡芬, b. January 20, 1980, Houston, Texas) is a Taiwanese American television show host and model based in Taipei, Taiwan. Janet is the host for the Discovery Travel and Living channel hit program Fun Taiwan[1]. The television program is currently in its 10th season and has expanded to include Fun Asia.
Hsieh's travel tours include visiting exotic places and adventures that incorporate a combination of local tour guide and personal discovery. As a tour host, she is always smiling with a down-to-earth style, highly driven to try any new challenge or obstacle.
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Janet is an American Born Taiwanese (ABT),[1] born and raised in Houston, Texas, whose father is from Kao Hsiung and mother is from Taipei. Janet graduated with a double major in Biology and Spanish from Massachusetts Institute of Technology[2][3] and has also studied at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, in Argentina and briefly at UCLA and UCSB, in California. She is an avid violinist since the age of 5 and performed with the Texas Young Virtuoso all over US and Europe at a young age, including a performance at the White House for George H.W. Bush.[4][5] Janet also holds a black belt in Taekwondo,[3] and is a trained sushi chef[5] and circus performer.[5][6] She speaks five languages (English, Mandarin, Spanish, French, Taiwanese).[1][5].
After graduating from college, Janet went to Taiwan for a medical residential internship.[6] She also pursued modeling on the side.[6] Her combination of beauty, talent and great personality caught the Taiwanese media's attention. This led to her audition for a new Discovery Living and Travel TV show as the host of a new travel tour program exploring the Formosa island of Taiwan.[1][6] Janet published her first book in 2010 titled Traveling with 100 Toothbrushes. [7] She has been nominated twice for the Taiwanese Golden Bell Awards Best Host award.[2]