166 military couples tie the knot at mass wedding ceremony

2022-11-25

One hundred and sixty-six military couples tied the knot on Friday at a mass wedding ceremony. The event was presided over by Army commander Hsu Yen-pu, who encouraged the newlyweds to work toward growing Taiwan’s population. With smiles amid the pomp and ceremony, the couples say they hope they can spend more time with each other now that they are formally a family.

A Military Police motorbike leads the motorcade. Behind it, a couple waves to the crowd from the top of a military vehicle. Following them, another hundred military couples march forward, ready to get married. Before the ceremony, they release hundreds of balloons to the skies.

A total of 166 couples took part in this mass wedding ceremony. For many of the couples, the grooms are wearing military uniforms and the brides, wedding gowns. But there are also several instances where both are in military attire. One couple in particular stood out.

This is Captian Su Tsung-hsuan, whose father is Nepalese. She had always dreamt of serving in the military, and so, with support from her family, she gave up her Nepalese citizenship. She graduated with a degree in music from the National Defense University, and met her husband at a military song contest.

Army Commander Hsu Yen-pu gave the newlyweds some tips about marriage.

Hsu Yen-pu
Army commander
Happiness in marriage relies on mutual understanding and tolerance. When there are disagreements, remember to be considerate to each other. Starting next year, your mission is to serve the country by increasing production. Having a cute baby makes the family feel more complete.

Tang Chia-ming
Dongyin Area Command
Distance means nothing for our love. I love you more with each passing day.

Pan Hung-ling
Army Aviation and Special Forces Command
All right, all right. It’s tough with you being in the outlying islands. I hope you can be assigned back to Taiwan proper soon.

At least one couple says they’ll heed orders and add a baby to their family next year. With work on their way and dispatches all around Taiwan, however, for many, the only time to meet is on weekends and national holidays. And now, they have a wonderful memory together, getting married in this once-in-a-lifetime event.

陸軍年度聯合婚禮 166對新人共結連理

2022-11-25

陸軍司令部舉辦聯合婚禮，166對新人在親屬及長官的見證下結成連理，陸軍司令徐衍璞勉勵大家婚後增產報國，讓家庭更圓滿。其中一位軍職新娘還是台灣、尼泊爾混血，帶來尼語情歌祝福所有人。由於不少佳偶夫妻雙方都是軍人，平時不容易見面，也希望婚後能有更多相處時間。

由憲兵駕駛機車在前引導，1對新人站在後方特戰突擊車上，再往後看是百多對新人一起參加聯合婚禮，大家把手上色彩繽紛的氣球拋出。

多達166對新人參加這次聯合婚禮，大多是男穿軍裝、女穿婚紗，也有夫妻都從軍的佳偶，但論服飾，最特別的還是這一對。

嘉義後指部上尉蘇璁璿，爸爸是尼泊爾人，有從軍夢的她，在家人的支持下放棄尼泊爾國籍，畢業於國防大學藝術系音樂組，在一場軍歌比賽中，和身邊的夫婿相識。

陸軍司令徐衍璞也對大家分享經營婚姻的建議。

[[陸軍司令徐衍璞]]
“婚姻的幸福，要依賴雙方的包容，雙方意見相左的時候，要記得彼此體諒。明年達成增產報國的使命，生一個可愛的寶寶，讓家庭更圓滿”

[[東引指揮部上尉心輔官湯嘉銘]]
“相思之情不會因為距離有差異，會一天比一天更愛妳”

[[航特部空訓中心上尉副連長潘虹伶]]
“好啦，老公你辛苦了，在外島，希望你可以趕快調回本島”

新人正面回應司令的勉勵，因為工作關係，其實很多軍人伴侶都是「假日夫妻」，藉著這一生一度的機會，也向伴侶表達最真心的想念。

E-2K early warning aircraft skids off runway at Pingtung base after training mission

2022-11-25

Hotels and restaurants provide live broadcasts and meals for FIFA World Cup fans

The FIFA World Cup has kicked off, featuring 32 teams competing for the biggest award in soccer. Restaurants and hotels across Taiwan are finding creative ways to attract football fans. One hotel is broadcasting matches live and serving up delicious meals for spectators, while another restaurant has launched a game for visitors to predict the FIFA World Cup champions and win prizes. FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us in for a look.

Patrons enjoy chicken wings as they watch the FIFA World Cup. Chicken wings are one of the most popular choices at this restaurant.

Besides watching live games while enjoying delicious food, customers can also predict the champion and get a chance to win prizes.

FIFA World Cup fan
The recent games are very intense. I think both Germany and Spain are very strong, so I don’t know who this year’s champion will be.

FIFA World Cup fan
I think it’s nice to have a big screen and watch it together, and then have something to talk about. You can eat something in the meantime. I like having large portions while watching the World Cup.

With the pandemic slowly waning, this restaurant in Taipei decided to launch a game to encourage more people to come out and watch the World Cup.

Chen Yen-wei
Marketing director
I hope that through the World Cup can bring out people who were bored at home or who weren’t able to have meals together with others. They can get excited to participate in this event. You go to our designated webpage, and cast a vote to participate. Of course, it won’t be until the championship is over that we draw the prize. Over the first few matches, we have seen a 3% to 5% increase in reservations. In 2018, we noticed that there would definitely be more people participating toward the end of the championship, during the more important games.

This hotel in Taipei broadcasts live games daily and serves up meals including Cuban sandwiches, truffle fries, and Sichuan-pepper chicken wings. In addition, a variety of party snacks and beverages from various countries are available for fans to choose from.

Matt Chen
Media & Communications assistant manager
With the FIFA World Cup back in action after four years, the bar at our hotel will broadcast the event and launch a limited FIFA special meal. When watching a football game, fried foods are a must. The games have been going on for a few days now, and we can clearly see the number of diners increasing in the evening. We estimate that we can see about a 20% increase in visitors to the bar in about a month.

A total of 32 teams across five continents are competing in the FIFA World Cup this year. Restaurants and hotels across Taiwan are finding creative ways to attract football fans.

2022-11-25

Exhibition celebrates life and career of ‘king of banned songs’ Wen Hsia

An exhibition has opened in Taipei celebrating the life of Taiwanese singing and acting legend Wen Hsia. Wen starred in 11 films throughout his career and recorded more than 1,200 Taiwanese songs before his death at 94 years of age in April this year. The exhibition will be in Taipei only for a short time, before relocating to a permanent exhibition hall in his hometown of Madou in Tainan.

Together they inaugurate the exhibition. On stage are relatives of Wen Hsia, the members of The Chairman, record producer Kay Huang and other close friends of the late singer.

Wen Hsiang
Wife of Wen Hsia
I see that many people and friends have come here to show their support. Thank you very much.

Culture Minister Lee Yung-te and Wen Hsia’s wife sit in a red vintage car. Back in the day, it was a promotional car advertising the film “One Night in Taipei,” for which Wen sang the theme song. The car is a chronicle of Wen’s glamorous life since his birth in 1928 to his death earlier this year. At the venue, there is also a gigantic photo album, so that fans can remember Wen’s career through both black-and-white and colored photos.

Wen starred in a total of 11 Taiwanese-language movies through his life, and recorded about 1,200 songs in Taiwanese. At the 23rd Golden Melody Awards in 2012, he was honored with a Special Contributions Award. Documentaries, autobiographies and stories will be available to all fans next year, thanks to the efforts of Wen’s family and many teams of people.

Lee Yung-te
Minister of culture
The Ministry of Culture puts forward special budgets to celebrate legends like him, and their illustrious lives. Things like biographies, documentaries, concerts and memorial exhibitions. We’ll continue to support all these.

Yeh Tse-shan
Tainan Cultural Affairs Bureau
We have found a fantastic space in Wen Hsia’s hometown of Madou, the Tsung-Yeh Arts and Cultural Center. We expect the exhibition hall about story to open there on May 20 next year,

For now, a special exhibition celebrating Wen’s life is on at the Taipei Music Center until Dec. 10. The exhibition items will then be relocated to Wen’s hometown of Madou in Tainan to delight fans in Southern Taiwan.

2022-11-25

Sources say more than 20,000 employees fled from Foxconn amid riots in Zhengzhou

Sources say more than 20,000 employees have absconded from Foxconn in China, after a series of disputes and protests in the city of Zhengzhou. Earlier this week, workers at the flagship iPhone plant in China held mass protests, saying that they were not getting the remuneration they had been promised by the company. Reports say discontent had been brewing in the company for some time now, amid concerns of catching COVID with China’s strict lockdown measures. Foxconn says it will increase wages and hand out severance pay to affected employees. The protests were an unusual show of public dissent in China.

Foxconn’s flagship iPhone plant in China’s Zhengzhou has been in a chaotic state for several weeks now. Violent protests erupted two days ago between newly-recruited employees and security officials. Employees say they were deceived by significant discrepancies between the conditions they were promised and the remuneration stipulated in the contracts they received later.

Voice of CNN Reporter
In one video, you can see a group of police in white hazmat suits beating workers with batons and metal rods, and a group of workers pushing over a police car, cheering and chanting.

Tang Jingyuan
China watcher
Of course China has a plan. It will first offer preferential terms to stabilize them, then once the crowd disperses and everyone goes home, and the throngs are no longer there, the authorities will then mete out the relevant punishments.

This U.S.-based scholar thinks the protests at Foxconn have been the most significant worker uprising in China in years. It did not only force Foxconn to apologize, but also saw the Taiwanese company promise to pay 10,000 yuan in severance pay to workers who had quit. However, after the violence was over, the Zhengzhou authorities immediately announced a “movement restrictions” lasting five days – a euphemism for lockdown. Watchers say the move shows that COVID restrictions have become a convenient way to impose social control.

Voice of Ms. Liu
Zhengzhou resident
They tell you your COVID test is positive, that you are positive. They say you are a close contact of someone with COVID and lock you up. Would you still dare to go outside?

Voice of Ms. Li
Zhengzhou resident
Next to me is an old lady. Our entire building has been coded red and cordoned off. This is man-made, it is not a decision based on COVID test results.

Some experts reckon that, although the riot appeared to be a labor dispute, in reality it exposed the contradictions in China’s extreme “zero-COVID” policy.

Tang Jingyuan
China watcher
It maybe that someone wanted to make use of this incident at Foxconn to deliberately expand their influence and put pressure on the authorities.

No matter what the truth of the reasons for the riot are, the clash of China’s “zero-COVID” policies with economic development and people’s livelihoods is making ordinary people suffer the most.

2022-11-25

Fire fighters use fire blankets to extinguish electric car blazes

Fire fighters are constantly finding ways to reduce the risks of fires. With the rise of electric car usage, comes a new challenge. Electric cars contain large batteries that burn in a particularly noxious way. But now fire fighters have a new strategy: fire blankets. With a specially designed fire blanket, the dangers of an electric car fire are minimized, while water is conserved.

Flames and smoke rise incessantly from this electric car. Fire fighters rush to extinguish the blaze once they are alerted. But unlike most flames which are put out with water or foam, they’re using a large white sheet to cover the entire vehicle. Fire blankets like this one are the main strategy for a fire on an electric car.

Chen Chen-wen
Zhiben Fire Department
If you tried to put the fire out with water, you’d usually need six to seven fire trucks of water. Using a fire blanket, you can swiftly reduce the temperature of the burning vehicle. Then we can also use associated equipment to put out the fire in the battery at the base of the car.

Electric cars are proliferating, and so are accidents involving electric cars. But putting out a fire is harder in an electric car. Thermal runaway occurs when lithium batteries burn, so it gets hotter and hotter, and it releases toxic substances as it burns. In the past, fire fighters were limited to using large jets of water to cool it down and waiting until the batterywas burned out. When the chemical reaction was over they could finally put the flames out.

Now, using a fire blanket, they can reduce the temperature all around the blaze, as well as stop smoke from rising. A special silica gel layer prevents toxic substances and oxygen from passing through, and keeps the lithium battery burning in a contained state, saving both water and manpower.

Wang Wen-yi
Taitung County councilor
We can use the minimum labor and the minimum water as we extinguish the fire on the blazing vehicle.

Some of the other advantages of the fire blanket include that it’s easy to operate and store. Two people alone can place it over a burning vehicle. When folded up, it can be stored easily inside many emergency vehicles. In the future, fire fighters plan to also prioritize blankets for other smaller vehicles. With water being such a precious asset, it only makes sense to cherish it.

2022-11-25

International Community Choir to hold a concert to raise funds for charity

Today, in our spotlight series, we meet members of the International Community Choir. The choir was founded in 2003 and has been a safe haven for talented foreign residents to perform and give back to the community. For almost 20 years, the choir has been holding two concerts every year to give back to a local charity. Their upcoming concert is on December 11. FTV reporter Stephany Yang met some of the members to find out more.

The members of the choir rehearse "Gloria in Excelsis Deo." This is the International Community Choir, a group of talented singers who perform together to help raise funds for Saint Anne’s Home, a local charity in Taipei. The choir performs songs in many different languages including English, Taiwanese, Mandarin, Japanese, French, Spanish, and Hebrew.

In addition, they sing a variety of music genres ranging from jazz, swing, traditional carols and classical pieces. They are led by Ruby Lai, a conductor who has over 30 years of experience as a pianist and choir conductor.

Ruby Lai
Conductor
My goal is to let everyone feel renewed and enriched after each rehearsal. I try to pick a variety of music genres. We sing traditional carols, we do folk songs, classical pieces. We also do jazz, swing, gospel, and sometimes a capella. We do African music, Latin American music, and we sing tunes from the Broadway shows.

Founded in 2003, the International Community Choir hopes to unite women from the international community who love to sing and to raise funds for Saint Anne’s Home. There are currently 19 members, hailing from the U.S., Canada, Germany, India, and more.

Carrie Chiles
Member of choir
I’m originally from Canada but have lived in Taiwan for almost 30 years. When my children were young, I had a large family, and I had no personal time for myself. A friend of mine in the choir said, "Come and sing with us." I didn’t even know I could do that. But she helped me to facilitate to come and sing in the choir. It was the only time of the week that I had time for me. It filled my soul. I just felt like I met other people, it was a great social connection, and I was around music.

Sahar Shaikh
Member of choir
When I sing in the choir, it gives me the sense of togetherness, the sense of happiness. To see so many different ladies from diverse backgrounds imparting a truly multicultural aspect to the choir. The common thread underlying that all these ladies have is the joy of singing.

The choir meets Wednesday mornings for a 1.5-hour practice. Choir rehearsal practice starts with stretching, followed by vocal warm-ups, and singing songs. For many of the members, joining the choir has helped them find true friendship, belonging, a home away from home, and self-care.

Meredith Lee
Member of choir
I joined the choir in September of 2015. I had just moved to Taiwan. I actually served as manager for about six years. What I love about the choir is that in all honesty, it’s the highlight of my week. I always feel better when I get back from the choir. Just the sense of being around other people and singing gives me great joy. My day is always better after I spend time in the choir.

Shangning Postel-Heutz
Member of choir
Especially During COVID, there was one Christmas concert during COVID. No one of the expats could go home to their home country. They were here in the audience. You could feel their sadness but also their gratitude to be there. We as an expat community celebrating Christmas together due to COVID. This was an emotional moment for me.

Antonia Hoffman
Member of choir
All the money that comes from ticket sales goes to Saint Anne’s Home. Which is right next to the church here that we are in now. If you look out of the window, you can already see it. We try to invite as many people as possible because the home is for children with special needs, so they really need a lot of money. We are always happy that we can provide that.

Every year, International Community Choir holds two concerts, one in December and one in May.

Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
The concert will be held at the Mother of God Church. All proceeds will go to St. Anne’s Home.

All ticket proceeds are donated to a Saint Anne’s Home, a local charity in Tianmu that serves people with intellectual disabilities. The people at St. Anne’s Home also attend the concert every year.

Hannah Shu
St. Anne’s Home director
The most important thing here is to accommodate extremely severe cases. The youngest patient here is 23 years old, and the oldest is 52 years old. Our services here start from the moment they come in. We provide them with shelter, food, clothing, housing, and transportation. As soon as the person comes in, they will stay here until they grow up. The choir has sung for more than 20 years, twice a year without interruption. It also allows our patients to show their gratitude through their voices. We are very grateful for their help.

The choir will hold a concert on Dec. 11 at 3:00 p.m. at the Mother of God Church in Tianmu. The choir hopes to continue to give back to the community and bring holiday cheer to all.

2022-11-25

November likely to be warmest on record as average temperature hits 24.3 degrees

2022-11-25