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Man punches woman bloody on Taipei MRT after she steps on him

Commuters were shocked by a bloody confrontation that unfolded on the Taipei MRT during the morning rush hour on Wednesday. According to witnesses, a man punched a woman in the face multiple times, after she accidentally stepped on him when she was getting off the train at Ximen station. The woman was left bloodied with several broken teeth. Let’s find out more.

Voice of witness
Saw the confrontation
The woman had apparently stepped on him, and then he started beating her. He punched her three or four times really hard on the chin. She was bleeding from the first punch already. She said he had broken two or three of her teeth.

Lee Yu-han
FTV reporter
The incident happened in the morning rush hour, as the train was full of commuters. The assailant, Mr. Tsai, was speaking on the phone uncomfortably close to the woman, who told him to stop. Then when they got off the train, she accidentally stepped on Mr. Tsai, who got upset and started beating her.

Blood splattered throughout the train car, streaking from the floor all the way to one of the doors. Cleaning staff had to mop up the mess. Although neither side plans to press charges, authorities say the man was still in the wrong for throwing the first punch. He was referred to authorities under the Social Order Maintenance Act and could still face a penalty.

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

#mrt #ximen #taipei #citylife #metro

Time：2026-09-23

最新消息 Latest News

DPP candidate in Hualien collapses mid-song onstage and dies in hospital

A desperate attempt to save a local candidate in the upcoming Hualien election ended in tragedy. During a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration Tuesday night, 53-year-old DPP candidate Chiu Feng-ying suddenly collapsed onstage while singing. Campaign workers for different candidates and political parties immediately sprang into action, taking turns performing CPR until she was rushed to the hospital. But after a night of treatment, her family made the difficult decision to switch off life support early Wednesday morning.

- Hang on. If you’re tired, let’s switch with Chairman Chien.

Campaign staff from different candidates and parties rush to perform CPR on the woman on the floor. While some perform compressions, others stay on the side ready to jump in when needed. The woman is Chiu Feng-ying, a DPP candidate running to represent Sinchen Township in Hualien.

Shih Sheng-kang
EMT
She was seen collapsing onto the ground on stage while she was singing. When we arrived, she wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse, so we immediately began administering CPR.

The incident happened at a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at Shun’an Village on Tuesday evening. Chiu had gone to the event to meet with her supporters. She was singing onstage when she suddenly collapsed mid-song and lost her vital signs.

She was rushed to the hospital, and at one point regained a weak pulse. Ultimately her family decided to cease resuscitation efforts at 3 in the morning.

Voice of Chen Ching-feng
DPP Hualien Office
A CT scan revealed that she likely suffered a ruptured cerebral aneurism, which caused intracranial bleeding.

Hu Jen-shun
Hualien County Councilor (DPP)
She passed away after life support was withdrawn in the early hours of the morning. As her comrade in the DPP, we walked the same road to democracy and freedom, and worked side-by-side on the campaign trail. We are devastated. We will finish the project she started.

Chiu passed away at the age of 53. Some 10 years ago, she moved from Taoyuan to Hualien for work. After getting involved with the local community, she decided to take an extra step and run for election. Sadly, tragedy struck before she could see her first campaign through.

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

#election #karaoke #midautumnfestival #邱鳳英 #obituary

2026-09-23

Taichung high school challenges students to be on time for 100 days

After a student from Taichung First Senior High racked up absences for a staggering 1,302 classes, the school decided to set up a challenge to keep students in class. The goal is to clock in 100 days without being late to school, leaving early, or missing class. Participants wear a cool silicone bracelet to show off and not forget their commitment. Those who make it to the end will get a wristband with the school’s logo, which is an honor. Let’s hear more.

Michael Lin
Taichung First Senior High School
Last semester, we had a graduating student who had missed more than 1,000 classes. So this year, we’re launching a challenge to get students to be on time. When you sign up, you get a silicone band to remind you to arrive on time and not skip class.

Student
Taichung First Senior High School
The students at our school have a unique bad habit. Since our school is very diverse, and the teaching style is more chill, we don’t really feel like being on time is a big deal.

Student
Taichung First Senior High School
This is going to be hard for me, due to my personality. But I think it’s interesting, and it’s a good challenge.

Student
Taichung First Senior High School
I used to be late all the time in middle school, almost every day. I want to work on that flaw.

The challenge has proven to be unexpectedly popular. The school had originally only procured 200 silicone bracelets to give out, and it had to procure an additional 200 due to high demand. Students in all school years can participate, each with a different colored bracelet. The school says it will launch different challenges every year, to encourage students to build good habits.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#timely #challenge #taichung #schoolife #highschool

2026-09-23

Man kills all fish in temple koi pond with air freshener beads

A temple in Taichung’s Shalu District recently became the site of a fish massacre. A man was seen on CCTV dumping an entire container of crystal air freshener beads into the temple’s pond. Thinking it was food, the koi in the pond scrambled to eat them, but the expanding toxic beads caused the fish to die one after another. Irate, the temple management pressed charges, and the man was sentenced to 40 days in prison along with a NT$200,000 fine.

A man walks up to a koi pond, takes a container with air freshener beads out of his jacket, and dumps it into the water. Thinking it’s food, the fish churn in excitement. He then turns and leaves the koi to die off one by one within the week.

Member of public
Outraged
There were over 20 fish. They’re living creatures, too. This behavior is entirely unacceptable.

Member of public
Outraged
There’s no sense of responsibility to others. He harmed small animals. You shouldn’t dump an unknown substance into someone else’s fish pond.

The pond is behind this temple in Taichung’s Shalu District. It used to have 10 German and 10 Japanese koi, worth around NT$50,000. But after meticulously caring for the fish for over two years, at the end of last year, they all died off at once. A review of the CCTV footage revealed the culprit.

- Did he ever compensate you?
- No. He was adamant in saying he was in a bad state and wouldn’t pay. He said he’d rather commute his sentence to a fine or go to prison.

The temple representative said they don’t know the man, but suspect he was disturbed and lashed out at random. The entire pond was contaminated by the poison and needed to be thoroughly cleaned before it could hold fish again.

Temple representative
Tried again
After the incident, we tried raising another batch, but the same thing happened and they all died off. We asked an expert and they told us we had to buy disinfectant and clean the pond five times, drain all the water, let it dry for about 10 days, and then refill it.

The court determined that the man violated the Animal Protection Act, and sentenced him to 40 days in prison along with a NT$200,000 fine. The ruling is subject to appeal.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#animalcruelty #koi #koipond #temple #Taichung #airfreshener #crime

2026-09-23

Diner gets extra-smoky lunchbox containing cigarette butt from chef

A diner who bought a takeaway lunchbox at a self-serve restaurant in Tainan got an extra smoky meal, thanks to a cigarette butt that found its way into the sauce. The shocked diner picked it out of the food and called the restaurant to complain. But the person on the other end of the line simply said that they would tell their chef to quit smoking on the job. Health authorities have since conducted an inspection of the business.

The diner took a picture of the discovery, holding up the cigarette butt with a pair of chopsticks. At first, he thought the butt was an extra chewy intestine, or a charred spring onion. But one whiff gave it away: the aroma wasn’t herbs or spices, but that of tobacco. Fortunately, the cigarette butt didn’t end up in anyone’s stomach, and neither did the rest of the meal, as the diner had lost his appetite.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#smoky #lunchbox #selfserve #tainan #marinate

2026-09-23

Massive teacher shortage is straining schools countrywide

Teachers’ Day is just around the corner! But fewer teachers are celebrating it this year. Statistics from the Ministry of Education show that there is a shortage of teachers across Taiwan, with Taipei City being the worst hit. A job bank reveals education-related job openings surged to 38,000, reflecting a severe labor shortage across public schools and tutoring centers. Teachers claim salaries are too low, forcing them to quit.

Teachers are juggling many responsibilities. From teaching classes and grading homework, to looking after students. With the huge shortage of teachers, there are even cases of math teachers stepping in for scout classes.

Mr. Pan
Keelung Chien Te Junior High School
This semester, I was assigned to support the Scouts, but I majored in Mathematics. I haven’t tied a knot or pitched a tent in my life, so I will have to learn. Even so, I will then have to teach the students. They just don’t have teachers, even if you offer poor quality of teaching, their hands are tied.

More and more teachers are quitting. Turning 30 this year, Ms. Wang graduated with a Masters from NTNU and worked as an elementary school IT teacher. Due to incredible pressure from parents and administrative work, she switched to working in tech and watched her salary multiply.

Ms. Wang
Former Teacher
Back then, I paid over NT$4,000 or NT$5,000 every month just for public insurance and retirement benefits. If you add on health insurance and other costs, it would quickly add up to NT$7,000 or NT$8,000 a month. My monthly salary was around NT$48,000. Today, I work in tech, and earn over NT$1 million a year.

The shortage of substitute teachers has reached a record high in Taiwan, reaching 614, according to the Ministry of Education. Job banks reveal similar insights related to education-related job openings totaling at 38,000. Public schools, cram schools, childcare, special needs, are all facing severe shortages of staff. The survey suggests junior high school teachers are the most overworked, facing incredible pressure and unfair compensation.

Chuang Yu-chieh
Job Bank Spokesperson
Our survey indicates that most people believe the appropriate compensation for a junior high school teacher is around NT$65,180.

60% of teachers believe that compensation needs improvement and impractical administrative tasks be reduced. What was once considered a solid career path is rapidly losing its appeal. Without crucial systemic changes, fewer people will be celebrating Teachers’ Day in the coming years.

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

#teachershortage #publicschool #cramschool #teachinginTaiwan #taiwanteachers

2026-09-23

NSTC initiative to popularize science with kids and adults alike kicks off

A program created by the National Science Council to help both kids and adults better understand science is now in its 8th year. The program, "Kiss Science," takes members of the pubic to more than 100 scientific research sites across Taiwan, with 34 opening up this year for the first time. There are also science camps for high school students and movies for kids. Let’s find out more.

With their nimble fingers turning the cubes, these children quickly solve two Rubik’s cubes in less than a minute.

Crowds are gathering at an event announcing the official launch of this year’s Kiss Science popular science initiative.

Wu Cheng-wen
National Science and Technology Council
This event is a well-established tradition and this year is the eighth edition. Our people, from children to adults, have the opportunity to experience firsthand the importance of science in our lives.

Kung Chi-kang
National Science and Technology Council
A major feature this year is our science walking tour. This means we have designed five routes across four different cities and counties, where scientific experts will lead in-depth introductions and discussions.

To promote scientific knowledge, the National Science Council and various ministries have joined hands to hold large-scale popular science activities that connect more than 100 scientific research sites across Taiwan. This year, 34 new sites are making their debut, and the public will be led into laboratories for close-up experiences. Special activities to popularize science have been created aimed at students of different ages to stimulate their curiosity.

Kung Chi-kang
National Science and Technology Council
For Kid’s Science, we will design events called “Amazement at Science” and “Science Cinema,” where children can watch science activities and movies at Taipei Main Station. For older children, we have more than 30 booths for junior high and elementary school students to get hands-on experience with science. In addition to this, we also combine it with round-island train activities aimed at popularizing science.

In addition to science education for children, there are also themed camps designed specifically for high school students. Through one-on-one teaching, students are led into experimental labs to experience the infinite charm of science.

#Kissscience #Taiwanscience #Taiwankidsactivities #NSTC

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

2026-09-23

Kaohsiung produces traffic safety picture book from students’ perspectives

The Kaohsiung City Transportation Bureau has launched a new traffic safety book for junior high students, hoping this will instill traffic awareness in Taiwanese at a young age. It’s all based on the students’ observations of traffic on their daily commute to school. Let’s find out more.

The Kaohsiung City Government invited picture book author Li Chin-lun and aesthetic education specialist Liao Hui-lan to guide students from Kaohsiung Municipal Fongshan Junior High School to transform their everyday traffic experiences on their commute into relatable picture book stories.

Lee Chin-lun
Picture book author
First, we conduct field research with the students to gather a collection of their creative materials. I then adapt this material and compose it into a picture book.

In the picture book, whether it’s the story arrangement, narrative, or hand-drawn illustrations, everything is presented from the perspective of junior high school students observing their commuting environment. Regardless of age, anyone can easily understand how to follow road safety concepts through simple pictures and text.

Charles Lin
Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor
Transportation isn’t just about infrastructure or regulation—more importantly, it must be rooted in our mindset and safety education needs to start at a young age

More importantly, the book also incorporates traffic safety knowledge such as stopping and waiting for pedestrians and prohibiting scooters from riding on sidewalks, making traffic safety not just about rules and regulations, but rather safety knowledge that can be practically applied.

Charles Lin
Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor
The city government will also continuously work hard, and we will allocate related budgets. We also hope to find a different school every year, and we even want high school students to participate in the production of these picture books.

For three consecutive years, the city government has launched traffic safety picture books, hoping to promote traffic safety awareness from an early age through reading. This also influences parents and older adults who are helping their kids, extending coverage across multi-generational households, so that they can jointly create a more child-friendly traffic environment.

#Taiwantraffic #trafficsafety #Kaohsiungtraffic #childrensbooks

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

2026-09-23

Local sheep prefer evenings out over targeted grazing

Last night at around 8 o’clock, cars were stuck in traffic in Yunlin’s Xiluo Township due to a sheep jam. Yes, you heard that right. Sheep. A landowner borrowed a flock of sheep to clear the weeds in a field, but the sneaky sheep had slipped through the cracks in a fence and decided to clock out early. Local residents quickly banded together to capture the escapees.

The sky is dark, but bright fluffy clouds are seen on the road. These are actually sheep who don’t want to go home.

- Xiluo Night Market is here.
Going inside the market
- Go left. Go left.

On Tuesday evening in Yunlin County, sheep suddenly appeared on Fulai Road in Xiluo Township. Who let the sheep out? Local residents also wondered this as they quickly alerted the relevant authorities to help find the owner. They banded together using messaging groups to help capture the sheep.

-They’re over there!

Member of public
Concerned about sheep
You have to grab the sheep, tighten the reins around its neck quickly and stop it from escaping. What else can you do?

Member of public
Likes to eat lamb
I brought my daughter to see what sheep look like before they are cooked, hahahaha.

Member of public
Great sense of humor
This is hilarious. Has anyone called the police?

It was later revealed that a landscaper borrowed the flock to graze on overgrown grass in some open areas. Unfortunately, the sheep were uninterested in working and followed their leader towards Xiluo Night Market for an exciting night on the town.

Member of public
The sheep are still on the road, let’s surround them, once rounded off, we can slowly approach.

Member of public
Eager to catch sheep
Help us round them, help us catch them!

It took dozens of people more than an hour to round up the runaway sheep and load them in a small truck. Local residents joked that the activity was “more tiring than a sports meet.” Using sheep for targeted grazing and weed control is sustainable, but perhaps the fluffy creatures are more interested in becoming traffic police than landscapers.

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

#thegreatescape #shaunthesheep #thesheepdetectives #yunlin #animals #cute #sheep

2026-09-23

Chef serves gourmet risotto from small Taichung market stall

There’s a stall in Taichung’s Xiangshang Market that specializes in seafood risotto, which is packed with jumbo shrimp and nutritious seasonal vegetables in a bed of broth-infused rice. Its vibrant colors are sure to get your mouth watering at first sight. The owner also has a unique look, and is often mistaken as a Westerner. But how did he end up at the market after having owned a restaurant before? Let’s find out.

Customers crowd around this food stall waiting for their number to be called, even before the food has finished cooking.

A creamy broth turns a subtle shade of pink from the jumbo shrimp, instantly teasing the appetite. The American long-grain rice must fully absorb the broth before tossing in clams and a colorful array of seasonable vegetables.

Chang Yu-tao
Chef
Customers kept giving us feedback, asking if we could make it lighter, so we don’t use a lot of flavoring now. We focus on using whole foods. We barely use any processed ingredients.

Chang Yu-tao used to be a well-known chef in a Western restaurant, who counted several politicians among his customers. But after the restaurant closed, he became a market vendor in Taichung with his wife. They first made a name for themselves at Hanxi Night Market before relocating to Xiangshang Market.

Chang Yu-tao
Chef
The market manager told me we get foot traffic of about 10,000 people here. If you can’t win over 100 of them, it means you should phase out your products.

Chang’s customers get to benefit from his culinary travels around the world.

Customer
Likes the creamy seafood
I like the creamy seafood since the cream sauce is very flavorful.

Customer
Likes the freshness
You can really taste the freshness of the seafood. All his seafood is very fresh.

With a strict commitment to fresh ingredients and generous portions served at night market prices, customers say it’s great value.

Customer
Likes the value
These days, any random lunchbox costs more than NT$100. So it’s reasonable to get something like this.

Customer
Likes the new taste
Most of the options around here are traditional, so this is refreshingly different.

Having weathered life’s storms together, this husband-and-wife duo are working hard to keep earning their way with this colorful night market risotto.

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

#risotto #Taichung #marketfood #streetfood #goodvalue #husbandandwife #chef #seafood

2026-09-23

Hermes Testing Solutions debuts on OTC market

Hermes Testing Solutions made its OTC market debut on Tuesday with a record-high underwriting price of NT$2,250 per share. And it didn’t stop there. The semiconductor testing company’s shares went on a honeymoon rally, skyrocketing by 110% to close up at NT$4,730. The lucky winners in the IPO allotment are now sitting on an unrealized profit of up to NT$2.48 million. The company says it has plans to expand into advanced packaging equipment and silicon photonics testing. Let’s hear more.

Wang Tzu-chien
Hermes Testing Solutions general manager
I would like to thank all our many investors for having so much confidence in us. We expect our performance this year to be even better than last year, and next year better than this one. We’re already providing services on a small scale in silicon photonics testing, and we plan to ramp that up next year. Our advanced packaging reflow equipment is also looking good. Our main focus is two years from now, as next year our goal is to continue laying the groundwork and start seeing some returns.

Wayne Chen
President Capital Management
Aspeed Technology already broke past NT$20,000. That’s the price of a house! And still it’s hitting new highs. The market is waiting for the meeting between Trump and Xi on Thursday. If the meet eases trade tensions and companies reach deals in AI, it could be a big boost to Taiwan shares.

Hermes Testing Solutions has become the third-largest stock on the OTC market, which is led by Aspeed Technology. For the latter, it took less than seven months for shares to go from about NT$10,000 to a whopping N$20,905, becoming the first company ever to break past NT$20,000. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s stock market opened high, before surging by 900 points, hitting a record intraday high of 48,601 points. Though the gains deflated by the end of the session, the market finished at a tidy 47,800 points, a new record high closing figure.

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

#shares #market #technology #hermes #aspeed

2026-09-22

NTUE back on the stage for National Day celebration

The Goodwill Ambassador Team at National Taipei University of Education has once again been selected for the National Day welcoming ceremony after a three-year hiatus. This year they come equipped with brand-new uniforms, skills in foreign languages, good looks, and physical fitness. Some members resemble celebrities, such as Ruby Lin and Ella Chen. Today, they showcased the results of their training. Let’s see.

- It’s so hot! The sun is so strong, can anyone help me?
- The venue has seating arrangements, let me ask the security officer for you.

Lin Yi-yun
FTV Reporter
With their sweet smiles and professional performance, these are the goodwill ambassadors of National Taipei University of Education. Let’s take a look at the results of the training.

After a three-year break from the spotlight, National Taipei University of Education has returned for the National Day stage. With perfect posture and gestures, even their movements are in sync. Looking closer, some of their faces resemble celebrities. One looks like Ruby Lin and another like Ella Chen.

Tung Ssu-hsien
National Taipei University of Education
I personally think I look similar to Ruby Lin because my mother looks like her. This is a photo of my mother when she was younger. I look like Ruby Lin because of my mother’s genes.

Yin Wen-hsin
National Taipei University of Education
At first, I thought, “Really?” because I only started hearing this in high school. Then my friends made a video, and I thought my personality was similar to Ella Chen. We are both the ones responsible for creating a lively atmosphere and being cheerful.

Good looks are not the only thing you need to serve National Day ceremonial guests, foreign language skills are also essential. Every member of the group is fluent in a foreign language. Standing on the big stage is not just about having a pretty smile.

Tung Po-shou
Chairman of International Protocol and Goodwill Association
There are a total of five universities that will provide protocol services for the National Day celebrations. They will oversee etiquette, verbal communication, and crisis management. They will be running around the track and undergoing rigorous training. This training started two years ago, with long intensive sessions three times a week.

On the surface, the National Day ceremony is wonderful and elegant. Behind it, however, lies rigorous and demanding training. With the event just around the corner, members continue to prepare to bring their best performance for the big stage.

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

#nationalday #goodwillambassador #ntue #rubylin #ellachen #taiwan

2026-09-22

Bus with smashed-up window stays on road for weeks in Tainan

Would you sit next to a smashed up window on a bus? For most of us, that would be a resolute no. But that didn’t stop a bus in Tainan from traveling all around the city for weeks with a broken window. The situation was captured on video by a commuter, who said he first saw the shattered glass in late August. Let’s hear more.

Voice of Mr. Yen (anonymized)
Saw smashed window
It’s extremely dangerous. Just think about it contracting in the cold and expanding in the heat. Or if the bus shakes a little bit too much, it could all come crashing down on passengers, and cutting them. It’s so scary. I was sitting further back, but it wouldn’t be safe anyway. I saw the broken window on the bus in Tainan on Aug. 29, before the school year started.

Ms. Hsiao
Bus company
The window broke due to a rock that was kicked up from the ground during weed-cutting work. The window is laminated glass, which forms a spiderweb pattern instead of shattering or scattering into shards. So it does not pose an immediate danger.

The bus company says that, although the glass may look scary, it does not pose an immediate danger to passengers. Still, the bus has been removed from circulation while the window is replaced, which should put passengers at ease.

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

#bus #transit #urban #citylife #tainan

2026-09-22

Convenience store sells shelf-stable rice from Japanese emergency prep brand

One of Taiwan’s convenience stores recently partnered with a well-known Japanese brand to provide self-stable rice that can sit at room temperature for a year, intended for customers to always have a stockpile at home for an emergency. Even if there’s no power, it can be heated up with a handwarmer. YouTuber HowHow was tapped to demonstrate how to prepare this “lazy man’s” food.

This simple dish is prepared in a flash, as YouTuber HowHow shows how to heat up this easy microwave meal. But the unassuming rice underneath holds a secret.

HowHow
YouTuber
If you lose water or power, eating only crackers or instant noodles could get old. It would be nice to have rice as well.

Peel back the plastic film, put it in the microwave for 90 seconds, and you have some piping hot rice, ready to eat. A convenience store teamed up with a Japanese brand to offer two kinds of emergency prep rice options: freeze-dried rice that rehydrates after soaking in hot water for 15 minutes, and cooked rice that remains shelf-stable at room temperature for a full year. In an emergency situation where there’s no power or microwave, handwarmers can be used to heat it up instead. But are people willing to try it?

Member of public
Wouldn’t try it
No. Normal rice, if you leave it out for too long, gets weevils and stuff. So I think it’s a bit weird, and I wouldn’t want to eat it.

Member of public
Would try it
I’d give it a try. Since it can last out of the fridge for a year, I’d give it a shot, since you can keep it at home and whenever you want, you can just pull out a pack and heat it up.

The company said that they use a low-temperature process to maintain a sterile environment below 15 degrees Celsius through transport, storage, and milling. Beyond retaining nutrients and freshness, it preserves the natural sweetness and original flavor of the rice.

Yamamoto Sho
Company general manager
Our process, straight from the start of production, ensures that no bacteria can form. You can technically eat it cold if you don’t have a handwarmer to heat it, but as the manufacturer, we don’t really recommend that approach, as cold, hard rice is difficult to digest.

The company hopes to encourage people to create “rolling emergency stockpiles” to prepare for disaster while going about their daily shopping routines.

#gobag #disasterprep #rice #conveniencestore #HowHow #Japan #microwavemeal

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

2026-09-22

Huge Fumeancats inflatable at port celebrates Keelung’s 400th B-day

The city of Keelung is celebrating its fourth centennial, and to celebrate it, its famous port is getting a super cute, super huge decoration. Keelung Mayoral Candidate Tung Zi-wei joined forces with Fumeancats to put up a 15m inflatable kitty right on the water. The installation will be there for a whole two months.

Tung himself boarded a boat to take the cat out for a walk and drag it to its spot in the middle of the harbor for a test. People crowded the area, taking photos of the spectacle. With the city’s 400th birthday, Tung says he hopes everyone will get reacquainted with Keelung and its history, while creating new memories. He hopes the cute cat will get people traveling to the seaside promenade and get to know the city anew.

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

#taiwan #cute #cats #keelung #anniversary

2026-09-22

Health ministry launches rewards program for taking care of yourself

Starting October, taking good care of your health will come with benefits. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is rolling out a program in which completing certain health missions rewards users with Health Tokens that can be redeemed for goods and services. The tasks include actions such as going for health checkups, cancer screenings or getting vaccinated. The tokens can be exchanged starting December, with rewards including exercise and sports related products.

A new rewards program will soon offer Health Tokens to people who take good care of their physical wellbeing. Officials held a press conference on Tuesday to launch the program, with familiar faces such as Minister without Portfolio Chen Shih-chung and Health Minister Shih Chung-liang.

Shih Chung-liang
Minister of Health and Welfare
Our main goal is to encourage everyone to complete the tasks, especially during the first month. The app features a list of all the things you can redeem your Health Tokens for. During this first phase, it’s as if you were shopping online, exchanging the tokens for exercise-related benefits or products. You receive a QR code that you can use to redeem the goods.

Now, being on top of your health to-dos, actually pays off. There are three ways to earn Health Tokens. If you’re aged 18 and up, it’s as easy as downloading the NHI’s Health Passbook app, and ticking off the lists of tasks to get tokens. The missions include tasks like health checkups, cancer screenings and vaccinations. Then, in December, the tokens can be exchanged for products and other rewards.

Shih Chung-liang
Minister of Health and Welfare
We hope the program can be sustained, because we want to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles and habits. We wanted to make it accessible to everyone, so in this initial phase, all our partners operate nationwide. In the future, we may work with partners locally, such as county and city governments. Many of them already have reward programs of their own.

The program aims to encourage people to stop procrastinating screenings and vaccinations, and take better care of themselves. With tangible rewards to be had, the ministry hopes people will have extra motivation to take their health seriously.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#health #tokens #healthandwelfare #rewards #taiwan

2026-09-22

Mid Autumn Fest meat demand has suppliers raising white flags

With the long weekend just around the corner, the market for barbecue supplies is booming! Wholesale barbecue suppliers are completely swamped. To handle the surge in orders, one business owner is turning to friends and family for help. They begin working in the early mornings until 3 or 4am and see daily revenue exceed NT$1 million. Popular items such as meat skewers or handmade meat rolls are in high demand. Even a daily output of 5,000 skewers is failing to meet demand. Despite preparing an inventory worth over NT$10 million, the rapid surge in demand is forcing suppliers to decline new orders.

Here are freshly grilled skewers with their tempting marbling and mouth-watering aroma. For just one bite, the barbecue factory is swamped with work.

Inside the cardboard boxes, the meat is sorted by type and loaded into crates in batches before being moved to the freezer. Every day the barbecue ingredients are shipped directly from the factory to wholesalers.

- Orders surged unexpectedly on the 21st, so we stopped accepting new ones. Still, there are over 100 pending orders.

Aside from the pre-orders, they have many walk-in customers who bring their freezers to stock up.

Customer
Loyal to this supplier
I’ve been coming here to buy for the Mid-Autumn Festival for years; everything is already skewered, so there’s no cleanup involved.

Tang Shih-ching
FTV reporter
What’s the best way to enjoy barbecue? In my hand, I have 20-inch barbecue meat skewers - they go through hundreds of packs daily in sales. Even inside this massive walk-in freezer, where stock is constantly being replenished, demand cannot be met.

Since August, sales have surpassed NT$10 million. However, the pace of incoming orders is much faster than the supplier’s ability to meet them, leaving them no choice but to surrender and press pause on new orders.

Yang Chien-huang
Barbecue meat supplier
Starting this week, we asked friends and family to come and help. We’ve been busy since 10am and work until 3 or 4am, since yesterday we have reached our limit. We generated over NT$1 million in sales in a single day, and much of our stock was completely wiped out.

Long-term partners and live streaming channels place orders ranging from tens of thousands to over a million. Although they secured their stock a month in advance, the unpredictable surge of large orders from individual customers is very intense.

Yang Chien-huang
Barbecue meat supplier
Every day, we prepare 5,000 meat skewers; we deliver more than 10,000 in a day. This is all handmade; there is no way to meet Mid Autumn Festival demands.

To keep costs down, suppliers stocked up on materials in advance and absorbed a portion of the price hike themselves. With production capacity hitting the 10-million-unit limit, the entire workforce is pulling all-nighters to meet the sales peak during this important season.

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

#midautumnfestival #barbecue #meatskewers #bbq #meatmadness

2026-09-22

Chemical Society short film on cancer tech seeks to make science fun

Bringing together experts from across disciplines as scientific advisors, the Chemical Society of Taiwan recently produced the short film Through Chemistry’s Realm. The film explores treating cancer cells in a dog’s body, aiming to make complex scientific concepts into an easily understood, lively, and engaging storyline for everyone to enjoy.

When you were struggling to memorize the periodic table of elements for school, did you ever imagine it could become instantly simpler when done with a fitness routine?

Then we take a microscopic perspective as we enter the body of a dog named Ha-chiu to fight his cancer cells. The Chemical Society of Taiwan gathered input from many scientific advisors for this short collaborative film entitled Through Chemistry’s Realm.

Chen Yu-ju
Academia Sinica vice president
As scientists, we describe our work through experiments, data, and academic papers. But for film, it’s a completely different world. If these pop films can reach kids and plant a seed of scientific curiosity, I think that would be the most important outcome of this entire journey.

Complex scientific concepts such as cryo-electron microscopy and targeted therapies were converted into easily accessible and entertaining clues to the story and visuals. Over four years of prep work, the process certainly tested everyone’s creativity. At the premiere, cast members Wayne Song and Louis Chiang shared their experience making the film.

Wayne Song
Actor
We had to do the national fitness routine while reciting the periodic table. I memorized it back in high school, but for the film, I had to memorize a homophone version of it, which was a bit challenging for me.

Louis Chiang
Actor
Integrating three or four chemistry concepts into a short 20-minute film was honestly a bit tough for a humanities-oriented brain like mine to pull off.

The film is available to watch on YouTube alongside an extended learning website, while a themed exhibition has simultaneously opened at National Taiwan University’s Shih-liang Hall for a seven-month run. Through rich storytelling, the creators hope to make it easier for everyone to make sense of science and Taiwan’s scientific achievements.

#chemistry #science #ChemicalSocietyofTaiwan #AcademiaSinica #shortfilm #educationalfilm #cancerresearch

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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2026-09-22

‘Demon Slayer’ mural draws tourists to rural Penghu township

Wall murals featuring classic series like Demon Slayer and Slam Dunk have become big tourist draws for the small Huxi Township in Penghu. They were all created by artist Pan Hui-chih, a former chief petty officer in the Marine Corps. He returned to his hometown after retiring from the military and began painting again in his free time to add some color to his community while also bringing in more tourists.

Characters from the popular Japanese series Demon Slayer are depicted in vivid color on this mural, attracting visitors from far and wide.

Tourist
Likes the mural
It’s Demon Slayer! It’s pretty special. You can come here to take pictures and post on social media.

There are even katanas for people to take photos with. On another wall, scenes from Slam Dunk are depicted in classic manga style, different from your typical mural. Other walls depict Ultraman and even the artist’s dog.

Tourist
Came to see murals
It’s popular online, so I came to see it for myself.

These murals in Penghu’s Huxi Township are all by Pan Hui-chih, a native of Chenggong Village. Since his mother loves Buddhist art, years ago while serving in the military, he found someone to teach him painting. Then after retiring from service and returning home, he picked it back up. He became inspired by the popularity of anime and taught himself to paint in the style through the internet. He paints the murals in his free time, starting with this Demon Slayer one, which took 150 hours to complete.

Pan Hui-chih
Artist
Painting stories or scenes gives more life to the wall, and brings the residents here closer together.

The murals have become popular spots to post online, drawing scores of curious tourists. The neighbors have even offered to donate their own walls for him to paint.

Hsiao Wen-jui
Chenggong Village Warden
The response has been enormous. Such a talent with such wonderful artwork. We hope he can keep showcasing his skills here in the Chenggong community.

By picking up his brushes again after a long time away from home, this veteran is bringing color back to his community while showing visitors another facet of Penghu’s beauty.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#Penghu #artwork #DemonSlayer #SlamDunk #anime #artist #viral #selftaught

2026-09-22

Local Yunlin candidate features giant cockroach in campaign poster

You know election season has arrived when streets and alleys across Taiwan become covered in campaign posters. Tseng Chiang-chuan, a candidate to represent Yunlin’s Dounan Township, went with an unusual mascot choice—a giant cockroach. The candidate explained that when spoken quickly, the Taigi pronunciation of his name sounds like “cockroach.” Throughout his previous four terms leading his village, his constituents all called him the “cockroach warden.”

It’s hard to tell what’s on this campaign banner as it whips in the breeze. There’s no way that could be right. A nearby billboard should be clearer...

There’s a massive cockroach right in the center! It must be a printing error. Why would the candidate feature a cockroach so prominently? Let’s ask the man himself, candidate for Dounan Township representative Tseng Chiang-chuan.

Tseng Chiang-chuan
Dounan Township representative candidate
When I was a kid in elementary school, I was very mischievous. The sound of my name morphed into the nickname “Cockroach,” and people have been calling me that ever since.

If you say the name Chiang-chuan fast in Taigi, it starts to sound like the the word for cockroach. This resident said it more clearly.

- When we were kids, “Kang-tsuân” became “ka-tsuâ.” Everyone in Dounan calls him Cockroach. We have a lot of nicknames here. Like me, I run a breakfast shop selling hamburgers, so everyone calls me Burger.

Tseng previously served a warden of Jiushe Village for four terms, where his constituents all knew him as the “cockroach warden.” After an eight-year break from politics, he’s running for office once more. Afraid people have forgotten his real name, he decided to put the cockroach on his posters as a reminder.

- He’s been a warden for many years, so everyone’s very used to him.

- He was warden for a few terms. He did a good job!

In nearby Douliu, there’s another unique name. This candidate for Yunlin County Council is named Liao-something-chun. But how do you pronounce the middle character? Some people say yung, while others see hsu. So which is it?

Liao Chang-chun
Yunlin County Council candidate (NPP)
People tend to pronounce characters based on the components, so they usually say “yung.” I’ve noticed that people get tripped up when they see this character, so I added a phonetic guide to all my posters.

With so many people mispronouncing it, this candidate included an explainer on his promotional materials to help people remember while also leaving a lasting impression.

#2026election #campaign #campaignposter #candidate #cockroach #Yunlin #nickname

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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2026-09-22