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Taiwanese celebrities flock to celebrate China National Day

Today marks China’s National Day and some Taiwanese celebrities have sparked a wave of public outrage over their opinions. Among them were actress Michelle Chen, who stood at the Great Wall and wished China a prosperous future in a CCTV special. On Weibo, the trend continued with a series of reposts. Comedian and singer Huang An, who has long been pro-China, was among the first to post a message for China’s National Day. Though controversial, the Mainland Affairs Council says the messages are not illegal.

China’s National Day celebrations have kicked off. A promotional video features Taiwanese actress, Michelle Chen, dressed to impress at the Great Wall and confessing her love for the nation. In the video, she refers to China as her “motherland” and wishes it a future filled with prosperity.

Additionally, Taiwanese actor, Morning Zhang, who is currently in Xiamen, shouted the slogan, “The Chinese Dream, My Home and Country.” The two are promoting CCTV’s National Day special program, which they also appeared in.

China celebrates its 77th anniversary with promotional videos and stage performances leading to a wave of support on Weibo. Chinese state media CCTV also launched a National Day greeting video with many Taiwanese celebrities sharing and leaving messages.

Taiwanese entertainer, Huang An, was eager to fire the first birthday message for China’s National Day with a Weibo post. The images included messages such as “Celebrating National Day,” “1949 to 2026,” to “77th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China,” making his love for China indisputable.

Aside from Huang An and Will Liu, other Taiwanese celebrities who shared messages include Jiro Wang, Peter Ho, and Ken Chu. Wu Kang-ren, a two time Golden Horse Award winner, had his studio post a message in advance, stating, “May our land be beautiful and our nation prosperous and peaceful,” indicating his support.

Liang Wen-chieh
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister
19 people posted celebratory messages, forwarding CCTV’s post and template. It’s mostly these celebrities. Some of them, you wouldn’t know they’re Taiwanese unless you were specifically reminded. We talked about two red lines last time: first, you cannot advocate for the use of force against Taiwan; second, you cannot advocate for the elimination of the Republic of China’s sovereignty. If these cases arise, we would investigate and deal with them.

The Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister emphasized the two rules, as long as no lines are crossed, there are no issues. It seems that every year on China’s National Day, pro-China celebrities face extreme scrutiny.

#chinanationalday #republicofchina #china #taiwan #crossstraitrelations

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Time：2026-10-01

最新消息 Latest News

Flu and Covid shots now available for free for 11 high risk groups

Flu and Covid shots are now available for free, for people in 11 high risk groups. The vaccines are available at almost 4,000 hospitals and health centers around the country. And if you go for a jab, remember that this year, there are Health Tokens to be redeemed. Let’s hear more.

Philip Lo
CDC
The flu epidemic is at its peak. Following the long weekend, the surge in people seeking medical care is expected to keep this peak going until around mid-October, after which cases should gradually begin to decline. The overall flu outbreak is not expected to subside until around mid-November, so we urge the public to take advantage of the time now.

Shih Chung-liang
Minister of Health and Welfare
From 10 am today, the Health Bank began linking with Health Tokens, which can be redeemed on the Health Go app. The budget allocated for the platform was around NT$50 million.

The slogan for this year’s vaccination campaign is “Flu on the left arm, Covid on the right arm,” to encourage people to get protected against both diseases in one go. In this initial rollout, the shots are available for high-risk groups including people aged 65 and up, pregnant women and people with high-risk conditions. It also includes long-term care, healthcare and medical workers. With the Health Token program, getting your shots can earn you tokens, which can later be exchanged for health-related products and services.

#healthtokens #vaccines #shots #jabs #covid

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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2026-10-01

Victim fires back at honey trap claims in Neihu borough warden race

After a past conviction for attempted sexual assault came to light, a borough warden candidate in Taipei announced he was quitting the race. But it turns out; he is still canvassing for votes. Wang Chien-sheng, is the son of the current borough warden in Neihu’s Wufen Borough, and even his father believes he is still in the race. Now, as rumors circulate that he was set up in a so-called “honey trap,” the victim, Ms. Chen, is speaking out.

Ms. Chen
Victim of attempted sexual assault
Wang Chien-sheng is not suited to become Wufen’s borough warden. All he says is lies.

An attempted sexual assault conviction has cast a shadow over Wang Chien-sheng’s bid to follow in his father’s footsteps and run for borough warden at Neihu’s Wufen Borough. Once his history came to light, Wang announced he was withdrawing from the race on Facebook. But shortly after, he’s been accused of canvassing for votes anyway while some try to spin the narrative that his conviction was a setup.

Ms. Chen
Victim of attempted sexual assault
He’s a bastard. When I saw him, there was only one piece of clothing left on him. The rest was lying on the side of my bed.

Five years have passed, and it remains tough for Ms. Chen to recall the incident, which took a toll on her both physically and mentally. Now that she’s being accused of honey trapping Wang, she’s come forward to explain the truth about the situation.

Ms. Chen
Victim of attempted sexual assault
If I had been trying to honey trap him, how could the court have convicted and sentenced him. Though it’s been a long time, I still feel an incredibly deep pain in my heart.

Wu Hsin-tai
Taipei City Councilor Candidate (TSP)
Somehow, this person, who did something wrong, can still work as an aide to a sitting councilor, and even run for election for village chief. Even when the victim comes forward to talk about what happened, she’s forced to once again prove to everyone that she has evidence. This whole situation is unacceptable.

We called Wang’s father, aka, the current neighborhood warden to ask about his son’s electoral race.

- Only he would know. I don’t know.
- Did he withdraw?
- No, no, he didn’t.

Our reporter went to the neighborhood warden’s office early in the morning. But it so happened he was handing out bags of rice to locals, and declined to comment on the matter.

#sexualassault #sa #rice #election #taiwan

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2026-10-01

Influencer jumps into mangrove at national park to retrieve sunnies

An influencer is being slammed online after jumping into a protected national park mangrove in Tainan to retrieve a pair of lost sunglasses. The mangrove in question is the famous Sicao Green Tunnel, where tourists flock to take a boat ride under the lush green canopy. The influencer was on one of these boat tours, when a tree branch knocked his shades into the water. He asked the boatman to take him back and later took a plunge himself. Though he did get his sunnies back, the recovery has come with heavy criticism.

Tourist
Concerned about mangrove
It’s a protected space, shared by all of us and to be enjoyed by future generations. So he attached more importance to his belongings than to actual important matters. It’s very inappropriate.

Tourist
Afraid of what could’ve happened
We’re not experts after all. If you go down in the water, a lot of unexpected things could happen. You never know.

Chou Ko-pin
Sicao Dazhong Temple
From the perspective of the operator, and in order to maintain the ecosystem and ensure everyone’s safety, such behavior is prohibited and discouraged.

Lai Yu-fu
Taijiang National Park
We believe he may have violated Article 13 of the National Park Law. If that is the case, he faces a fine of up to NT$3,000.

The influencer left a comment on his own post, asking people not to copy him. He also claimed that he had gotten permission from staff, and that he did not mean to encourage people to do the same as him. The Taijiang National Park says he could be fined up to NT$3,000, while the Tainan government is also looking for an explanation from the tour operator, who could also face consequences.

#tainan #travel #tourist #influencer #台南

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2026-10-01

Village chief candidate made unrecognizable by AI editing

With local elections approaching, campaign billboards are popping up everywhere. Candidates often edit younger photos of themselves for posters, but now some are directly using AI, like Hsu Mei-fang, who’s running for village chief in Songling, Zhongli. People online said her photo was so heavily edited that she’s no longer recognizable.

This election campaign poster looks like a marriage advertisement, even with “Hsu Mei-fang wants to marry you” in big pink characters. The candidate for Songling village chief in Zhongli is pictured with delicate, polished features and her fingers making a heart shape. The photo has been heavily edited, likely by AI.

People online couldn’t stop criticizing it, calling it “the most repulsive campaign poster” and saying AI made the candidate look completely different and utterly unrecognizable. Some even called it fraud.

Songling Village resident
Can’t recognize candidate
I looked up her real photo and it’s completely different. They should use a photo taken in the last three months, not one that’s been heavily edited like this.

- I don’t know what she actually looks like.

After sparking residents’ curiosity, Hsu appeared in person to answer their questions.

- That’s me!

Hsu is introducing herself to make sure people recognize her. It’s her first time in front of a news camera, showing her true self.

Hsu Mei-fang
Songling village chief candidate
I want you to see my authentic self. Hopefully it’s not as bad as you thought.

She posted a video and explanation, saying she’s come to face the music, acknowledging her poster’s shock factor, and emphasizing that her supporters made it. She welcomed people to come to Zhongli and meet her in person. Hsu isn’t the only one. A candidate for village chief in Kaohsiung, 25-year-old Lee Chih-wei, has also been called out for heavily editing her photo. Politicians have often used younger photos, but now they’ve started using AI images as well. While it can save the cost of a professional photo shoot, heavy editing makes candidates difficult to recognize, and voters say it’s harder to trust them. 

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#election #localelection #villagechief #AI #AIimage #photo #editing #filter #poster #billboard #campaign

2026-10-01

Popular New Taipei bus oozes people during rush hour

Sanchong’s Route 299 bus is notorious for being packed during rush hour. But one woman’s desperate attempt to squeeze aboard has sparked a safety debate. The bus was already jam-packed when a passerby filmed the woman trying to force her way inside. She was practically hanging out of the doorway, yet she kept going, grabbing onto the handrails and squeezing into the last bit of space.

But transportation officials say there’s a reason passengers are not supposed to stand in the yellow zone by the bus doors. It’s a dangerous area, meant to prevent passengers from getting caught in the doors or blocking the driver’s view. The operator says buses on Route 299 run frequently, every five to eight minutes. So passengers are being urged not to risk their safety just to get on the vehicle.

#sanchong #publictransport #bussardine #crammedbus #traffic #taiwan

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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2026-10-01

Heart of Tainan’s new railway project is finally unveiled

Tainan’s underground railway system has a new look! The underground stations are finally unveiled. We’ll give you a sneak peak at the heart of the station, the central control room, as well as the electromechanical and ventilation equipment that won’t be visible once the station opens! Let’s hear more.

Stepping into the brand new underground station of Tainan’s Railway system, the first thing that catches the eye is the well-lit, spacious passenger hall. Although the passageway gates are covered, they are equipped with the latest technology from the Taiwan Railway.

Shih Chun-hua
Railway Bureau
Passenger information viewing system and ticket verification gates are the latest generation, capable of handling all payment conditions.

Entering the central control room, there is a comprehensive system that combines vehicle monitoring, electromechanical equipment and various safety and disaster prevention systems.

Wang Chun-hsuan
Railway Bureau
All of the station’s life support systems as well as the tunnel monitoring systems including ventilation and fire protection are connected to the central control room.

Similarly, the electromechanical passageway, which is not open to passengers, has large exhaust fans and smoke extraction rooms that control the tunnel’s ventilation. As for the platform level below, there is a different view of the underground tracks compared to the surface tracks.

Cheng Po-hui
FTV reporter
This is Tainan’s TR platform after upgrades. The most distinctive feature you can see is that the tracks, which were originally of gravel, have been replaced with slab tracks without ballast.

Taiwan Railway plans to switch tracks and construct temporary walkways overnight after the last train on the 17. They will do this to connect the existing station with the new underground station. Then, the public will finally be able to see the brand-new underground station and visit the shops that will have opened by that time as well.

#TRA #newstation #tainanrailway #tainanstation #undergroundtrain

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2026-10-01

Elementary school’s purple track becomes picture-perfect destination

A school in Pingtung has transformed into a picture-perfect destination thanks to its brand-new sports field. Shanhai Elementary School in Hengchun has a new completed running track with a striking lavender-purple surface that has been a hit with students and faculty.

The old sports field was covered in red dirt, kicking up clouds of dust on sunny days and turning wet and sticky whenever it rained. The renovation has given the place a whole new look, and students are more excited than ever about PE class. The design inspiration came from the purple track used at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Students can now feel like Olympians when they run on the track, which they say is firm and comfortable to walk on.

#lavender #purple #pretty #education #campus

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2026-10-01

OneSong Orchestra invites Korea’s Jasmine Choi for European tour

The renowned Korean flautist Jasmine Choi has teamed up with Taiwan’s OneSong Orchestra for three concerts in Taiwan followed by a European tour to Vienna, Prague, Dresden, and Berlin. Choi says the songs in this concert accompanied her growing up and remind her of her mother’s warmth and love.

Renowned Korean flautist Jasmine Choi takes the stage in a beautiful blue dress, returning to Taiwan to perform the piece Taiwan Dreams in a Golden Age with the OneSong Orchestra.

The piece incorporates melodies well known in Taiwan and Korea, and it reminds Choi of her childhood. She says these songs accompanied her growing up.

Jasmine Choi
Flautist
I know these tunes growing up, so most of the time I’m so nostalgic and I think of my mother, and I try to create her warmth and her love and her smell, so it was very special for me every time I even practiced.

The OneSong Orchestra invited Choi for three performances in Taiwan, in Taichung on Sept. 26, Taipei on Sept. 27, and Kaohsiung on Oct. 2, sharing their music with Taiwan audiences before departing for a European tour.

Choi posted on social media after the performance in Taichung, thanking the audience and noting how music connects people. She will soon depart for Europe with the orchestra, bringing Taiwan’s music to historic concert halls in Vienna, Prague, Dresden, and Berlin.

Lee Che-yi
OneSong Orchestra music director
Taiwanese culture is very diverse. Even though it’s a small country, we have many different elements. Through these concerts, I hope people in Europe can quickly get a feel for all the different aspects of Taiwanese music. This is a very important part of our European tour.

Choi and the OneSong Orchestra are performing for audiences across Taiwan and Europe, connecting people across cultures through music.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#music #classicalmusic #flute #flautist #JasmineChoi #orchestra #OneSongOrchestra #tour #EuropeTour #Taiwan #culture

2026-10-01

Hsinchu dessert shop renowned for fresh, flavorful shaved ice

Crowds tend to flock to one seemingly ordinary dessert shop in Hsinchu. It serves shaved ice with fresh fruit, as well as grass jelly which is great for cooling down in the summer heat. The owner carefully selects the fruits every day, making sure every customer gets a fresh and high-quality dessert.

A spoon of mango shaved ice brings instant relief in the summer heat. This shop in Guanxi, Hsinchu, also serves grass jelly with an assortment of toppings. It specializes in mianmianbing, a kind of ice that is churned rather than shaved from a block, giving it a texture similar to sorbet. Plus, it comes in a bunch of different flavors.

- I came down from Zhongli to get some.
- How many did you get today?
- I get over a dozen every time.

- The business is good here, even tourists come.

The owner adds two scoops of mango ice and one of milk ice, then adds fresh mango and finally drizzles condensed milk on top. The owner Hsu Chia-hsiang, whose family founded the shop, makes the desserts fresh every day. He’s refined each flavor to make sure every customer can enjoy their favorite.

Hsu Chia-hsiang
Dessert shop owner
These are the two machines that mix our mianmianbing. We rely on them to make the dessert every morning.

- Which is your favorite?
- Peanut. It’s really soft and fluffy.

- I like the pineapple, red bean, mung bean, soybean, and milk flavors.
- Is the dessert here different from other places?
- It’s tastier.

The owner makes sure every serving is high-quality, building a loyal customer base by offering diverse flavors and affordable prices. Locals and visitors alike enjoy a cool dessert here on hot days.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#shavedice #ice #dessert #snowice #mianmianbing #sorbet #Hsinchu #summer #heat #cooloff

2026-10-01

Winter melon with lemon overtakes bubble tea as foreign favorite

Bubble tea is the pride of Taiwan. It’s a must-have whenever people come to visit from abroad. But many people have found that their foreign friends aren’t used to chewing pearls in their drink, and they prefer having it without. Instead the tangy and sweet winter melon with lemon was the greatest crowd-pleaser, followed by Yakult drinks and fruit teas.

Bubble milk tea is Taiwan’s most iconic drink. For most people visiting from abroad, it’s a must-have. But actually, some people have pointed out that their foreign friends like another drink more.

With its tangy and refreshing taste, winter melon with lemon juice has taken the crown as the most universally loved favorite. We went to ask some visitors what they think.

- Have you tried the fruity ones?
- No, I haven’t tried the fruity ones.
- OK, so here’s a chance.
- OK, which one is this one?
- Winter melon with lemon.
- OK, here goes!

This traveler from the US gave it a thumbs up after one sip.

- It tastes like mild lemonade. It’s, like, sweet, but there’s a strong sense of lemon in it.
- Do you think that the foreigners will like this?
- Yeah, absolutely.

On an online list of drinks to recommend to foreigners, ones with Yakult and papaya with milk were also favorites.

Hsu Chun-wei
Drink shop manager
They seem to like fruity drinks and ones that are refreshing and thirst-quenching. Winter melon with lemon perfectly fits that sweet-and-sour profile. About four of every 10 order boba. The fruit drinks have also done well.

Visitor from Vietnam
Passionate about boba
Vietnamese very very like pearl milk tea in Taiwan.

Visitor from Germany
Sharing cultural differences
I almost never drink milk tea. In foreign countries, like in Germany, “bubble tea” is usually sold as fruity tea. Especially also the bubbles are fruity. It’s like, if you bite on them, they pop and then there comes some fruity flavor out of it. I also prefer passion fruit with green tea over bubble tea.

While boba is loved among travelers in Asia, people from Western countries tend to find the tapioca hard to get used to. Although bubble tea remains the pride of Taiwan, the next time you’re hosting visitors, consider introducing them to other flavors as well!

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#bubbletea #boba #foreigntravelers #wintermelon #drinkculture #drinks #milktea

2026-10-01

Chiang checks food salt levels amid school diarrhea scandal

Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an visited Jinhua Junior High yesterday and wanted to know how salty the school lunch was. The visit comes after students at the school experienced nausea and diarrhea after consuming squid for lunch earlier this month. Tainan Mayor, Huang Wei-che criticized his Taipei counterpart, saying that Chiang was focusing on the wrong thing. A Taipei City councilor has also come out to reveal that students at Minzu Elementary School had similar digestive issues after consuming squid earlier this month. Investigations revealed that the two schools had the same food supplier. Let’s hear more.

On Tuesday, Taipei’s Mayor Chiang Wan-an went on a special visit to Jinhua Junior High School. He inspected the school’s lunches, but focused on saltiness levels in the food using a machine. This has caused a lot of backlash.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei Mayor
They go a step further and check the saltiness of the food because, it is widely known that too much salt will impact children’s health.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
Diarrhea is more likely to require hygiene tests, checking for saltiness is another matter. I can’t really guess what the reasoning is for that. Maybe asking him would be more helpful.

Chiang insisted he was following standard procedures, which Puma Shen couldn’t help making fun of. Tainan’s Mayor joined in on the ridicule, posting photos of his own inspections.

Huang Wei-che
Tainan Mayor
The point is not about the salty or sweet or even sour. The lunches being free is not the main point here, the most important thing is that the kids eat well and eat healthily.

Chen Shu-pei
Taipei City Councilor
Does Chiang Wan-an think that Taipei citizens have three blueberries for brains?

However, we are now seeing reports of problems arising with elementary school lunches in Taipei.

When reporters pressed him, Chiang quickly left. However, Taipei City Councilor, Hung Chien-yi revealed another school was also affected. Minzu Elementary School saw 10 students having diarrhea and gastrointestinal issues after consuming squid for lunch on the 24. Reports revealed both schools had the same supplier.

Tang Chih-min
Taipei City Education Bureau Director
As of now, only Minzu Elementary School reported cases of students in the same class experiencing this, including students consuming vegetarian meals.

Hung Chien-yi
Taipei City Councilor
Chiang Wan-an, please stop slacking off in Daan District. It is time to go back to the basics. Why are there issues with school lunches? Time to review standard procedures and evaluate the suppliers.

Despite the Education Bureau’s continued intervention, issues with school lunch programs has drawn more and more attention from legislators, who continue to pressure Chiang to review standard operating procedures. So that the school lunch program will remain successful.

#schoollunches #chiangwanan #taipeipublicschool #elementaryschool #freelunch

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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2026-09-30

3 boats catch fire at at Cijin Fishing Port

A massive blaze engulfed three boats docked at Cijin Tourist Fishing Harbor in Kaohsiung on Wednesday afternoon. The flames sent a plume of black smoke into the sky, which was visible from kilometers away.

Witnesses say that the blaze was due to a person cooking on a boat that was due for the scrapyard. Once the fire caught on, it quickly spread to the boat it was tied to. The rope tying them together broke, sending the boat adrift until it crashed against another boat, which also caught fire. Firefighters arrived at the scene and put out the flames within two hours. The incident left two boats burnt down and one severely damaged, but fortunately nobody was hurt. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire.


#fire #boat #fishing #kaohsiung #cijin

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2026-09-30

30 technologies on display at 2026 ITRI ICT TechDay

From drones that can navigate warehouses by themselves, to AI that can turn a solo musician into a one-person band, Taiwan is showcasing some of its latest tech innovations. At the 2026 ITRI ICT Tech Day, 30 technologies are on display, spanning AI, advanced communications, satellite networks and autonomous systems. The event highlights how these cutting-edge technologies are moving beyond the lab and into industries, and even our everyday lives.

A drone takes off and makes its way carefully across the warehouse, without anyone manning it. ITRI showcased its Intelligent Indoor Precision Drone Inspection System, which can inspect indoor spaces autonomously without a prebuilt map. This reduces manual inventory checks from several days to a few hours.

Michael Li
ITRI ICL
The camera technology keeps track of the drone’s positioning indoors.

Who said AI is just a tool for work? It can also be used for music, thanks to a new smart system to learn to play musical instruments. The technology can generate responsive AI accompaniment from live performances, detecting and adapting to tempo changes in real time. Now you can really be a one-person band.

Kuo Chao-chung
MOEA Department of Industrial Technology
The world is keeping an eye on Taiwan. Do you know why? They are hoping that we develop innovations faster, better and cheaper, so that they can improve everyone’s wellbeing in their countries.

Ting Pang-an
ITRI ICL
Communications are kind of like the connections between nervous systems, while AI has a cerebellum and a brain of its own. In the future, we will be seeing densely connected and highly intelligent autonomous systems integrated in different industries and assisting us with every aspect of our daily lives.

Guided by MOEA’s Department of Industrial Technology, ITRI has collaborated with four major research organizations and six agencies to host the 2026 ITRI ICT TechDay. A total of 30 technologies are on display covering key areas such as B5G base-station chips, 6G network management, multi-orbit satellite communications and AI applications. Leading experts and companies from Taiwan and abroad gathered at the event to witness Taiwan’s AI capabilities.

Stewart Wu
Metanoia Communications CEO
Some of our systems and software have been developed in very close cooperation with ITRI.

Allen Lai
Chiao Fu Material Technology
ITRI’s Material and Chemical Research Laboratories, the Plastics Industry Development Center and the Information and Communications Research Laboratories have assisted us to take huge steps forward to develop rare-earth and material alternatives for UAVs and robots.

From smart inspection systems and immersive entertainment to advanced communications, MOEA’s Department of Industrial Technology and ITRI are putting Taiwan’s technological innovation and R&D strength on full display.
#itri #tech #smart #robots #uav

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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2026-09-30

Traveler boasting about smuggling meat from China causes outrage

If you break Taiwan’s stringent laws against smuggling, you would probably know better than boast about it online. But a woman in Pingtung who recently returned from China with loads of forbidden meat products, did just that. In a video posted on social media, the traveler showed off her illegal haul from across the strait, which included pork jerky and duck tongues. Netizens, concerned about African swine fever spreading to Taiwan, were outraged Authorities are now on the case. Let’s hear more.

- Oh my god!
How did you get away with it?
It’s pork! Pork!
Duck tongues! You’re not bad off huh.
This is super illegal, you know.
- He said the shopkeeper said it was OK.
- The shopkeeper said I could buy them.
- They lied.
How could it be OK, it’s pork!

Member of public
Knows customs rules
If you can’t bring that in, you don’t. Period. We’ve all long known about this.

Member of public
Doesn’t find smuggling funny
Don’t joke about that! It’s breaking the law.

Chen Yu-ju
Pingtung Department of Agriculture
The account was deactivated. We’ve asked police to trace the IP address. If the claims are found to be true, a fine of at least NT$200,000 could be imposed.

Amid the online storm, the woman claimed that the video was just a prank among friends. She also threatened to sue all the people who left insulting comments on her social media post. Authorities are investigating the matter, reiterating that it’s against the law to bring meat products into Taiwan. People who get caught face hefty fines of up to NT$200,000 to NT$1 million.

#pork #jerky #duck #prank #china

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2026-09-30

NCKU installs sediment monitor to prevent further flooding disasters

It’s been a year since a barrier lake along the Matai’an River overflowed, causing devastating flooding in Guangfu township, Hualien. Now, even a year on, over 200 million cubic meters of silt remain accumulated upstream. To ensure the safety of people’s lives and property, a team from National Cheng Kung University installed an automated high sediment concentration monitor on the river’s temporary bridge last week. The system can keep track of sediment content in the river water 24 hours a day and transmit the data in real time, assisting personnel in instantly assessing flood risks.

A disaster prevention team from National Cheng Kung University just finished setting up this sediment concentration monitor on the temporary bridge over Hualien’s Matai’an River. Over 200 million cubic meters of earth and sand are still piled up upstream, posing a threat to downstream residents.

Doong Dong-jiing
NCKU hydraulic engineering department chair
The biggest challenge on-site is the impact from massive amounts of earth and sand. Normal upstream rainfall, changes in river water levels, and fluctuations in sediment concentration shouldn’t damage the equipment, as we’ve already implemented some protections.

The system can keep running 24 hours a day, constantly monitoring the sediment content in the water and transmitting data back in real time to assess flood risks.

Shih Mon-hsien
NCKU Coastal Ocean Monitoring Center project specialist
When floods or heavy rains strike, we can control it remotely to make high-frequency observations. By switching to the event mode, we can take a reading every six minutes.

In addition to continuous, intensive monitoring, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency is also planting more vegetation along hillsides to prevent rockfalls and landslides.

Huang Chun-tse
FANCA Hualien branch director
In early September, we completed seeding five types of vegetation over about 20 hectares. Altogether this year, we’ve planted about 40 hectares of vegetation.

Experts from across disciplines are working together to prevent another disaster caused by Hualien’s extreme landscape.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#MataianRiver #barrierlake #floodcontrol #Hualien #sediment #NCKU #FANCA

2026-09-30

Mother terrified after discovering a woman hiding in her car for hours

Imagine looking in the rearview mirror of your car and finding a stranger staring back at you. This was not a scene from a horror film, but the terrifying reality of a young mother in New Taipei’s Linkou District. The mother was on her way to pick up her daughter from daycare. On the way, she went to buy breakfast and forgot to lock the doors. She never saw a woman getting into her car, crouching behind her seat and remained there until it arrived at the daycare center. That’s when the mother realized that she wasn’t alone.

Once the driver entered the underground parking lot, she stopped the car in front of the exit. The mother then went to collect her daughter from the daycare center on the second floor. After a while, a strange middle-aged woman got out of the car’s backseat, she had hidden there all along.

After a few minutes, the mother carried her child downstairs, and the woman wanted to get in the car with them too. Only then did the mother realize a strange woman was there and screamed in terror.

Voice of Mother
Unaware of Hidden Stranger
This is quite scary. If she had some sort of motive, she could have put a rope around my neck, I could have died.

At first, it was believed that this stranger accidentally got into the car, but a careful review of surveillance footage revealed that the woman had been hiding in the car for some time.

Voice of Mother
Unaware of Hidden Stranger
I kept thinking, if I hadn’t carried my daughter with me, would she have kidnapped her? I was terrified.

It was close to noon, when the mother received a call from the daycare center stating that her daughter was unwell and needed to be taken home. On the way to collect her child, the mother stopped for food and didn’t think to lock her car doors. This became the perfect window for a strange woman to sneak into the backseat and follow her to the center.

Li Hao-zhang
Linkou Cultural Affairs Office Director
When the victim tried to get back in the car, the unidentified woman attempted to open the door and get in again. When the victim noticed, she screamed and fled.

Previous reports suggest the strange woman in question is known locally for being problematic. Although her motives are unclear, she did not prove to be an immediate danger to the mother and her child, which would have been unfortunate and led to serious reprimand.

#carnapping #newtaipei #mother #daycare #childcrimes

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2026-09-30

Asian Games high jump gold medalist welcomed back to Taiwan

Taiwan’s high jumper Fu Chao-hsuan got a hero’s welcome after returning to Taiwan with a gold medal from the Asian Games in Nagoya. In addition to his classmates who waited for him at the airport, his mother was also there. It was an emotional reunion after she returned to Taiwan one day earlier after seeing her son achieve victory in Japan. Let’s hear more.

Fu Chao-hsuan
Asian Games Gold Medalist
The rain was only getting heavier and heavier during the warm up, we did one hour before the event. I trained to get used to the conditions, so that I would have a better feel for it during the actual competition. I’m thrilled to have been able to score a gold medal for Taiwan.

Fu Chao-hsuan’s mother
Proud of her son
I’m elated, and so touched that his classmates and his juniors came to welcome him back. I did go to Japan to cheer for him, and I came back yesterday. He deserves the medal so much. Everything came together just right. It was his time. He had a rough patch, and suffered injuries, but he kept it from us. He persisted all on his own.

Fu won the event with a jump of 2.25m, earning Taiwan its first men’s track-and-field Asian Games gold medal in 60 years. His mother saw the historic moment in person in Japan, and was beaming with pride as she spoke about her son’s achievement. Despite his injuries and a difficult slump, Fu managed to secure the top tier of the podium, putting Taiwan’s high jumping talent in the spotlight.

#highjump #athletics #trackandfield #asiangames #taiwan

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2026-09-30

Kumamoto apartments lay empty as TSMC staff opt for entire homes

After TSMC announced the establishment of its Kumamoto campus, developers flooded the market with three-bedroom apartments hoping to rent them to employees. But things didn’t go quite as planned. Seeing that property prices were cheaper than in Taiwan, with an entire detached home costing only NT$10 million, many wealthy Taiwanese bought up the apartments but left them vacant. Japanese media are now calling the area a "ghost town."

After TSMC confirmed it was to open in Kumamoto in 2021, developers scrambled to start building homes to accommodate the influx, expecting the “TSMC effect” to bring crowds, capital, and high property prices. But many of the three-bedroom apartments built at the time are now lying vacant. Property managers admit that real estate near the factory is in oversupply.

Lee Chi-yueh
Kumamoto property manager
A massive wave of property handovers began in 2024 or 2025, when the pace of construction on the second fab slowed down a bit. Right now, there’s a need to absorb inventory. But there aren’t many renters and rental prices are falling, although valuations haven’t dropped significantly along with them.

Apartment rentals have fallen short of expectations, because Taiwanese buyers are opting instead for detached homes. For only NT$10 million, they’ve found they can get a place that also has three bedrooms as well as a garden and parking. Compared with Taiwan, it’s a bargain, attracting many wealthy TSMC employees and investors to buy outright.

Lee Chi-yueh
Kumamoto property manager
Finding tenants hasn’t been as easy as initially imagined. Properties have been sitting vacant for six months or even a full year. Those able to buy real estate overseas usually already own some property in Taiwan and aren’t in a rush to rent it out. They figure they can just pop over to visit whenever they have the time, so leaving it empty is fine. It’ll take around three years to digest the inventory and recover.

Insiders said that although there’s an oversupply now, once TSMC’s second fab starts operations in 2029, housing demand will increase again. Coupled with potential plans to build a third fab, the outlook remains positive when looking five to 10 years into the future.

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#TSMC #Kumamoto #JASM #realestate #property #propertymarket #housing #investment

2026-09-30

95-year-old Hualien photographer continues to run studio

A photo of an elderly photographer taking a picture of an even older customer in her studio recently began to circulate online. The 95-year-old photographer has been running the business for over 60 years, and her studio has become the collective memory of Hualien’s residents. With decades of practice, her photography skills continue to earn customers’ praise.

A subject sits in front of a white wall as a photographer carefully takes their picture. The owner of this photography studio in Hualien is nearly 100 years old, as was her client that day. Her great-granddaughter captured this moment between the two seniors and posted it online.

The 95-year-old photographer sets up the old-fashioned camera, her muscle memory taking over despite years of using modern cameras. She’s been running this photo studio for nearly 70 years, and her son helps manage it. Since the studio has no darkroom, she has had to travel to downtown Hualien to develop the photos. Many customers continue to request that she be the one to take their pictures.

Her great-granddaughter’s post quickly got over 200,000 views, with many people recognizing her studio’s backdrop and praising her expertise and continued ability at 95 years old.

Ms. Lin
Neighbor
She took all my mother’s photos. They’re good. She’s quite skilled.

She first learned photography from a teacher in Hualien together with her husband. Over the decades, she has gone from charging NT$2 for a set of photos to NT$500, with her dedication and skills capturing countless people through the years.

#photography #Hualien #senior #elderly #photostudio #business #photo

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2026-09-30