Mazu lets Japanese reporter carry sedan on sixth day of Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage

Mazu lets Japanese reporter carry sedan on sixth day of Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage

2023-02-17

The Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage continues on in Central Taiwan. The annual nine-day event has attracted more than 110,000 participants this year. Friday was the sixth day of pilgrimage for the deity, who set out from Miaoli on Sunday. The day started with the participation of three Japanese reporters, with stops at Beigang in Yunlin to meet local county officials.

Just after 7 in the morning on Friday, as the Baishatun Mazu Pilgramage was setting off on the sixth day of the procession, three Japanese reporters caught everyone’s attention. They were here to experience the traditional festival, and got more than they had bargained for. After asking Mazu, the goddess agreed to let one of the reporters carry her on her sedan, a role usually reserved for men.

The reporters had actually been in the area since Thursday, to produce a feature on the festival for Nippon TV. The host blended in with locals, putting her hands together in prayer, and diving deep into Taiwan’s religious traditions.

The Baishatun Mazu’s Pilgrimage has no set route, but there are several must-stops. One of them was reached after 10 a.m. on Friday, the Yunlin County Police Department office in Beigang. There, county commissioner Chang Li-shan joined several government officials in an incense-offering ceremony.

The procession’s stop at the police office was also an opportunity for all worshipers to gather round before setting off in full force to Yunlin’s Beigang Chaotian Temple, where the crowd prayed to Mazu for peace and prosperity.

日本媒體女記者扛轎體驗白沙媽宗教魅力

2023-02-17

「粉紅超跑」白沙屯拱天宮媽祖，12日凌晨起駕，展開為期9天8夜的進香活動，有超過11萬信徒跟隨，不只台灣人為之瘋狂，強大魅力更吸引外國媒體關注。隊伍中出現3名日本記者隨行拍攝，媽祖還特別准許，讓日本女記者扛轎，引起信眾熱議討論。

17日上午七點多，白沙屯媽祖繞境時，突然出現3名日本記者，想要親身體驗白沙屯媽祖進香的魅力，沒想到媽祖超好客，同意讓日本女記者親自扛轎，跟著轎班走了好長一段路。

有眼尖的信徒發現，其實16日開始，就有日本電視台的團隊，來拍攝專題節目，主持人虔誠的雙手合十跟著拜媽祖，一起感受台灣宗教文化的魅力。

白沙屯媽祖路線不定，但有一個地方是一定會停駕的，17日上午10點多，按照往年慣例，媽祖神轎停駕在北港分局的北辰派出所，雲林縣長張麗善，特地帶領多名縣府官員，持香敬拜。

白沙屯媽祖在北辰派出所稍作休息，也順便等待所有的信徒進入北港，所有人都到齊後，一起往雲林北港朝天宮前進，祈求闔家平安。

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Wreckage of a suspected Chinese spy balloon is found in the island of Dongyin in Matsu

Amid Sino-U.S. contention over a suspected Chinese spy balloon that drifted into U.S. airspace, Taiwan now has a balloon incident of its own. The military’s Dongyin Area Command in the outlying Matsu archipelago says it discovered the wreckage of what is suspected to be a small Chinese balloon in one of its shooting ranges yesterday. It was labeled a "meteorological instrument" in simplified characters which are used in China. The military is conducting a probe of the wreckage. Amid speculation that Taiwan might copy the U.S. and start shooting down intruding Chinese balloons, Taiwan’s defense minister says Taiwan will take a lenient approach and determine the risk, before it makes a decision to fire at a balloon.

In this video on the internet, several people are handling an unidentified airborne object. In simplified Chinese characters, it has “GTS 13 Radiosonde” and non-toxic, harmless “meteorological instrument” printed on it. This is a suspected Chinese weather balloon. And it was found in the outlying Taiwanese archipelago of Matsu.

Voice of Chen Yu-lin
Ministry of National Defense
Following a search by officers and soldiers, wreckage of a balloon was picked up in a shooting range with a diameter of 1 meter. The instrument box had writing in simplified Chinese characters, “Taiyuan No. 1 Radio Factory” and “GST13 Radiosonde.” A preliminary assessment has found that the wreckage was from a meteorological detection instrument.

Chiu Kuo-cheng
Minister of national defense
It was discovered at around noon yesterday. After we found it, we made an assessment and a preliminary inspection of its appearance. It said what factory in Taiyuan it came from and also said it was a weather balloon, but I think we will take a lenient approach in judging our opponent’s intentions. We won’t jump to conclusions. I have dispatched a team to do some research, and once we understand the fine details, we will make a conclusion.

The military stressed that it will carefully study the balloon wreckage. As the U.S. military recently shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon with a missile, many are wondering that if a balloon intrudes into Taiwan’s airspace, will its military do the same thing?

Chiu Kuo-cheng
Minister of national defense
I just said we would take a lenient approach. There is something going on, but whether something somehow was attached to the weather balloon, or it had things that were harmful to people, we’ll just have to wait for our assessment. If an entity relating to aviation or sea navigation traverses inside our national borders, then of course we must deal with this. This does not amount to a first strike, but rather is called a responsive countermeasure.

Whether it’s UAVs or airborne balloons, the military says it will be proactive in dealing with China’s gray zone operations.

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Hsinchu’s longest-running second-hand bookstore to close down after 45 years

A second-hand bookstore in Hsinchu is about to shut down after 45 years in business. Book lovers in Hsinchu have been taking refuge in Seaside Books since 1978. It was founded by a post-war Chinese immigrant, who then passed it on to his dear friend. Now owner Huang Shou-yu is finally ready to call it quits. The locals are now rushing to spend a few more precious moments in their beloved store, and pick up a bargain at the same time.

With the rise of online retail, bricks-and-mortar bookstores like this one are a vanishing breed. This eye-catching blue sign, reading “Seaside Books,” has hung here for 45 years. But now, the owner is preparing to close the shutters for the last time.

Resident of Hsinchu
There aren’t many stores like this. These days, people don’t love books that much, nor do they value them. So I think it’s really a pity for a store with as much warmth as this to close down.

Resident of Hsinchu
Back in the days when we weren’t so affluent, sometimes students actually couldn’t afford books. Seaside Books offered relatively low prices. I bought lots of novels from here. Then I married and had children, and when my daughter was small, we often came here to buy children’s books.

Located near Hsinchu Train Station, Seaside Books is the oldest second-hand bookstore in Hsinchu. It has been a stable fixture and a comforting sanctuary over the decades for countless local book lovers.

Huang Shou-yu
Seaside Bookshop owner
It’s a really tough decision for me. I took the store on 18 years ago. I’ve been wanting to close down for about a year now.

Store owner Huang Shou-yu has kept the business going for many years, in memory of a beloved friend. Forty-five years ago, Chinese nationalist army veteran Chen Yao rented the store and opened "Seaside Books," naming the store to reflect his love for his homeland across the Taiwan Strait. Over 27 years, he and his landlady, Huang Shou-yu, became as close as family. Before his death, he handed the store over to her.

Huang Shou-yu
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Some of the books are still in great condition. At the very end, I will sell them off more cheaply.

Huang has reluctantly placed all her stocks out for sale with discounts, for a final clearance. She plans to close for the last time within a month or two. In the meantime, she hopes to give the store a send-off fit for a local treasure.

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Restaurant with vintage cars serves up gourmet meals for dogs

Taiwan has its fair share of themed cafes. There’s an Alice in Wonderland-themed cafe and a llama cafe and many more. Today, FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us to a restaurant with two quirky themes that you don’t often see paired together: vintage cars and gourmet cuisine for dogs. The restaurant has been around for a while; it was once featured in a popular TV show "Meteor Garden" about 20 years ago.

Stephany Yang
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Are you a fan of the TV series “Meteor Garden”? This themed restaurant was where the two actors from the show went out on a date. Now, 20 years later, this restaurant has transformed into a pet-friendly restaurant, serving up meals for dogs.

This first dish is sirloin beef bowl. Aside from meat, there are also veggies on the side like broccoli, carrots, and cabbage.

There is also penne gratin with pumpkin and beef. These mouthwatering meals are not for me. It’s for this husky, Poly, and this dachshund, Aloha. Over the years, the store has won many loyal patrons who bring their pets here.

Kristina Chang
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The fresh dog food here is good, and you can also play with the dogs in the store. My dog likes beef rice, but actually, he likes all of the food here. I tried the salad and seafood noodles myself. They are also delicious.

The founder of the restaurant, Gasper Lee, hired a pet nutritionist to design meals for pets. The restaurant was designated a so-called “Michelin-starred restaurant” for pets by the Taipei Animal Protection Office.

Gasper Lee
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It can’t be seasoned. It’s cooked in a salt-free and oil-free way. It can be boiled, steamed, or fried a little. A pet nutritionist taught us. In addition, we have more than 10 years of experience in dog care. So we know the ratios and formulas that will suit them best.

This restaurant in Taipei was established in 1999 by Lee, an avid collector of antique cars. The restaurant is filled with classic cars, parking meters, fuel stations, and American car license plates. It even became one of the filming locations of the TV show “Meteor Garden.” Many fans of the program still come here to relive the show.

Maricris Agustin
Patron
I am from the Philippines. I am a fan of “Meteor Garden.” It was one of the places where the show has taken place so I went here because of that. I feel like I watched the drama again while eating here. I think I was just in high school or elementary and now I am working when I watched the drama

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In 2016, Lee decided to start serving healthy and delicious pet meals.

Gasper Lee
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In the very beginning, I liked to collect antique cars, parking meters, antique fuel stations, and mini cars, and then re-create them. We started the pet business because of our shop dog, this dachshund. After seeing the dachshund, many customers asked if they can bring their dog over. I said: “yes.” Then they also asked if dogs can have their own meals. So we learned several recipes from pet nutritionists and sold fresh pet food in the store. We didn’t expect that it would be so well received when it launched.

Over the years, more and more Taiwanese are becoming proud pet owners. The Taipei City Animal Protection Office has created a “Michelin” guide for pets, selecting 10 pet-friendly restaurants across Taipei that provide high-quality meals. Seeing this demand, stores across Taiwan are also providing and developing more pet-friendly products and services, along with cooking meals to cater to pets and their owners.

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He looks totally calm and unflustered as he completes the work. Nobody would guess that before becoming a sculptor, Yu held a knife for very different reasons. As a young man, he was sent to prison twice for violent firearms offences.

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Once out of prison, Yu led a drifting life around Taipei, and had a big reputation in the world of crime. But then, a decade ago, everything changed. He realised that nobody was looking after his aging father, and decided to go back to his hometown to care for him. That’s when he turned to carving.

Yu Jung-ching
Sculptor
I grabbed a piece of wood and started to carve it. When it was done, my friend saw and asked who had done it. I said “Me, I used a utility knife.” He said, “That’s not bad. You could be a wood carver.”

As soon as he turned his hand to it, Yu discovered he had real talent. Getting encouragement from his friend, he started learning all the techniques he could, even creating these complex openwork sculptures. Before long, collectors were interested.

Yu Jung-ching
Sculptor
I don’t want those paths that you wouldn’t consider, dishonourable paths. Because if you rely on your own hard work, so long as you’re willing to tough it out, everyone can walk a different path, like I did.

Now Yu’s days are intimately connected with the knife, but it’s a knife that brings beauty and creation, not a weapon. His story shows it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf.

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