Spotlight on Cheng Ching-mu, antique electric fan collector and repair expert

Spotlight on Cheng Ching-mu, antique electric fan collector and repair expert

2023-05-22

The world of antique electric fan collecting is a rarefied one. Electric fans have changed a great deal since they were first invented. Some thousands of Taiwanese collectors still cherish the old fans with their heavy metal frames and unique designs. Taichung-based collector and repair expert Cheng Ching-mu knows more than most about the industry. When other collectors need help repairing a vintage fan, they go to him.

A fan collector made a special trip to Japan to buy this antique fan. When it was smashed in transit on the way home, his heart was broken.

Cheng Ching-mu
Antique fan collector
When he got home and opened the suitcase, he saw it had been smashed, and he was horrified. So he came and found me straight away.

To some, these fans might seem like secondhand junk. But fan collectors know with one glance that they are vintage antiques, examples of classic brands like Tatung. They’re all at least 60 years old, and some were produced in Japan during the colonial era. After a little repair work, they’re collector’s items, and some are worth tens of thousands of NT dollars.

Cheng Ching-mu
Antique fan collector
It’s about the design style. Everyone wants to get fans that look different from the others. Really. The designs and styles used to be so unique. Like perfume fans – they have a very special grill design. That’s what collectors love best.

Cheng says there are 2,000 or 3,000 antique fan collectors in Taiwan. They share their passion and exchange information online. Antiques are nothing like modern plastic electric fans. They cherish everything from the old motors and coils, solid materials and heavy metal frames, to the delicate, musty “old fan smell.”

Cheng Ching-mu
Antique fan collector
In the old days, electric fans were all about real, solid materials. Now they’re all plastic, which is light, easy to tip over, and breaks easily. They used to be aluminum alloys, or pig iron, so they were very steady.

Unlike many antiques, electric fans take lots of love to get working again. They need to be appraised and repaired, and often get parts replaced, until they can get back into movement. For collectors, acquiring a fan is just the first step – when it’s working again is when they feel a real sense of accomplishment.

巧手維修老風扇 "點石成金"變珍藏逸品

2023-05-22

台中市有位古董電風扇收藏達人，熱愛民國50、60年代的老電扇，因為具有維修技術，許多收集古董電風扇的同好，都找他維修；他四處收集舊風扇零件，經過他巧手修護的老電扇，往往搖身一變，成為玩家眼中，炙手可熱的珍品。

玩家特地到日本買回來的古董電扇，空運時不小心壓碎葉片，心都碎了。

[[古董扇玩家鄭清木]]
“他回來打開行李一看，看到摔破，臉都綠了，趕快跑來找我”

別人眼中舊風扇，行家一看就知道，這些都是古早時代的大同等古董電扇，年代都超過一甲子，甚至有日治時代的進口電風扇，經過維修之後，成為收藏的逸品，價值超過好幾萬塊。

[[古董扇玩家鄭清木]]
“外觀造型，這是大家最希望得到跟人家不一樣的電風扇，真的，以前外觀造型設計的很奇特，像香水扇，很奇特網子造型，這是玩家最喜歡的”

鄭清木說，國內玩古董電風扇的族群，大概有兩、三千人。彼此會在臉書或網路交換訊息，分享樂趣。古董電風扇，不管是馬達、線圈、用料實在，鑄鐵的機身，拿起來沈甸甸，散發出一種古樸味道，不是塑膠電扇可以比擬。

[[古董扇玩家鄭清木]]
“以前我們的電風扇，講起來是真材實料，現在都是塑膠，塑膠品輕，很容易摔倒，很容易破裂，以前都是鋁合金，不然就是鑄鐵，所以它的質量就是穩固”

和一般的古董不同，回收的老風扇，從檢查、維修，更換零件，一步步克服困難，讓風扇轉動，不只是一種收藏的樂趣，也是一種成就感。

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The World Health Assembly opened on Sunday in Geneva, once again without Taiwan. Even so, Taiwan is making its voice heard. Health minister Hsueh Jui-yuan
held a press conference in Geneva, saying that Taiwan’s exclusion was contrary to the WHO’s goal of achieving health for all. Taiwan’s representatives also joined forums on the sidelines of the general assembly. Premier Chen Chien-jen shared Taiwan’s COVID experience via videoconference.

At the WHA’s opening on Sunday, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom called for a global pandemic treaty.

Tedros Adhanom
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The pandemic accord that member states are now negotiating must be a historic agreement to make a paradigm shift in global health security recognizing that our fates are interwoven.

Taiwan will likely not be part of this high-stakes agreement, as Taiwan was once again excluded from this year’s WHA. One hour before the start of the assembly, a Taiwan delegation held a press conference, where the health chief appealed to the WHO.

Hsueh Jui-yuan
Health minister
Excluding Taiwan from the WHO not only jeopardizes the right to health of the 23.5 million people of Taiwan. It also seriously undermines the WHO’s effort to achieve health for all.

A lawmaker and an activist thanked Taiwan’s supporters, saying Taiwan had much to contribute and should not be left out.

Chiu Tai-yuan
DPP lawmaker
Together with the international community, Taiwan can and will continue to contribute more in the post-pandemic era.

Lin Shih-chia
Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance
And this year we have witnessed nearly 500 Taiwanese people coming from different parts of the world to show their support. This is the largest number.

At an event later on Sunday, the health minister had words of encouragement for Taiwan.

Hsueh Jui-yuan
Health minister
We should not be discouraged. We have more and more friends and support at our side. One day, the circumstances will change. One day, we may be able to turn things around.

Taiwan officials joined health forums held on the sidelines of the WHA. At one event, Premier Chen Chien-jen shared Taiwan’s COVID experience via videoconference.

Chen Chien-jen
Premier
A PHEIC (public health emergency of international concern) needs to be announced quickly, transparently and widely. The World Health Organization should play a better coordinating role with professionalism and political neutrality.

Wong Chi-huey
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In 2019, it became a global pandemic, which infected more than 750 million people.

Earlier in the day, the World Medical Association, Taiwan Medical Association, and Taiwan’s health ministry hosted a breakfast meeting where officials argued for Taiwan’s inclusion.

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Visiting delegations enhance security of Taiwan Strait: FM Joseph Wu

Foreign minister Joseph Wu has hit back at a lawmaker who said that recent visiting delegations have expressed support for Taiwan, but offered no substantial aid. Responding to KMT Legislator Wu Sz-huai, the minister said that when more and more nations express support for Taiwan, they help enhance the security of the Taiwan Strait. He also refuted claims that his ministry had not given enough help to a Taiwanese student attacked last week in New York.

On the internet forum Dcard, a post titled “I was subject to an indiscriminate attack in New York” has gone viral. The post was made by a Taiwanese student in New York, who was struck in the head by a Black woman. When the student asked for help from Taiwan’s consulate, she was only given the contact information of a lawyer. The student wrote that this response was “disappointing.”

Joseph Wu
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We did provide our support. This claim that we ignored the situation is not true. This victim –as the result of our discussion with the victimized national – we found that she wanted to file a lawsuit. So we recommended a lawyer who had a long-term cooperative relationship with our consulate.

Foreign minister Joseph Wu described how the case was handled, emphasizing that his ministry had not been derelict in its duties. He also addressed allegations made by KMT Legislator Wu Sz-huai, who said that visiting U.S. and EU officials have voiced support for Taiwan but done nothing substantial to help.

Joseph Wu
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China is becoming a greater and greater threat to Taiwan. If more countries in the world, including the G-7 nations, stand up against China’s threat to Taiwan, then I believe Taiwan’s security situation will be better.

Besides crossing swords with the legislator, the foreign minister also rejected Elon Musk’s recent remarks on Taiwan. Musk said that “the official policy of China is that Taiwan should be integrated,” and that “there’s a certain inevitability to the situation.”

Joseph Wu
Foreign minister
China threatens Taiwan, without regard to the fact that Taiwan is a free and democratic society. This matter should be decided by the people of Taiwan.

Taiwan has not been invited to the World Health Assembly for seven years in a row. The WHO’s director general said that Taiwan’s participation must be decided by a vote by member states. On Monday, Joseph Wu voiced his objection.

Joseph Wu
Foreign minister
I think that this statement does not match the expectations of our people. Taiwan’s 23 million people are excluded from the WHO. Director General Tedros should accept Taiwan and allow Taiwan to be an observer at the WHA.

Joseph Wu reiterated that Taiwan’s participation in international affairs should not be decided by Beijing.

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How to make money from YouTube: a guide by finance expert Allen Chen

With social media present in every part of life, many people dream of becoming an influencer. Platforms like YouTube tout big ad revenue for popular channels. But financial advice expert and YouTuber Allen Chen says that even a channel with 100,000 subscribers can’t provide a living. With 140,000 subscribers himself, he knows what he’s talking about. So how can YouTube become a career? Here’s Chen’s guide on how to make online content profitable.

Allen Chen walks into a room, sits down and takes out his laptop, and he’s ready to roll.

Born in 1986, he worked in the finance industry for 10 years before he decided to film his first YouTube video, three years ago. He focuses on labor insurance issues, and he now has more than 140,000 subscribers. His most popular video has almost 1.5 million views.

He uploads one video every week. Because his content has a very defined focus, he quickly made a name for himself in the finance influencer scene. But Chen admits that it’s hard to make a living from YouTube traffic.

Allen Chen
Youtuber
I’ve looked at some YouTube channels with more than 100,000 subscribers. Their average monthly advertising profits are about US$500, or NT$15,000. If you want to be full-time, you need 200,000 to 300,000 subscribers, at least.

Chen realized that most full-time YouTubers don’t rely solely on fluctuating viewings. Most make commercially sponsored content. Some offer online courses or other services. He, too, has expanded his services – some subscribers now reach out to book personal financial consultations.

Allen Chen
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Some people can’t solve their issue by watching videos. So, some send me a direct message, or they fill in a form I have, to book a consultation with me.

If Chen breaks his income down, 20% of it comes from media. The biggest earner is financial consultations, which comprise 40% of his income. Financial planning is 20%, and the final 20% is online courses.

Chen recommends that rookie YouTubers find three to five areas of expertise, and post regularly to test the waters and see what viewers like. That’s how to quickly zero in on a profitable niche.

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Tech war escalates as China bars Micron chips

The U.S.-China tech war escalated on Sunday, with China failing Micron in a security review. China says Micron products have severe cybersecurity problems and will be banned from key infrastructure projects. Micron says it looks forward to engaging in discussions with Chinese authorities. Experts believe the restriction won’t deliver a significant blow to the company, as only about 10% of its revenue is derived from China.

The tech war continues between the U.S. and China. After repeated U.S. sanctions on China’s chip sector, Beijing retaliated in March with a cybersecurity probe against U.S. memory maker Micron Technology. China announced Sunday that Micron had failed the review. It’s ordered operators of critical information infrastructure to stop buying Micron’s products.

News Anchor
CCTV
Micron Technology’s products have severe cybersecurity problems that could pose significant security risks to China’s critical information infrastructure supply chains. The company’s products pose a national security risk. Domestic critical information infrastructure operators should stop purchasing Micron products.

Micron has acknowledged the results of the review. It says it’s assessing its next steps and hopes to engage in dialogue with Chinese authorities.

Chai Huan-hsin
Photonics Industry and Technology Development Association
Currently, Micron’s production lines in China are limited to one testing and packaging facility in Xi’an. Its production centers are in Taiwan and Singapore. The sanctions will have some impact, but it will be quite limited. After all, Micron’s revenue from China has continued to decrease. The symbolic significance of the sanction could outweigh its actual impact.

Only about 10% of Micron’s revenue comes from its China operations, and so experts believe the sanctions will have a limited effect. According to a Financial Times report, the U.S. asked South Korea to ensure that Samsung and SK Hynix Semiconductor don’t “fill the gap” that’s left in China by Micron’s sanctions.

Chai Huan-hsin
Photonics Industry and Technology Development Association
The likelihood of them complying is not high. China is the biggest client for both Samsung and SK Hynix. They won’t just pull out of the Chinese market just because of the U.S.-China trade war or these chip wars.

Though China’s sanctions could hurt Micron’s revenue, the company’s operations are expected to remain largely unaffected. For now, the impact on the memory industry is minor, but with the U.S.-China chip war intensifying, sanctions could spread to more companies.

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Member of public
It’s delicious, tastes great – especially the taro.

Member of public
It’s such a strong peanut flavor. It doesn’t seem to have any additives in it – just pure peanuts.

These ice creams from Ji’an Farmers’ Association get high scores across the board. Customers say the flavors are fantastic.

Member of public
It feels like drinking fruit juice – or eating a real pineapple.

This little ice lolly contains a quarter of a pineapple. All the treats are made with real ingredients. The association earns NT$23 million a year from ice cream. That’s about 11% of their annual revenue. The association never expected frozen treats to become such a golden goose.

Last year, it spent more than NT$35 million on a brand-new processing factory, with upgraded, fully automated production lines. Production capacity has more than doubled.

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Ji-an Farmers’ Association
In the past, we could only produce 2,000 to 3,000 ice lollies a day. Now we can produce 6,000 to 8,000.

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Ji’an Farmers’ Association
Our ice cream business has grown about 20% in the last two years. We’ve invested in these production lines in recent years, and we hope they can grow to be 40-50% of our sales revenue.

Ji’an Farmers’ Association first started making frozen treats in 2000, and it’s still the only farmers’ association in Taiwan with an ice cream factory. Initially, it found success with the “rice ice cream” line. Later it launched many local flavors, like pumpkin, taro and pineapple. Now it plans to offer an ice production service for Taiwan’s 301 other farmers’ associations, enabling growers all over the country to make icy profits from their produce.

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Taiwan’s older population embraces weight-lifting with the right support

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Sixty-year-old Lee Tsai-wei lifts a 115-kilo barbell into the air in a clean sweep.

Last year, she competed at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships, clinching four gold medals. In 2022, a Taiwanese deadlifting competition was graced by the participation of this 90-year-old grandmother, Ling Chou-cha. She lifted 62.5 kilos.

Ling Chou-cha (Dec. 10, 2022)
Nonagenarian powerlifter
My grandson takes me to the gym once a week.

We spoke to fitness coach Danny, who says lifting weights and fitness training are great for older adults. It can prevent muscle loss and slow down the aging process.

Danny
Fitness coach
I normally look first at whether they have any history of injuries. If they do, then they will have some discomfort in their joints, and there will definitely be some actions they should avoid. If it’s just their muscles that are limited, then it’s a question of expanding their mobility, so that they’re not in pain during training.

But if it’s your first time entering a gym and you have absolutely no regular exercise routine, it pays to be cautious. A coach will first check your history of injuries, and get you started with beginner moves like the squat. Gradually you can add more weight. Of course, some people can go straight for the barbells.

Danny
Fitness coach
I had an older student who was in his 60s. At the start he had poor mobility in his thoracic spine, and in his hips. When I first showed him how to squat, he couldn’t complete the movement correctly, basically. We gradually corrected the movements. For example, we got him doing exercises with light dumbbells. Now he can lift barbells of 50 or 60 kilos.

The gym is not just for youngsters! When older adults get support from a knowledgeable coach, they can make a fitness plan that will take care of injuries while building up strength. With the correct technique, and perseverance, you can reach your personal best in your twilight years.

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