Archeologists celebrate relics found in Hualien, including Taiwan’s first Song dynasty coin

Archeologists celebrate relics found in Hualien, including Taiwan’s first Song dynasty coin

2023-05-26

Archeologists are thrilled to have dug up a treasure trove of historical relics in a coastal region of Hualien County. The large collection of items includes a coin from China’s Song dynasty, dating from 1050 AD. The finds were made by accident. Because Chongde area is a cultural heritage site, constructors have to survey the land before they can build new homes. And this recent survey threw up a lot more than they bargained for. Experts are excited to continue the dig and see what else they can learn about Hualien’s past.

An iron gray copper coin. The characters inscribed on it – “Xining Ingot” – have faded almost to illegibility. The blemishes are a hint of its incredibly long history, almost 1000 years.

But this ancient coin is just one of many artifacts unearthed at the site. These fragments of patterned objects – including a blue bracelet – have all been dug up at the site in Hualien’s Chongde area.

Mr. Liu
Constructor
We dug them up at 80 centimeters. We found a city of culture. We kept digging and digging, and found things everywhere under here. It’s mainly three holes here, and here’s something that seems like a tomb.

Parts of the Chongde area are an official cultural heritage site. That means that constructors have to apply to the county Cultural Affairs Bureau, and survey the ground before starting any building works. This project began when local constructors wanted to build a house. Their land survey brought to light a wealth of historical treasures.

Huang Yung-pin
Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau
The glass beads and coins were probably not manufactured by the inhabitants who were living here more than 1,000 years ago. What may be the case is that maritime trade was thriving at that time.

The survey has now been extended by two months, with the consent of the landowner. The Cultural Affairs Bureau has asked Hualien Archeological Museum to catalogue the finds, and organize the most important items for a future exhibition.

花蓮崇德遺址探勘首度出土宋朝銅錢

2023-05-26

花蓮崇德地區，因為有部分是文化遺址，開發前須向文化局申請，探勘後才能施工，也因此發現大量古文物，其中還有當地首次出土的宋朝銅錢。考古專家推斷，銅錢大約九百年歷史，是宋朝時期產物，因為當時崇德出海口貿易相當發達，應該是海上貿易得來的貨幣。

一枚鐵灰色銅錢，上面的熙寧元寶四個字，已經淡到幾乎快看不到，加上上面明顯的斑駁，顯現出十足的年代感。

除了歷史悠久的銅錢，現場還有不少古物，有花紋的石塊碎片，斷掉的手鐲，全是在花蓮崇德遺址挖到的。

[[建商劉先生]]
“80公分就挖到啦，就看到文化城，然後一直挖，一直挖，就發現整個下面都是啊，主要就三個坑這裡，這邊還有類似一個墓”

由於花蓮崇德地區，有部分是文化遺址，建設前都要跟文化局申請探勘。這次就是因為當地居民申請蓋房子，相關單位探勘後，才讓這些古物重見天日。

[[花蓮縣府文化資產科長黃用斌]]
“琉璃珠或者是錢幣，應該就不是當地大概約一千多年的居住的住民自己製造的，可能在當時就是有很豐富的海上貿易的交流”

目前相關單位已經經過地主同意，延長兩個月探勘期限。文化局會請縣內考古博物館將出土文物進行列冊，有代表性的整理起來，日後進行展出。

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Last week, a delegation from Taiwan’s health ministry headed to Switzerland to advocate for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Assembly. Though Taiwan has been excluded from the event once again, the delegation took the opportunity to form closer ties with Swiss politicians. On Wednesday, they visited the Swiss Federal Assembly, and the Bern Town Hall, where local politicians voiced support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the annual health summit.

Taiwan’s delegation on Wednesday went to the Swiss capital, Bern, to visit the Federal Assembly. One lawmaker they met was the head of the Swiss parliamentary friendship group for Taiwan, Lukas Reimann. A reporter asked him to comment on how Taiwanese journalists had been denied press passes to cover the WHA due to Chinese pressure.

Lukas Reimann
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This is unacceptable for me, I think Switzerland as a host country must accept every passport. I feel very ashamed for Switzerland, as a country of neutrality and openness that we don’t tackle the WHO more, because this is unacceptable and has to change.

Earlier this month, the assembly’s lower house passed a resolution calling for closer ties with the Legislative Yuan, in a show of the close relationship between Taiwan and Switzerland. CDC deputy head Philip Lo spoke about the exchanges and experiences of each country during the pandemic.

Philip Lo
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During the pandemic, they did not implement too many infection control measures. The main reason for that is that the people did not support such measures. They didn’t have as much government intervention as other countries.

The delegation later headed to Bern Town Hall. There, they met with Mayor Alec von Graffenried, who visited Taiwan in 2015. He once again showed his support for Taiwan.

Alec von Graffenried
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I think Taiwan should go straight on the way in democratization, respect of human rights and being a role model for the whole of Asia, and the whole of the world. And I think that sooner or later nobody can refuse to include Taiwan in the global family. Taiwan will never be alone.

Hsueh Jui-yuan
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In Swiss politics, supporting Taiwan is not a minority position. Communicating better and engaging more with the Swiss government perhaps could help us join the WHO.

Taiwan has been excluded from the WHA for seven years in a row now. The U.S. State Department on Thursday said it was disappointed with the WHO’s decision, saying that it would continue to support Taiwan’s return as an observer.

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We were disappointed that they decided not to do so. We believe that inviting Taiwan as an observer would exemplify the WHO’s commitment to an inclusive health-for-all approach to international health cooperation. And the United States will continue to advocate for Taiwan’s return as an observer at WHA.

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had issued a statement saying that the U.S. strongly encouraged the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer in the WHA. It was the third statement of support for Taiwan’s participation since taking office.

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US and Papua New Guinea to sign security pact

The United States and Papua New Guinea have agreed to sign a security pact, part of which is expected to give the United States vital access to the waters of the Pacific island nation. Voice of America’s Ahadian Utama reports from Port Moresby.

U.S. President Joe Biden has shifted attention to the Pacific over concerns about China’s increasing influence in the region, as Beijing has been giving diplomatic and financial assistance to some Pacific nations.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says agreements with Washington that focus on defense cooperation and maritime matters will be formally signed after parliamentary approval.

James Marape
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Now we’re elevating to a specific defense cooperation agreement, something that is falling short of treaty. And so this has been an ongoing work for some time.

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Elias Wohengu, Papua New Guinea Foreign Affairs secretary, led the negotiations and says the pact will not prevent Papua New Guinea from engaging with other nations.

Elias Wohengu
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We are within the ambit of the foreign policy expected of Papua New Guinea: friends to all, enemies to none. This agreement does not in any way preclude PNG from engaging with another nation in a future defense cooperation agreement.

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Ahadian Utama, VOA News, Papua New Guinea.

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2024 to have only one ‘makeup’ workday, but three fewer long weekends

The Executive Yuan has finalized its work calendar for 2024, and it’s looking very different from this year’s calendar, which has eight long weekends of three days or more. But that comes with a government requirement of working on certain Saturdays to make up for days taken off to form a long weekend. By contrast, next year there will only be one makeup workday, but there will only be four long weekends, instead of this year’s eight. Let’s hear how the plan has been received.

Next month is the Dragon Boat festival long weekend, which will require yet another makeup workday. Some grumbling about this is to be expected, as this year has a total of six weekend workdays on the schedule. That’s set to change in 2024, with only such day.

Member of public
Yes, I think there was a few too many this year. Of course I don’t like it, because you have to work more days.

Member of public
My company doesn’t open on makeup workdays anyway.

The only weekend workday in 2024 will be in February. The Little New Year day is a holiday on Thursday, February 8, which will be made up for by working on Saturday, February 17, after the Lunar New Year Break. The arrangements for 2024 means there will only be four breaks lasting three days of more. That’s the New Year’s Day weekend with three days, the Spring Festival with seven days, the Tomb-Sweeping long weekend with four days, and the Dragon Boat Festival weekend with three days. And they all happen in the first half of the year.

Member of public
I think that this year with all the long weekends is better. Because I can use the breaks to travel abroad. It’s easier to take time off.

An internet user has planned it all out if you want a long break. For the Mid-Autumn Festival and Double Tenth, you can get four days off in a row by taking just one day of leave. On International Worker’s Day and the Peace Memorial Day, you can take two days off to get a five day break. Take three days off if you want nine days in a row during the Tomb-Sweeping break, or 12 days in the Lunar New Year.

Lee Yu-chia
National Association of Small and Medium Enterprise
For companies, this arrangement is fine. In 2023, there are six makeup workdays, which can disturb operations. Workers taking the days off also feel like they are always having to make up for the holidays. So for everyone, planning around them is a whole issue.

Lee Chi-yue
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This arrangement is better for travel agencies. Because if there are too many long breaks, demand for travel is concentrated all over the same period. This way, demand spreads out a little.

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Original manuscripts from Taiwan’s “father” of modern literature donated to Tainan Museum

Born in 1894 in Changhua, the poet Lai Ho is hailed as the "Father of Modern Taiwanese Literature." After his death in 1943, he left behind many valuable manuscripts. And now his family has decided to donate hundreds of them to the National Museum of Taiwan Literature in Tainan. This includes an original draft of one of his noted novels. The museum plans to use technology from the Tainan National University of the Arts to make reproductions for daily displays, so that the writer’s ideas will be seen by members of the public.

Lai Ho, dubbed the “Father of Modern Taiwanese Literature,” left behind many valuable manuscripts after his death. In order to preserve these national treasures, his family has decided to donate hundreds of these manuscripts to Tainan’s National Museum of Taiwanese Literature.

Lai Yueh-yen
Laiho Cultural and Educational Foundation
Because of heavy rains in Changhua, the dehumidifiers in the place where the manuscripts were stored became waterlogged. We explained this to the National Museum of Taiwanese Literature and they said they could do the storage themselves.

The handover comes just before Lai’s 129th birthday. The culture ministry presented a certificate of appreciation to his family, thanking them for the long-term preservation of his works, which shed light on a key period in Taiwan’s history.

Shih Che
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I hope that these original manuscripts will get passed down from generation to generation. They are not only literary classics, they also reflect Taiwan’s rise. They are a testimony of Taiwan’s modernization and enlightenment, and can be passed on.

Nikky Lin
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In the future we can bring these manuscripts to life. We don’t want to just leave them lying somewhere in the museum. We want to use them actively, so that the public can see them.

The museum hopes that even more multimedia cooperation projects can further promote Lai’s literature. The Tainan National University of the Arts is already using realistic reproduction technology to restore eight manuscripts, which has been of assistance to the daily displays at the Lai Ho Memorial Hall.

Luo Hung-wen
Tainan National University of the Arts
The more difficult aspects are that the original manuscripts may have some creases and tears. After processing, we will make a reproduction, and then do more processing by hand. For example, there could still be some tears and rough edges. We’ll compare the reproduction with the original manuscript, and then add annotations.

In addition to scanning the original manuscripts and fine-tuning the printing, the signs of aging on the manuscript have to be recreated by hand. Through the replicas, the original manuscripts can be properly preserved, to keep Lai’s spirit and wordsmithery alive.

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