Keelung Islet instigates daily visitor limit after new path makes peak more accessible

Keelung Islet instigates daily visitor limit after new path makes peak more accessible

2022-07-20

Most people know Turtle Island, but do you know Keelung Islet, the small island just outside Keelung Port? The city recently renovated its mountain path, making the peak a good daytrip destination, even for those less firm of foot. From the top, you get a 360-degree panorama of the sea. Be sure to book your boat ticket well in advance. There’’s a cap on the number of visitors each day to keep the island from being overrun.

From up here on the viewing platform, a vast seascape unfolds. Tourists take lots of snaps to remember their visit by. The picturesque Keelung Islet is sometimes known as “Taiwan’s Dragon Ball.”

Tseng Tzu-wen
Keelung Tourism and City Marketing Dept.
We have totally renovated the mountain path leading up to the peak on Keelung Islet.

There’s lots to see and do on the island. But the peak is a highlight for most visitors. From here, you get a 360-degree panorama of the ocean. The old mountain path was neglected for years, but the city government began renovations in November, and in July a totally rejuvenated path was unveiled.

The new path is a gentle and level stroll, with newly built viewing platforms beside the path for anyone needing a sit down or a rest. The island only opens its gate to 1,200 visitors a day, and tickets sell fast.

Tseng Tzu-wen
Keelung Tourism and City Marketing Dept.
Visiting Keelung Islet is quite a popular activity. If you can arrange to go there on a weekday it’s best, because we have a daily visitor limit of 1,200 people now, and we don’t want everybody to be crowding together on the weekends.

On a hot summer’s day, getting up here to enjoy the breeze and the blue sky is a lovely way to escape the city. A stroll up the hill is appropriate even for folks who need to take it gently. And the island has other beautiful secrets to reveal in every season of the year.

基隆嶼濱海步道整修完工登島漫步享受無敵海景

2022-07-20

有「台灣龍珠」美譽的基隆嶼，是北海岸著名地標。不過，基隆嶼的濱海步道，因為年代久遠，老舊破損，市府從去年11月開始修繕工程，歷經惡劣天候的考驗，終於在七月初完工。如今步道修繕完畢，民眾可以完整遊玩基隆嶼，享受無敵海景的魅力。

登上眺望台，壯闊海景盡收眼底，拿起相機，拍下美麗合照，這個地方來頭可不小，是有「台灣龍珠」美譽的基隆嶼。

[[基隆市政府觀銷處長曾姿雯]]
“在登頂遊程部分，我們已經把登頂的，就是爬基隆嶼的登山步道，已經全部修繕完畢”

基隆嶼玩法豐富，而不少人來這就是為了登頂，看360度無死角海景，而過去基隆嶼上方的濱海步道，因為年久失修，市府從去年11月起，進行全線修繕，在7月初完工，開放民眾體驗。

新步道走起來舒適平坦，走累了一旁還有新設的景觀平台，讓民眾坐下休息。而基隆嶼每日登島有1200位人數上限，遊客報名相當踴躍。

[[基隆市政府觀銷處長曾姿雯]]
“基隆嶼登島是一個滿夯的行程，如果能夠安排在平常日來登島，因為現在每天還有1200人的限制，也希望大家不要一直擠在禮拜六、禮拜天”

碧海藍天，登頂欣賞一望無際的海景，或沿著濱海步道悠閒散步，不同時節，都有不同美景，疫情趨緩，國旅也要開始拚經濟。

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Japanese designer Asao Tokolo opens his first ever exhibition in Taiwan

Taiwan is hosting its first exhibition by celebrated Japanese artist Asao Tokolo. The artist is best known for designing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics emblem. But he’’s renowned as a pattern pioneer worldwide. The designer and educator has been working with the theme "connection" for decades, and the work in his new show is no exception. Visitors can even contribute to its most unforgettable scene, by adding a small piece of origami to the work. We caught up with Tokolo to hear more of what "connection" means to him.

Over 1,000 paper cranes strung together to create a sea of birds. This is Tokolo’’s first exhibition in Taiwan. Visitors are invited to contribute more origami cranes to send blessings out into the world. The whole exhibition features 300 of Tokolo’’s works brought over from Japan, including the "Harmonised Chequered Emblem" designed to represent the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Asao Tokolo
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The Tokyo Olympics emblem is a ring shape, and the Paralympics is the shape of an open mouth. Everyone saw the performance by the drones at the opening ceremony. They even turned the rings into balls. It all tried to express connection. For the image created by the drone performance, other designers and engineers collaborated - it was a team effort.

Tokolo graduated from the architectural school of Tokyo Zokei University in 1992. He founded his own pattern design studio in 2001 and in 2020 he designed the Olympic emblem. But surprisingly, when asked why he switched from architecture to patterns and graphic design, Tokolo names 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. as his prompt.

Asao Tokolo
Artist
Vast tragedies like 9/11 represent a kind of rupture. Some people can express their feelings about a rupture like this using words, in language, or they can express some kind of wish for healing. But I’’m not someone who can express himself well in words. So it’’s through pictures that I express my wish for the world to reconnect once more.

Connection is the theme that runs through all the art in the show. Tokolo hopes the friendship between Taiwan and Japan will deepen and become more intimate as Taiwanese visitors engage with his work.

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Uni-President Group to acquire full ownership of Carrefour Taiwan for NT$29 billion

On Tuesday night, Uni-President announced it will take full ownership of Carrefour Taiwan. The company, which already holds a 40% stake in the hypermarket chain, will purchase the remaining 60% from the French parent company for NT$29 billion. The transaction will make Carrefour Taiwan a fully Taiwan-owned enterprise, as long as the Fair Trade Commission approves the sale. The deal could be completed as early as mid-2023.

Chen Kuo-hui
Uni-President chief financial officer
Today Uni-President Enterprises Corporation and President Chain Store Corporation approved a resolution through their board of directors to acquire equity stake in Carrefour Taiwan.

On late Tuesday evening, Uni-President dropped a bombshell announcement that it will take full ownership of Carrefour Taiwan for NT$29 billion. The deal comes days after competitor PX Mart was given the green light to acquire hypermarket operator RT-Mart. The deals mean major changes to Taiwan’s retail sector.

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The lines between companies in the distribution industry are blurring. They all want to grow their presence. The distribution industry has always benefited from the economies of scale, so mergers are the fastest way to do that.

Carrefour Taiwan entered the Taiwan market 34 years ago, aided by Uni-President founder Kao Ching-yuen. At the time, Carrefour held 60% equity stake, with Uni-President holding the remaining 40%. The French company said that if it ever decided to leave Taiwan, Uni-President would be given priority to purchase its stake.

Reports that Carrefour was planning to pull out of Taiwan had been circulating for some time, with Far Eastern Group, Fubon Group, PX Mart and Cathay Group’s Tsai Cheng-yu all expressing interest in acquiring the company. In the end, Uni-President got the deal, purchasing all of the remaining 60% equity stake for NT$65 per share, turning Carrefour Taiwan from a French company into a fully Taiwan-owned company.

PX Mart’s purchase of RT-Mart was given approval by the Fair Trade Commission, but with some conditions attached. Now, the Carrefour deal will also have to go through the Fair Trade Commission. The transaction could be completed as early as mid-2023.

Chen Chih-min
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The commission will review whether the acquisition by Uni-President can be fulfilled with fair supply conditions, to prevent the blocking of suppliers within the distribution industry.

Guo Ruey-shan
NTU Business Administration Dept.
Traditionally, PX Mart did fresh food. But after establishing itself in urban areas, it acquired RT-Mart. Its market power is very big. So of course it could be a threat for Uni-President.

A major changeup is coming to Taiwan’s retail market, but who will come out on top is already a foregone conclusion. Uni-President operates more than 6,600 shops, to which it will add 340 Carrefour outlets. Meanwhile, PX Mart has 1,057 shops, to which it is incorporating 22 RT-Mart outlets. With both leading retailers continuing to grow, it remains to be seen whether their expansion will have any impact on consumer habits and on small-and-medium sized enterprises in the sector.

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Luxury watches replaced by cheap accessories: Retail crisis in Ximen District

We turn now to Taipei’’s trendy Ximen District, where retail is in crisis. Taiwan’’s borders are still closed to visitors from abroad, and for stores in Ximen, that’’s a real headache. Last year, a luxury watch store that had occupied a key spot in the iconic commercial district shut its doors for the last time. Now an affordable jewelry store has taken up shop in the building: a clear sign of the district’’s change in fortune.

Customers try on earrings and hair accessories in front of the mirror. This is a fantastic place for a bit of retail therapy.

You can try on a classic pose with this old-timey telephone or even a typewriter. This lounge area has become a perfect Insta photo spot. Ximen shopping district may have been hit by the pandemic, but this affordable jewelry store has set up shop in the prime spot on the first floor of Wan Nian Building.

Member of public
When I walked by here in the past, it was a watch store, or the Wan Nian Building or something. I think recently I came by and I saw it was jewelry, the kind of thing young girls would want to come and browse.

Member of public
I realized this setup was really big so I came in to have a look round.

Ximen is popular with young shoppers, and these affordable jewelry stores are aimed right at the key demographics here. But this first floor location was a high-end watchmaker for 50 years. The pandemic put paid to the watches, and the company bowed out in late 2021. You can still see faint traces of the watch store today. But the modest prices of this jewelry are incomparable to the high margins once charged on luxury products here. Does the new store pay the rent?

Chan Yu-hsin
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Right now we believe that the pandemic is gradually receding, so it’s great to be coming in at this point in time. For example, at weekends now our average daily turnover is at least in the six digits. We are very optimistic about the future commercial potential here when the pandemic recedes.

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Supporters greet former health minister Chen Shih-chung as he arrives at Taipei’s historic Longshan Temple to pray for a successful mayoral race.

The temple’s president, although a member of the KMT, gifted Chen a calligraphy scroll he had written himself.

Huang Shu-wei
Longshan Temple president
As long as you’re here at Longshan Temple, we welcome you. There are no political factions here, we’re neutral.

Chen Shih-chung
DPP Taipei mayoral candidate
Many Taipei residents were very welcoming, I felt it too. Thank you all, I will do my best.

Chen kicked off his mayoral campaign right here in Taipei’s Wanhua District, a hotspot during Taiwan’s first major COVID outbreak. He was accompanied by the district’s legislator Freddy Lim. The choice of location was a reminder of the CECC’s controversial comments under Chen’s helm.

Chen Shih-chung
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Back when I was questioned at the Legislative Yuan, some of my word choices were probably not so accurate. If anyone had been hurt as a result, then I must also apologize most sincerely.

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Wanhua is most certainly the frontline against the spread of COVID, and certainly not a place where the disease went rampant, as the CECC and Minister Chen had said. How should Wanhua residents feel about that comment? I think the damage is already done.

The KMT candidate questioned Chen’s past comments. Taipei deputy mayor Huang Shan-shan, too, said the former minister should make amends.

Huang Shan-shan
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DPP Taipei mayoral candidate
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Mark Esper (July 19)
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Emphasizing the importance of asymmetric warfare, Esper said Taiwan would have to adopt mass conscription, and have all citizens serve at least one year in the military. Some Taiwanese people seem to agree.

Member of public
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A division of labor is needed to protect our country. It’s not that everyone should go to war, rifle in hand. Some can help others behind the scenes, for example, by supporting logistics or help with medical treatment and bandaging.

Lin Ying-yu
Association of Strategic Foresight
The length of conscription isn’t the point, it’s what’s being trained. What missions those being mobilized will carry out, I believe that’s more important.

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One by one, President Tsai Ing-wen greets the members of a delegation led by European Parliament Vice President Nicola Beer. It’s a historic moment.

Tsai Ing-wen
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As the first high-level official delegation to Taiwan from the European Parliament, your visit is exceptionally significant in deepening our bilateral relations.

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Tsai Ing-wen
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In addition, faced with the expansion of authoritarianism, Taiwan stands on the front line in defending democracy. We are willing and able to share our experiences with the world. We also look forward to strengthening cooperation with fellow democracies so as to jointly create a resilient democratic alliance.

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Together with you, we are working for peace and stability in the region. So we stand up against any provocation or threatening of the status quo. We want to continue also having good relations with the People’s Republic of China, but let me express clearly Europe’s deep and serious concern about China moving in a direction that could unilaterally alter the status quo. This must not happen, under no circumstances, under no pretext. Only the Taiwanese people can decide on Taiwanese future. We call on the Public’s [People’s] Republic of China to refrain from its threatening gestures. We admonish China not to destroy Taiwan, but to take an active and constructive part in maintaining and securing the current status quo based on mutual and respectful dialogue.

Beer expressed solidarity with Taiwan, saying that Taiwan had the power and should be respected on the international stage.

Nicola Beer
European Parliament vice president
Expressing this wish contributing to fulfill it. This is really conviction of European Parliament. And my personal conviction as well. For peace, security and stability in the region, for Taiwan, Europe and the world.

Beer, who is from Germany, wished peace and security for the world, while stressing the EU’s strong friendship with Taiwan.

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