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Four Chinese coast guard vessels enter restricted waters off Kinmen

Four Chinese coast guard ships entered restricted waters near the outlying archipelago of Kinmen on Friday morning, said the Coast Guard Administration, adding it immediately dispatched its own vessels in an emergency response.

Coast Guard Administration broadcast
China Coast Guard ship 14507. This is vessel PP-10039 of the ROC Coast Guard Administration calling. You have illegally entered the prohibited and restricted waters of the Republic of China, seriously damaging regional peace and stability, along with maritime traffic safety procedures. Turn away immediately.

Sources said that at 8.50 a.m. this morning, a total of four ships from China’s coast guard sailed into Taiwan’s waters. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration simultaneously dispatched four patrol boats to evenly counter each of the intruding Chinese vessels. Throughout the process, the broadcasts were in Chinese and English, as the Taiwanese coast guard officers collected evidence and ordered them to leave. Eventually the Chinese ships sailed away at 11.00 a.m. under the supervision of the Taiwanese Coast Guard Administration. This was the first time for Chinese coast guard ships to enter Taiwan’s borders this month, and they deliberately intruded on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival. This year, Chinese ships have intruded into waters surrounding the outlying islands 39 times. The Coast Guard Administration said that the actions of the Chinese coast guard was not conducive to reciprocal cross-strait exchanges, and it called on China to recognize the importance of regional peace and stability.

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Time：2024-09-13

最新消息 Latest News

Lai encourages new cadets training in military academies

President Lai Ching-te on Friday attended a ceremony for new cadets who are training to be non-commissioned military officers in the Navy, Air Force and Army. Taking the podium at the ROC Naval Academy in Kaohsiung, Lai offered the group words of encouragement, exhorting them to take care of their health and safety. He also said in the face of the threat of Chinese infiltration, they needed to remember their original intentions when they joined the military.

President Lai Ching-te in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces went to the ROC Naval Academy in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, to attend his first joint inauguration ceremony for cadets training to be non-commissioned officers since taking office.

Lai Ching-te
President
In the face of China’s threats and infiltration, everyone must keep in mind their original intentions when they joined the army, be loyal to our country, and be loyal to the people, so they don’t dash the expectations of their families and compatriots.

Lai also encouraged the group, reminding them to take good care of their own safety and health, so that their compatriots and family members could rest assured.

Lai Ching-te
President
We must continue to strengthen our national defense capabilities, work hand-in-hand with democratic countries and stand shoulder-to-shoulder to exert the power of deterrence. We must rely on our strengths to achieve our goal of peace. We must uphold the ideals of the armed forces, resolutely defend national sovereignty and protect our free and democratic constitutional system.

Lai encouraged the new cadets, saying there are no miracles involved in achieving success. Instead it was continuous accumulation of knowledge and skills. He wanted them to surpass themselves a little bit, day by day. Many new cadets at the ceremony also shared their goals in joining the army.

Chiang Chih-yu
ROC Naval Academy cadet
I hope that I can uphold my ideas, never forget my original intentions and move towards my goals step-by-step.

Yeh Chien-yu
ROC Military Academy cadet
Life at the military academy allows me to learn things that I can’t learn elsewhere, such as team work and strict discipline.

Lai also promised the new cadets that the government will be the backer of the armed forces. It is renovating old camps, upgrading equipment and will simplify procedures to promote national defense reform.

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2024-09-13

Heads of 7 southern municipalities discuss economic cooperation

The leaders of seven cities and counties in Taiwan’s south gathered in Chiayi County on Friday to take part in an annual summit about governance cooperation. The leaders of Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Taitung and Penghu discussed how they could share resources to make the south a hub of Taiwan’s future economic development. They discussed Taiwan’s nascent drone industry, as well as high tech fields. Let’s hear what they had to say.

A mayoral summit in Southern Taiwan was held on Friday in Taibao City in Chiayi County. The heads of seven counties and cities from across the political spectrum attended. The host, Chiayi County Commissioner Weng Chang-liang, expressed hope that in the future Taiwan’s south could become an economic development hub.

Weng Chang-liang
Chiayi County commissioner
The central government actually attaches great importance to these proposals, because all the county and city governments, after discussion with their supporting agencies, considered that they could be sent to this platform and become joint resolutions. Therefore among the 16 proposals, each one is extremely important.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai said that the development of the drone industry in Chiayi was worth learning from. Taiwan’s star chipmaker TSMC, and AI was also a focus of the discussions. Chen said that southern counties and cities could vie to attract international manufacturers and they could jointly cooperate.

Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung Mayor
We can move in the direction of cyber-physical systems, apply them across the semiconductor supply chain upstream and downstream, such as IC design, software application services and so on. Therefore our individual conditions are actually complementary, and the cooperation between us can balance development in Taiwan.

At the summit, the mayors and county commissioners put forward a total of 16 proposals for joint discussions, covering topics including reaching net-zero goals and integrating tourism resources. They hope to strengthen regional cooperation and development among the seven cities and counties.

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2024-09-13

Vietnamese Americans Debate US border policy

More than 1.2 million Vietnamese immigrants live in the US, many arriving after the Vietnam War. More recently, a new wave of migration has sparked debate in the Vietnamese American community and has become one of the main talking points this election season. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee spoke with voters in Texas, the state with the second-largest Vietnamese immigrant population in the US.

For Hong Pham, life in Vietnam versus the US is like day and night.

Hong Pham
Vietnamese American
Life was very hard back then. I earned a living as pedicab driver traveling between towns in southern Vietnam.

When communists took over Saigon in 1975, Pham was sent to a re-education camp for serving in the South Vietnamese military. He eventually made his way to the US on a humanitarian program. But now a wave of undocumented Vietnamese people is aiming to enter the US through its southern border. The number caught by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) jumped from just under 300 in 2022 to more than 3,000 in 2023. CBP logged more than 3,200 so far this year. Attorney Shandon Phan is in touch with some of them.

Shandon Phan
Attorney
If people are not quite educated and they got fed all these false stories about how easy that is, they play with their own life.

Phan says many migrants pay tens of thousands of dollars to traffickers to make the dangerous trip from Vietnam to China, then Europe, South America and then to the US. Immigration has become a hotly debated issue in this year’s US presidential race.

Jeremi Suri
University of Texas at Austin
I don’t think there’s disagreement on the fact that there are problems with our immigration system. The debate is really about what to do about it. The Trump administration wants to reduce the numbers. The Democratic administration wants to reduce, but really better regulate.”

Hong Pham
Vietnamese American
Those who flee communism have a legitimate reason to be in the US. I’m not in favor of granting asylum to those who come here illegally because of economic reasons.

While Pham’s views echo those of the older Republicans in the Vietnamese community, some younger Vietnamese Americans who were born in the US don’t share them.

Jessica Huynh
Vietnamese American
My mom is more conservative. She’s one of those people that want people to come over here legally. And I get that. She is overlooking the fact that everybody just wants to come here and have a better life.

The migrants who make it here live in limbo, hoping to find work and waiting to see whether the next president will let them stay.

Elizabeth Lee, VOA News, Houston.

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2024-09-13

Pop heavyweights announce Taipei Dome performances

Great news for concert goers in Taipei! Many top performers have recently announced dates at the Taipei Dome, including pop-rock band Mayday. On Friday Mayday announced that they’ll open the baseball game on Sept. 21, which will be one of veteran player Chou Szu-chi’s last games.

After the announcement, it was estimated that the match may be attended by some 40,000 spectators. As for other top performances, pop legend Jody Chiang will be performing on the National Day gala, on Oct. 5. In December, fans can look forward to performances by A-listers Jay Chou and A-mei.

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2024-09-13

ITRI recommends use of AI to improve Taiwan’s financial services

Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute and a partnering company on Friday unveiled a white paper recommending innovative ways for Taiwan’s financial institutions to improve the experiences of their clients using high tech. Customer loyalty in Taiwan’s banking industry can be increased. ITRI hopes to change that using AI.

Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute and a technology consultancy company published a 2024 white paper recommending how to improve the net promoter scores or NPS of Taiwan’s financial institutions using AI technology.

Stephen Su
ITRI senior vice president
For instance, using interactive AI to help with training personnel and smart customer service.

A net promoter score measures customer loyalty by looking at the likelihood they’ll recommend a business. According to the ITRI white paper, the average NPS of several banking services and products in Taiwan are all negative. It’s on average -2.7% for deposits and withdrawals, -5.1% for credit cards, -9.7% for wealth management and -11.7% for life insurance. The negative averages mean that banks in Taiwan still have room for improvement.

Jeff Lin
ITRI vice president
Though the average scores are negative overall, they’re still all very close to becoming positive. But because the scores of leading international institutions are positive, Taiwan’s finance industry has room for improvement.

Jason Chen
beBit TECH CEO
In Taiwan, there are some leading financial institutions that have already adopted the NPS client management metric as an indicator of the quality of their operations. I believe that in the future, as Taiwan embraces the trends for fair access and digital transfomation, the NPS metric will continue to be used and promoted in the financial industry. That way for clients on the other end, they’ll also enjoy a better client experience.

The symposium where ITRI introduced the white paper also had keynote speeches by industry leaders. Over 100 participants from banking, securities and insurance industries attended the event. ITRI is committed to helping Taiwan’s financial institutions improve and undertake digital transformation.

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2024-09-13

Fisheries Agency partners with convenience stores for new flavors

Autumn is the season for seafood. In addition to autumn crabs, it’s also the time of year for bass and squid. The Fisheries Agency has collaborated with convenience store chains to launch ready-to-eat products featuring seafood. These include specialty rice balls with squid and fresh fish soups, aimed at encouraging people to consume more seafood while meeting both taste and health needs.

Donning an apron, the acting director of the Fisheries Agency took to the kitchen to showcase culinary skills alongside a renowned chef and his son. The collab with convenience stores features specialty products that promote domestically produced bass and squid.

Wu Ping-chen
Chef
Squid is perfect for the Mid-Autumn Festival. We noticed that squid is relatively rare in convenience store dishes. We hope to add more layers of flavor. In this rice ball, besides the shacha sauce, we’ve added a touch of spiciness and also toasted the rice on the outside to give it a bit of crispy, burnt rice aroma.

Wu Yu-Chang
Chef
We’ve selected Asian sea bass and removed the bones for convenience. This makes it easier for everyone to enjoy, and I believe the quality is excellent.

To boost the sales of seafood products, the Fisheries Agency has introduced ready-to-eat meals, such as grilled squid rice balls and bass soup with large chunks of fish. The aim is to allow people to enjoy fresh, seasonal fish.

Chen Chien-yu
Fisheries Agency
The advantages of Asian sea bass are that it grows quickly and is of high quality. Currently, Asian sea bass accounts for nearly 90% of bass production. Last year, the bass was well-received, so we wanted to continue with it this year. As for squid, it’s in season right now, and people really enjoy grilled squid. This year’s squid catch is quite abundant, making it quite affordable.

Whether farmed or caught in the wild, collaborating with convenience stores makes it easier for consumers to enjoy seafood. This partnership not only provides fresh meals for busy office workers but also creates additional sales channels for fishermen.

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2024-09-13

HPA publishes recipes for healthier mid-autumn meals

The Mid-Autumn Festival is fast approaching. To encourage people to consume less high-calorie and processed foods, the Health Promotion Administration has introduced several creative Mid-Autumn dishes that are equal parts healthy and tasty. FTV reporter Stephany Yang shows us what’s on offer!

Health Promotion Administration Head Wu Chao-chun and Chef Chen Chih-ying make mung bean cakes with honey and sweet potato. First, mash the roasted sweet potatoes into the puree. Then, add honey and mixed nuts to taste. Then, mold the mixture, dust it with soybean powder, and the pastries are ready to be enjoyed!

Another dish created by Chef Chen is this curry pineapple fried rice. Slices of traditional Taiwanese moon cakes with curry fillings and pineapple are paired with wild bamboo shoots as a replacement for white rice. For protein, add a handful of shrimp. Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. To encourage people to avoid high-calorie and processed foods this season, the Health Promotion Administration invited popular chef, Chen Chih-ying to design five nutritious and tasty dishes.

Wu Chao-chun
Health Promotion Administration head
During the holiday season, you may consume more than 2,000 calories in one meal, so we hope that everyone can make some changes in their eating habits during the festival, and that it can be sustained into the long term. Eat more fruits and vegetables to increase dietary fiber. Use less sugar and salt.

Chen Chih-ying
Chef
For the barbecue, you can choose leaner meat. Although it doesn’t have such a delicious texture when grilled, you can use avocado to increase the smooth taste.

Processed food products such as sausages and meatballs are popular ingredients for Mid-Autumn barbecues. But along with moon cakes, snacks and sugary drinks, that’s a whopping 2,500 calories, at the least. Instead of red meat, the HPA recommends grilling white meat or seafood, paired with vegetables such as sponge gourd, green beans, and mushrooms.

Wu Chao-chun
Health Promotion Administration head
We hope to reduce meat and insufficient protein intake, as well decrease the amount of processed foods, which are not ideal. We hope people will opt for unprocessed ingredients.

Aside from eating healthier, the HPA also recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise a week.

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2024-09-13

Three Taiwan table tennis players to play in WTT quarterfinals

On Thursday, Taiwan’s rising table tennis star Kao Cheng-jui beat one of the world’s top players at the WTT Champions. Facing off Lin Gaoyuan from China, who is the 7th top seed, Kao won three sets out of four in the men’s singles round of sixteen. Other players from Taiwan who will play in the quarterfinals include Lin Yun-ju and Taiwan’s top female player Cheng I-ching.

At the 2024 WTT Champions in Macao, Taiwan’s Kao Cheng-jui, who ranks 31st worldwide, played neck and neck with China’s Lin Gaoyuan, the 7th top table tennis player, in the men’s singles round of sixteen.

Kao had won the first two sets 11-7 and 11-6, while Lin won the third set 11-9. In the fourth set, Lin was leading in the beginning, but Kao quickly caught up.

In the end, Kao won the fourth set 11-9. Having won against the one of the top players in the world, Kao was set to compete in the quarterfinals.

Kao Cheng-jui
Table tennis player
It still feels incredible, because my goal for today was to win just one set. I couldn’t believe that I won the match.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s top male player Lin Yun-ju, who ranks 9th worldwide, faced off against Sweden’s Anton Kallberg. Lin won the match in three sets, winning by 11-4, 11-5 and 11-9 against Kallberg, and also made it to the quarterfinals. In women’s singles, Taiwan’s top female player Cheng I-ching also played in the round of sixteen.

Having won three sets out of four against Oranan Paranang from Thailand, Cheng will also compete in the women’s singles quarterfinals.

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2024-09-13

Glove puppetry master re-interprets game character

A game-play video for “Black Myth: Wukong” recently went viral in Taiwan. Glove puppetry master, Huang Li-gang, was the powerful voice behind the game character. Netizens say his Taiwanese Hokkien voice acting added lots of flair.

The Monkey King Sun Wukong spars with troops sent from heaven. This is a scene from “Black Myth: Wukong,” a recently released videogame. But wait, why does the character sound so familiar?

Even though the videogame is from China, the character is speaking Taiwanese Hokkien, giving a very local flavor. The game-play video went viral.

The voice actor was none other than Huang Li-kang, who is a celebrated glove puppeteer. As the lead narrator at his production company, Huang wowed the audience with his emotive voice range. Netizens say his Taiwanese Hokkien voiceover added might to the character.

Huang Li-kang
JinKwang Glove Puppet Production
I did a Taiwanese voiceover for Wukong, since “The Journey to the West” has always had a strong presence in our childhoods. More interestingly, Erlang’s moves in the game are very similar to the moves of JinKwang glove puppets, so I made Wukong do some of our moves. It was a hit with our fans.

After a year-long hiatus, the puppet master made a quiet comeback in the unlikeliest of all places: game-play videos. Huang’s fans are already clamoring for more.

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2024-09-13

President Lai attends pro-Taiwan conference

On Thursday, President Lai Ching-te attended a symposium commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Formosan Self-salvation. In his remarks, Lai paid homage to the author of the pro-independence manifesto, Peng Ming-min. The president added that 60 years since the declaration, Taiwan’s democracy had flourished and was now a beacon in Asia.

At a symposium commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Formosan Self-salvation, President Lai Ching-te paid homage to Taiwan’s pioneering democratic activists.

Lai Ching-te
President
Sixty years ago, in those authoritarian, martial and dark ages, our much-beloved Professor Peng Ming-min, Mr. Hsieh Tsung-min and Mr. Wei Ting-chao, unafraid of endangering their lives, published the Declaration of Formosan Self-salvation. It’s truly a great feat.

The president also spoke of his wishes for the country.

Lai Ching-te
President
Although Chiang Kai-shek has long passed, communist threats not only persist, they’ve intensified. Sixty years ago Professor Peng Ming-min, Mr. Hsieh Tsung-min and Mr. Wei Ting-chao exposed the regime’s lie in the 20th century, that we’d retake the mainland. Now we must have the courage to expose the Communists’ hoax of annexing Taiwan.

Lai reiterated the significance of Taiwan’s democracy in Asia. He paid tribute to activists in Taiwan’s authoritarian past, who had planted the seeds for democracy in the country. Several scholars shared their views on Taiwan’s democratization. The president also paid tribute to the many pro-Taiwan guests of honor at the event. Peng Ming-min Foundation board member Maysing Yang shared her cherished memories of the late activist.

Maysing Yang
Peng Ming-min Foundation
In the US Peng lobbied for the Taiwan Relations Act. I’ve been in the US for a long time, and I’ve worked with him extensively.

The president’s attendance highlighted the former activists’ contribution to Taiwan, and the government’s resolve to honor their heritage.

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2024-09-12

SEAL Team 6 reportedly training to defend Taiwan in China invasion

The US Navy commando unit that killed Osama bin Laden has reportedly been training to help defend Taiwan, should China attack. That’s according to a report on the Financial Times, which quoted sources familiar with the matter. The SEAL Team 6 has allegedly been undergoing secret training for more than a year. Su Tzu-yun from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research says the training is meant as a preparation, in case the worst case scenario plays out. Let’s hear from him.

Su Tzu-yun
Institute for National Defense and Security Research
It shows that the US military is actively preparing in case the worst case scenario were to happen, countering China’s threats to Taiwan. The Navy SEALs are like a fist striking forward. They can penetrate the enemy’s defense line and gather intelligence from all sorts of sources. That’s why they are a special operations force. They all undergo rigorous language training to be able to be deployed in many different conflict areas. The team being reported on by the media would be countering China, so they can probably speak Chinese. The intensity of the training is so that it has become known as hellish. Besides fitness training, it includes mental training so that team members can withstand the huge pressure of the battlefield. They are essentially the US’ Superman unit.

The US has been paying close attention to cross-strait tensions. Back in 2021, former US Admiral Philip Davidson had warned that China could invade Taiwan by 2027. In recent years, the US Department of State has dispatched special ops teams to Taiwan to train local troops. They include members of the US Army Special Forces, who have reportedly been stationed in Taiwan to help with training at amphibious command centers. Though no official statements have been made on the matter, military cooperation between Taiwan and the US is growing closer.

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2024-09-12

Eight ITRI innovations named in R&D 100 Awards

Taiwan won big at the Oscars of Innovation this year! Fifteen Taiwanese innovations were listed on the R&D 100 Awards, and eight of them came from the Industrial Technology Research Institute, or ITRI. This year, Taiwan had the most winners among Asian countries and ranks second worldwide. ITRI’s eight awards also make it as the third largest winner in the world.

Winners of the prestigious R&D 100 Awards this year were announced last month. Amidst fierce global competition, Taiwan emerged as a big winner. Fifteen Taiwanese innovations were listed out of 100, the highest number of any country in Asia and second worldwide, trailing only the US.

Kuo Jyh-huei
Minister of Economic Affairs
This year’s edition of the R&D 100 is probably the best ever for Taiwan. To promote R&D, the ministry will provide more funding, and secondly, we’ll have ITRI serve as an intermediary to apply our winning inventions at industrial scales.

ITRI won a grand total of eight awards, making it one of the biggest winners. The winning ITRI inventions included the Digital Twin System for Tapping Process, which utilizes AI to digitalize the tapping process in steelmaking. Another ITRI winner was the CO2-Fixing Polycarbonate, which can be used for carbon storage and sequestration, lowering carbon emissions in industrial processes.

Edwin Liu
ITRI president
We’re the third largest institutional winner worldwide. All eight award winners are related to AI, semiconductors, and carbon reduction technologies, all very timely and important. We’re thrilled. We also have the 2035 Technology Strategy & Roadmap, which we’re working toward. In this way our researchers have a common pathway and a common strategy.

Kuo Ming-chou
CHIMEI Corporation
The petrochemical industry is traditionally a carbon-intensive one, but our CO2-Fixing Polycarbonate, which can capture flue gas emitted in production processes, can significantly lower carbon emissions compared to conventional polycarbonates.

ITRI’s R&D prowess resulted in the great number of winners this year. Through technological transfers and industrial collaborations, ITRI is promoting Taiwan on the international stage.

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2024-09-12

Chunghwa Post launches youth-friendly attractions

Chunghwa Post has launched a series of tourist attractions in Taoyuan. The big draw is the “99 Photo Wall” with a range of cute, postal-themed merchandise. The wall is intended to be a tourist attraction where people can take a selfie for social media. There are also special postboxes in pastel hues, perhaps attractive to a younger demographic. The Post Office explains the stunt is a way to show off its digital transition.

A pigeon in postal worker’s uniform and a character delivering credit on a motorbike: this is the latest photo wall of Taoyuan Post Office.

Wang Kuo-tsai
Chunghwa Post chair
The photo wall has a number of digital and local Post Office elements. We hope that this spot will become a popular place to post photos on social media, and attract more young people to enjoy Chunghwa Post.

Alongside the photo wall, the Post Office has also launched postboxes in special colors. They’re all red and green, but the colors used are obviously pastel. The head of Taoyuan Post Office says that the 99 Photo Wall and the special postboxes will not only be used for normal functions. They will bring together local offices with the city’s Culture Bureau and Tourism Bureau, as a way to promote Taoyuan. It’s a landmark for the post office, but also a way to raise the profile of Taoyuan itself.

Wang Kuo-tsai
Chunghwa Post chair
Chunghwa Post is promoting innovative locations, to show off some of our digital and convenient services here. I think that the 99 Photo Wall is showing off our digital transition and an innovative side of the Post Office.

Chunghua Post also wants the wall to attract fresh fans to the business, as well as perhaps younger colleagues who can revitalize this century-old veteran enterprise.

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2024-09-12

Japanese restaurant offers sea-fresh horned crabs for NT$35

As autumn arrives and crab season begins, discerning food lovers are willing to travel far and spend a fortune to enjoy rich crab roe. However, in Taipei City, you can find crabs at a surprisingly affordable price of just NT$35 each. This is thanks to a Japanese restaurant that operates its own fleet of 10 fishing boats. Two boats are dedicated to daily catches of horned crabs from Turtle Island in Yilan. The crabs are delivered directly to the restaurant.

Shen Tzu-hao
Japanese restaurant owner
The way to tell is by looking at the crab’s underside. If the shell is stretched and bulging, it means it’s packed with roe. The second way is to check the weight. The third method is to examine the back of the crab; it should not be translucent.

By keeping these key observation points in mind, you can select horned crabs with tender, chewy meat and rich, creamy roe. The vibrant orange-yellow crab roe is so appetizing that it makes your mouth water just by looking at it.

Try a different way of enjoying crabs! Top raw crabs with minced garlic and seasonings, then roast them until the delightful aroma fills the air. This method allows you to savor the freshest, sweetest taste of the sea. With crab season upon us, a Japanese restaurant in Taipei is offering horned crabs at a bargain price of under NT$50. These crabs, which are the size of your palm, have won over many food enthusiasts, turning them into loyal customers.

Alisa
Regular customer
I’ve been eating here for about three years. As a bodybuilder, I always choose clean, healthy food for my diet, especially during competition periods. Whenever crab season comes around, I make sure to visit.

At other places, a single crab might sell for NT$100 to NT$200, but here you can enjoy a whole plate of crabs for less than NT$1,000, which is simply unreal. This box of sashimi, featuring tuna, swordfish and salmon, is neatly arranged and costs only about NT$10 per slice. The restaurant operates its own fleet of 10 fishing boats, delivering fresh catches daily from Turtle Island in Yilan and Keelung. By keeping takeout prices low, they’ve managed to achieve remarkable growth in their sales despite market conditions.

Shen Tzu-hao
Japanese restaurant owner
We have our own fishing boats, so when we catch fish, crabs or seasonal seafood, we often have a large supply when the season peaks. During the crab season, for instance, if the catch is good, we can sell over 10,000 crabs daily at very affordable prices.

In addition to autumn crabs, the Fisheries Agency has shared that recently, the price of milkfish is about 20% lower than last year. Seasonal sea bass, clams, and other seafood such as sweetfish, squid, cuttlefish and mackerel are available at affordable prices. There’s a delightful ocean for consumers to enjoy.

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2024-09-12

National Day fireworks display sneak peek in Huwei

If you’d like to have a sneak peek at this year’s National Day fireworks, a preview will be available this Friday. Starting 8 p.m. a three-minute test launch with more than 1,000 fireworks will be held at Huwei, near the Yunlin High Speed Rail Station.

The real deal will come at 8 p.m. on National Day on Oct. 10. More than 30,000 fireworks will light up the night sky to the sound of classical music. The pyrotechnic extravaganza will last a total of 40 minutes. The county government has compiled a list of 11 locations to watch the show, a feast for the eyes and ears.

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2024-09-12

Extra hotel subsidies for Mayday concertgoers in Hualien

Fans of pop-rock band Mayday are itching to watch their idols on concert in Hualien this coming November. The group will be performing for charity, to help the county recover from the destructive earthquake of April 3. To encourage concertgoers to stay for longer, the Tourism Administration has upgraded a tourism subsidy plan. Visitors can now get NT$1,500 off on their accommodation per night on the three days before and after the concerts.

Mayday fans are excited as can be, after the rock band announced a series of charity concerts in Hualien on Nov. 2 and 3.

With masses of concertgoers set to visit the county, the Tourism Administration has drawn up a special plan to boost tourism. Part of its NT$200 million revitalization package will be dedicated to boosting accommodation subsidies on the three days before and after the concerts from NT$1,000 per night to NT$1,500.

The transport ministry is considering upping the frequency of flights to and from Hualien Airport, and resuming ferry services, in hopes of drawing solo travelers to the county.

Chen Yi-feng
Hualien County Tourism Association
After Mayday announced they’d be performing in Hualien in November, a lot of people called to make bookings. Conservative estimates put occupancy at 95% or more.

Chang Hsuan-han
Hualien Hotel Association
Hoteliers are happy about the plan, because it encourages visitors to stay for a few extra nights in Hualien.

The hospitality sector is looking forward to the subsidies, which could bring a much needed boost to Hualien’s tourism sector.

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2024-09-12

Top international breakdancers to battle it out in Kaohsiung

Following the debut of breakdancing at the Olympic Games, the dance style is enjoying renewed international attention. Amid its popularity, Kaohsiung is holding an international breakdancing championship with NT$1.5 million in prizes up for grabs. Almost 400 B-boys and B-girls from 22 countries have signed up for the competition. Let’s hear from a city official.

Hou Tsung-yao
Kaohsiung Sports Development Bureau
The Kaohsiung Music Center will be holding the preliminaries on Day One, and the finals on Day Two. So far, more than 2,000 people have bought spectator tickets. You can see Olympic-level performances. From Taiwan, we have the City4 Crew led by Quake, and Nana. Besides providing a space for dancers to mingle, it’s also a platform where everyone can come to Kaohsiung and be a hero, competing for glory.

The participants include South Korean Olympian Hong 10 and Dutch Olympian Menno, both of whom won three titles at the Red Bull BC One. There’s also Canada’s Phil Wizard, who won gold at the Paris Olympics. With such a top tier roster, it’s is sure to be exciting.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-12

Taipei blind date event advertised via a garbage truck

The internet is in uproar over a video showing a singles event being advertised via garbage truck! Members of the public were recently astonished to hear an ad for a dating event, ringing out in the evening air, as they took out their sacks of waste. Normally, garbage trucks always play the beloved classical tune “Für Elise,” as they make their rounds of the community like clockwork. But this time, Taipei City government exercised its prerogative to play a rather different recording.

People put out the trash like normal, but for once the night air fills not with the lilting melody of “Für Elise,” but with an advert for a dating event!

Normally it’s mom and dad asking when you’ll be bringing someone home. But this time, it’s… the garbage collectors?!

Member of public
It’s pretty funny. It feels like quite a contrast, finding romance via the garbage truck! It’s impactful!

Member of public
It’s fun! Aren’t all the young people like that now? It makes for a good contrast.

The video was captured by accident. But it’s not a scam, promise! It’s a real ad for an annual singles event organized by Taipei City’s Department of Civil Affairs.

Lin Feng-yu
Taipei Department of Civil Affairs
The schedule of the garbage collectors is very fixed. It’s practically a national sport! Lots of moms and dads are concerned that their kids are not dating anybody. And they’re very proactive in constantly asking us about these singles events. So we wanted to tell all the moms, dads, grannies and grandpas about this event that we run. So we’re trying out advertising it on garbage trucks for the first time this year.

Municipal departments across the country have the right to advertise issues of public interest via garbage trucks. The method has been used before for pandemic control, public health, and environmental protection.

Voice of Wu Chun-ta
Taipei Department of Environmental Protection
The length of our adverts will not exceed 90 seconds. It will run on the trucks for 14 days. It’s the first time they’re used our system to advertise this singles event.

The video of the advert blaring from the truck has kicked up a lot of debate online, and surely turned a lot of heads. Whether it will lead anyone to find love… we’re keeping our fingers crossed.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-12

Mixed weather forecast for Mid-Autumn Festival

A tropical storm is drawing closer to Taiwan. Though it won’t make landfall, its periphery is expected to bring wet weather to the north and east over the weekend. So what about the Mid-Autumn Festival next Tuesday? Forecasters say clear skies are likely in many areas of the island, but east coast residents might need a little extra luck to see the full moon that night.

Liu Yu-chi
Meteorologist
The tropical storm is currently about 2,000km off the east-southeast coast of Taiwan. The conditions are such that it may be able to gradually pick up strength.

Tropical Storm Bebinca is gradually moving northwest. Though it has slowed down, it is becoming stronger and wider. It’s not expected to directly impact Taiwan, but its periphery is set to bring rainy weather to northern and eastern Taiwan over the weekend.

Liu Yu-chi
Meteorologist
All the way until the weekend, the storm will be far to the east of Taiwan. We expected it to approach or pass by Japan’s Ryukyu Islands on Saturday. On Sunday, it will gradually veer west-northwest toward the coast of Zhejiang in China. That will be the closest it will get to Taiwan.

As moisture comes from the east, on Friday strong afternoon thunderstorms are expected in the west coast, south of Changhua and in Nantou. On Saturday, it will be sunny with spurts of rain, which will mostly happen depending on afternoon convective currents. As the tropical storm moves due north of Taiwan on Sunday, its periphery will bring heavier rains to the north, while weather in central and southern Taiwan will remain stable. But what will the weather be like on Mid-Autumn Festival? Should we cancel the barbecue?

Liu Yu-chi
Meteorologist
Northeasterly winds will prevail, so that could mean overcast skies and short bursts of rain in the eastern half of the island, including the Hengchun peninsula. In the north, there may be quite a bit of cloud cover. In Central and Southern Taiwan, afternoon thunderstorms may linger into the evening. Overall the weather won’t be too good. But after the clouds disperse at night, there is still a chance to catch a sight of the moon.

If you’re in the east coast, you might need some luck to see the full moon. On the west coast, it shouldn’t be a problem after the afternoon storms clear up.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-12