More than 50 temples to take part in Taitung’s ‘Bombing of Master Handan’

More than 50 temples to take part in Taitung’s ‘Bombing of Master Handan’

2023-01-02

Every year, Taitung celebrates the Lantern Festival with bang, in a series of parades referred to as “The Bombing of Master Handan.” In it, revelers throw firecrackers at temple troupes for good fortune, specifically aiming to hit at a person representing the folk deity Handan. After being canceled for two years due to COVID, the parades are back on, with the participation of more than 50 temples. Participants will have to wear a face mask at all times, except for eating and drinking. Let’s hear from the mayor of Taitung City.

Chen Ming-feng
Taitung City mayor
Police will help out with controls. There will also be staff from the environmental and health departments to help out with this Lantern Festival event.

Lin Kun-cheng
Taitung Tianhou Temple
Now in the parade most of the people throwing firecrackers are from local businesses, who also carry the sedans. We hope that the police and firefighters can tell members of the public to exercise some restraint in throwing the explosives.

Lee Chien-chih
Taitung County councilor
There are more parades this year, than in previous occasions, about 15 parades over the course of three days.

The traditional festival was brought to a halt during COVID, after 32 years without a hiatus. Locals and visitors alike say they are excited to once again experience this peculiar piece of local culture.

逾50宮廟共襄盛舉台東"炮炸寒單爺"睽違3年復辦

2023-01-02

台東元宵節著名的炮炸寒單爺活動，因為疫情停辦兩次，終於要恢復舉辦了！廟方預估今年會湧入大量遊客與信徒，共有超過50間宮廟會前來共襄盛舉，只不過為了避免疫情趁虛而入，參與民眾全程還是得口罩戴緊緊，只有在吃飯時才能拿下。

[[台東市長(國) 陳銘風]]
“警察局來拜託來配合管制一下，還有我們環保局、衛生局全部都出動，來配合這次元宵節的活動”

[[台東天后宮總務林崑成]]
“現在遶境，大部分都是商家，接這個轎一直放鞭炮，這個部分也希望說，消防局警察再勸導民眾，放鞭炮的時候，要有所節制”

[[玄武堂創辦人/台東縣議員李建智]]
“今年的場次會比以前更多，3天加下來的話，差不多超過15個場次”

連續32年舉辦的炮炸寒單爺活動，因為疫情停擺，時隔三年終於復辦，信徒與廟方興奮不已，互相約束、防疫做好，才能讓民俗文化，一年一年辦下去。

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A long line of passengers stretches from EVA Air’s check-in counters at Taoyuan International Airport. Many people have come well ahead of the departure time amid concerns that their fights could be affected by the protest.

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I heard there could be some delays. But I didn’t know what the actual situation would be like.

Passengers
There’s was bit of a delay. But they informed us of the schedule change well in advance.

One group of travelers had checked in for their flight but were left waiting in the terminal. Their luggage was slow to be loaded on the plane amid a shortage of luggage handlers.

According to Evergreen Airline Services, about 151, or 30% of ground crew employees, took the day off on Sunday. That fell to just 40 on Monday, or about 10%. The lack of labor resulted in delays of one to two hours on Monday, in contrast with three-hour delays on Sunday.

Member of public
It’s frustrating, but I think we should also put ourselves in their shoes.

Transport minister Wang Kwo-tsai has called on Evergreen Group to offer bigger bonuses to ground crew, so that the issue can be resolved soon.

Voice of Wang Kwo-tsai
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Today I got in touch with the head of the Civil Aeronautics Administration. We’ve been in contact with EVA Air Chair Steve Lin, saying that he should bring the figure up. They shouldn’t let Evergreen Airline Services staff go without money through the Lunar New Year. I think Evergreen Group should take care of the employees in its subsidiaries. I expressed our point of view, and he understood our position.

To limit impact to passengers, EVA Air has rescheduled flights so that they are not so concentrated at certain times of the day. Ground crew members say the protests will continue until the company finds a solution.

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The new year has just started, but analysts say it will be a tough year ahead for the tech industry. They say TSMC will need to work harder to keep talented engineers in Taiwan, particularly as competition among chip suppliers heats up. Let’s hear what one analyst has to say on the matter.

In its final triumph of 2022, TSMC held the opening ceremony for its new 3nm plant in Tainan. Company chair Mark Liu said the move was part of plans for greater investment in Taiwan, where the company would maintain its lead tech position. However, a Financial Times report published Dec. 30 said TSMC CEO C. C. Wei “cannot afford to relax after a record year.” The report says that during Wei’s four years as CEO, the company broke performance records and stocks soared, but 2023 is set to be a tough year, which “will require bold New Year’s resolutions.”

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Geopolitics is still a major challenge for TSMC. The company’s U.S. plant may surpass its Taiwan plants in research – don’t assume that’s impossible. That is something that may happen, and if it does, keeping the advanced manufacturing process in Taiwan will break it.

The Financial Times report suggested that Samsung and Intel will also invest heavily in 2nm chips. TSMC has only just started mass-producing 3nm chips, while Samsung started shipping 3nm chips in July. There is no brand loyalty in the industry, and whoever can make the most-advanced chips will come out on top, the report said. Also, China is actively poaching talent, and the possibility of TSMC losing its talented engineers cannot be ruled out.

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The bags are evolving, and it looks like there’s plenty of demand for more. Locals are eagerly anticipating a new release of their favourite old designs with the renewable material, and the launch of more droll drawings.

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They’re really creative! Like, “throw out your worries.”

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We can use more of these bags with the pictures.

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Vice President Lai Ching-te deferred to President Tsai Ing-wen when asked about cross-strait affairs. At this point, he is set to take over as party chair. People in the DPP say there is a high degree of consensus that he will run for president in 2024.

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Vice President Lai Ching-te would be a suitable candidate for president. I think there is a high degree of consensus within the party about this. But perhaps other people will have other considerations. Perhaps there will be other candidates emerging.

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Before boarding the campaign truck, Wu took the campaign online with a livestream. Meanwhile, his KMT rival Wang Hung-wei held a more solemn event, speaking to supporters from a stage where she was joined by KMT Chair Eric Chu.

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This great mother and councilor is about to take her place in the legislature, where she will be a great mother and legislator.

Wang took the opportunity to speak on her campaign policy, promising to return tax money to residents.

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I have also called for this in the past. The most effective way to share this money with the public is through cash subsidies. This is also what the public hopes for.

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Our acting party chair, and our prospective party chair, are expected to join me this week. They will canvass together with me.

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With a deft hand, Yang Chao-hsin picks several buds off this loquat branch, leaving just four buds behind.

Yang Chao-hsin
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You prune these, and these as well. Normally you leave just about that much.

Nearby this shrub is already flowering and has more blossoms, so more need to be pruned. It’s not necessarily because the flowers are growing wrong. Farmers also need to consider how much nutrient value the branch can absorb.

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If all the flowers bloom, the branch will have at least 30 buds. But the branch can only deliver enough nutrients for eight flowers, at most.

The cold weather has had an impact on the loquat farms here in Taitung’s Chulu. The blooming season is prolonged, but as the weather has gotten colder, the flowers have one by one started to come out.

The farmers thin the flowers out, to eventually grow the best possible fruit. The top third and bottom third of buds are picked off. That concentrates the nutrients available on the remaining flowers, and also makes the flowers bloom at the same time. That way, the size of the loquat fruit is more even, and they’re easier to harvest.

Yang Chao-hsin
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The quality is better, and the harvesting time is even, so you can just cut them all off at once.

But the buds that are pruned are not thrown away. They are separated, and rinsed clean in net bags, before being dried to create loquat tea, which is said to be good for the lungs.

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It’s written in the “Great Pharmacopoeia,” that loquat is a medicinal plant. The virus in this pandemic mainly targeted our lungs. These loquats are also effective for our lungs.

Loquat has a subtle, sweet fragrance and a delicious herbal flavor. It’s a popular herbal tea. For these farmers, loquat fruit is an important crop. But the pruned buds are also a source of income, a local specialty, and a tradition to hand down to the next generation.

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