Aerial Tours of Hengchun

2023-08-14

A new tourist flight will take to the skies over Hengchun this September. The local government has teamed up with an airline to offer 13 special aerial tours of the region. Hengchun is one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist spots, famed for its beautiful beaches. But officials hope the aerial tour will generate excitement even for those already familiar with the area. There are just 117 spots up for grabs, so this exclusive experience is bound to sell out fast.

Seen from above, the coast is a meandering line of green fields against a blue sea. We fly over the Hengchun Old City, the beauty of Taiwan’s southernmost coast filling the horizon.

This Italian jet, dubbed "the Ferrari of the Skies" carries passengers at just 3,000 meters above the sea, to enjoy this amazing view. Pingtung County is working with an airline to launch these aerial tours of Hengchun in September, giving visitors a new angle on the scenic region.

Huang Kuo-wei
Pingtung County Tourism Dev. Bureau
We will offer 13 flights over three days. Each flight will have space for nine passengers. The cabin is extremely comfortable.

The tour takes 30 minutes, and there are just 117 spots available. The flight takes off from Hengchun Airport, before circling landmarks like the town’s Old City Wall, South Bay, Eluanbi Lighthouse, and Longpan Park.

Wu Man-lin
Hotel general manager
Everyone generally just visits the mountains and the beach or a few set destinations. Have you ever seen Hengchun’s beauty from the sky? You can have an experience unlike other people’s. Come and give it a try.

The brand-new event promises a view of Hengchun as you’ve never seen it before.

游水再飛天！屏東縣合作航空公司推空中觀光行程

2023-08-14

到台灣最南端的恆春玩，如果已經玩膩水上活動，現在可以嘗試看看空中觀光，屏東縣府將和航空公司合作，推出恆春半島空中觀光航線，從恆春古城到九棚大沙漠，從空中鳥瞰墾丁山海之美。

坐上飛機，從空中鳥瞰，沿途有綠油油草原，再往前飛，是整片蔚藍海岸線，一路到恆春古城，國境之南的美，一覽無遺。

就是這架來自義大利，有”空中法拉利之稱”的飛機，帶民眾從3000呎低空飛越，飽覽美景，屏東縣府和航空公司合作，9月份將推出恆春空中遊覽體驗，從另一個角度欣賞恆春風光。

[[屏東縣政府交旅處處長黃國維]]
“這一個活動連續3天，總共會有13個班次，每一個班次是9人座的飛機。飛機座艙也非常舒服。”

空中遊覽體驗全程30分鐘，限量117個名額，從恆春機場出發，行經恆春古城、南灣、鵝鑾鼻燈塔、龍磐公園等知名景點。

[[飯店業者總經理吳曼琳]]
“大家都是上山下海或是定點式的旅遊，你們有從空中看過恆春的美嗎？可以跟別人有不一樣的體驗，去接觸這個活動。”

全新的旅遊方式，讓人重新認識恆春的美。

Tsai visits Chiashan base on Air Force Day

2023-08-14

VP Lai arrives in Paraguay after low-key transit in New York

Turning now to Vice President Lai Ching-te’s state trip. The vice president has landed in Paraguay, after a low-profile transit through New York. Washington-based think tank scholar Bonnie Glaser says the stopover was deliberately kept low-key, as the result of consultations between the U.S. and Taiwanese governments. Both sides felt a quiet transit would be beneficial, due to factors including Taiwan’s upcoming election and the potential participation of Xi Jinping at the APEC summit.

Vice President Lai Ching-te is welcomed by Taiwanese expats, as he arrives at a banquet with nearly 70 tables. Joining the event were Representative to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim and AIT Managing Director Ingrid Larson. AIT Chair Laura Rosenberger, who was attending a family wedding, greeted Lai in a prerecorded speech.

Lai Ching-te
Vice president
Despite the complexities of the international situation, I will use peace as my beacon and democracy as my compass. I will be dedicated to practicing the four pillars of peace.

Laura Rosenberger
AIT chair
And we share a deep and abiding in preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Just as the U.S.-Taiwan friendship is longstanding and rock solid. Vice President Lai and members of your delegation, I hope you enjoy your stop in New York and safe travels onward to Paraguay. I look forward to seeing you soon in San Francisco.

During Lai’s whirlwind 25-hour stopover, he hosted a banquet, watched a baseball game, and met with young Taiwanese Americans. He made few other public appearances. According to Washington-based think tank scholar Bonnie Glaser, keeping low-key was a deliberate decision.

Bonnie Glaser
Washington think tank scholar
This transit is very low key as a result of consultations between Taipei and Washington. Both sides think that this is in the best interest of Taiwan and the United States. And one of those external factors is Taiwan’s election and another external factor is the fact that the United States and China are working toward a possible visit by Xi Jinping to attend APEC in November. All of these things have to be taken into account.

There had been strong calls from Taiwanese expats for Lai to go to Washington. But the visit did not materialize. According to Glaser, this had nothing to do with China.

Bonnie Glaser
Washington think tank scholar
There is a long-standing practice of presidents from Taiwan and vice presidents not being permitted to travel through Washington, D.C. So this is not a decision that was made because the United States does not want to in any way upset China at this particular moment.

But even without going to D.C., Lai drew shows of force from Beijing, ranging from military drills to protests in New York. Glaser denounced China’s actions.

Bonnie Glaser
Washington think tank scholar
China’s stance opposing this transit is quite unreasonable. My own view is that they essentially made such harsh statements publicly that they backed themselves into a corner.

Glaser said that in Taiwan’s 2024 election, the U.S. does not favor any candidate. She called on Beijing to also refrain from intervening.

2023-08-14

Executive Yuan approves Asia New Bay Area upgrade plan for Kaohsiung

2023-08-14

Troupes from Japan, South Korea kick off 2023 Hakka Expo

The 2023 Hakka Expo had its grand opening in Taoyuan last Friday. The inaugural event was a showcase of Hakka culture, as well as unique performances from South Korea and Japan. The Taoyuan City government had invited in troupes from its sister cities. The shows got the expo off to a thrilling start, while also fostering city-to-city ties.

Performers from South Korea take to the stage, instantly charging the crowd.

They perform traditional Korean dance to a lively rhythm, whipping up the atmosphere. This is the Handure Madang Performing Arts Group, which was designated an official art group of North Gyeongsang Province two years ago. It has performed in more than 20 countries.

Yoo Kyung-sook
Director-General of Economy and Industry Bureau
The art troupe was established in Gumi City in 1993. North Gyeongsang Province designated it as an official art group in 2021. It is composed of young traditional musicians supported by the Gumi City government. It has put on more than 200 performances in more than 20 countries. Through the Taoyuan City government’s invitation to participate in the 2023 Hakka Expo, we hope to deepen cultural exchanges between Taoyuan and Gumi. This is an opportunity for the residents of Taoyuan to get acquainted with South Korea’s traditional culture.

Performers from Japan thrill the crowd as they move from the seats to the stage. A captivating beat is brought to life by both young and old, male and female, on traditional instruments and taiko. For the audience, it’s a trip straight to Japan. This performance has over 300 years of history and has been recognized as a cultural heritage.

Koshikawa Shinichi
Mayor of Japan’s Choshi City
The taiko that you hear are by a traditional performance arts group that has been passed down for more than 300 years of history in Choshi City. Thank you all very much for giving us this opportunity to perform here.

The 2023 Hakka Expo will run for 66 days, from Aug. 11 to Oct. 15. Last week, it kicked off with fanfare in Taoyuan. The city government invited the Choshi Hane Daiko troupe and South Korea’s Handure Madang Performing Arts Group to participate in the expo.

Koshikawa Shinichi
Mayor of Japan’s Choshi City
Last year in July, Choshi City and Taoyuan became sister cities, cementing a fast bond of friendship. In the future, I hope that Choshi City and Taoyuan will have more exchanges and deeper exchanges in a variety of fields.

Hsu Shu-chen
Taoyuan City secretary-general
Right now we’re engaging in mutual visits in both a virtual and physical format. In various fields such as culture, education, smart city ventures, and airport city projects, we will continue to conduct exchanges.

The Taoyuan City government invited unique performance groups from its sister cities to perform, aiming to spark dialogue with Hakka culture. It hopes to use Taiwan as a springboard for connections with Hakka culture around the world.

2023-08-14

Kaohsiung students prepare to take solar car to Australia for race of a lifetime

Students at a Kaohsiung college are preparing to take their own solar car to Australia for the race of a lifetime. Their electric car Apollo No. 9 runs on sunshine, and charges its own battery when the sun is out. In Australia, it will take on a desert racetrack of more than 3,000 kilometers and race against competitors from all over the world. Let’s visit Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology to see the team put the finishing touches on their baby before its big trip.

The solar-powered electric car Apollo No. 9 has a top speed of 110 km/h. The solar battery on its roof automatically charges on a clear day.

The dozen-strong team carries out the final preparations with the utmost care, getting the vehicle ready to travel. They’re heading to Australia for a competition this October, a huge event in the global solar car development field.

Ai Ho-chang
NKUST professor
The difficulty level at the competition is world-renowned, because the course is more than 3,000 kilometers long, and it passes through desert areas that are completely uninhabited.

Chen Yu-an
NKUST Student
The driver will wear this safety helmet. We will install these metal anti-rolling-disks on the whole car, to minimize the risk of the driver getting injured if the car takes a crash or rolls over.

NKUST professor Ai Ho-chang has been teaching students how to research and develop solar vehicles for 25 years. He says the race in Australia won’t be a test of speed. It’s about endurance.

Ai Ho-chang
NKUST professor
You can’t charge the battery every day, so if the weather conditions are bad and there’s not enough sunshine coming down, how can you make the best use of your limited electricity to keep your vehicle moving?

Shen Kao-shu
NKUST student
The electric products are mainly the repair tools on the car, and some material backups for replacements.

The Apollo team are excited to head down under to represent Taiwan. That 3,000 kilometer track will be a huge test, putting the vehicle at the mercy of the weather and the elements.

2023-08-14

Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao charged for payroll fraud

2023-08-14

DBS Taiwan becomes largest foreign bank by assets after Citi acquisition

DBS Bank has completed the acquisition of Citigroup’s consumer banking business in Taiwan. That means Citi’s 44 branches in the country will now be operated by DBS Taiwan, and about 3,000 Citi employees are now working for DBS. The acquisition is expected to make DBS Taiwan the sixth biggest bank in Taiwan by credit card numbers. At a transfer ceremony on Monday, executives from DBS Singapore announced a capital injection of NT$52 billion into its Taiwan business, showing its commitment to expanding operations in the country.

DBS Taiwan has completed the acquisition of Citigroup’s consumer banking business. To mark the transfer, executives from DBS in Singapore traveled to Taiwan to take part in a ceremony.

Shee Tse Koon
DBS consumer banking and wealth management
To ensure that DBS has enough capital to continue developing here, we increased our Taiwan capital by NT$52 billion.

Showing its commitment to expanding in Taiwan, DBS announced an injection of NT$52 billion to cover acquisition and post-merger expenses. DBS entered the Taiwan market in 1983, and its first subsidiary started operating in 2012. Earlier this year, the banking group acquired Citi Consumer Taiwan, marking its 40th anniversary in the market.

The acquisition has boosted the scale of DBS’s asset management operations to over NT$280 billion. Its loan balance has risen to NT$740 billion and its deposit balance is now at NT$830 billion. In addition, the number of credit card accounts it operates has increased nearly five-fold. Citi cardholders will retain their rights and benefits for the most part, with changes only to annual fees for some types of cards. Clients will also have to re-register to use the DBS online banking app. The transfer of client data from one bank to the other took about two days and was completed by 9 a.m. on Monday.

Ng Sier Han
DBS Taiwan CEO
Citi had a lot of data to process, there were a lot of clients. But with our careful planning, we managed to do it. Now, cardholders can continue using their cards without any problems. The next bills they will receive will be issued by DBS Taiwan. As for debit cards, new ones will be issued. In the first month, we will of course have to settle everyone in, but we hope we’ll be able see some results by the fourth quarter.

Back in June, the biggest banks in Taiwan by number of credit cards saw Cathay United Bank in the lead, followed by CTBC Bank. DBS Taiwan came in at No. 16. But after acquiring more than 2 million cards from Citi Consumer Taiwan, it’s expected to crack the Top 6 in the updated list in August. A big change earlier this year saw Taipei Fubon Bank edge past Taishin Bank and rise to No. 4, after securing a co-branded credit card agreement with Costco. With the merger and an expiring Costco partnership, August could become the biggest month in history for transitioning to a new credit card issuer.

2023-08-14

Renowned engineer Terence Rodrigues explains how he found home in Taiwan

Today we meet one of the global professionals who’s made Taiwan their home. Hardware engineer Terence Rodrigues is a globally renowned tech expert. Working for Google, he contributed to apps that people use every day, like Google Maps. He grew up in India and the U.S., and had made a name for himself by the age of 30. Later in life, he decided to make his third home in Taiwan. The beauty of the Chinese language attracted him, as well as the pleasant conditions of life in Taiwan. In 2018 he was awarded a permanent residence card for his huge achievements in the tech sector.

After traveling to dozens of nations around the world, Terence Rodrigues says Taiwan is his favorite country.

Having grown up in India and the U.S., seven years ago Rodrigues fulfilled a professional dream by taking up a position here in Taiwan. His affinity with the country goes back to his student years in the U.S., when he came here for one year to learn Chinese.

Terence Rodrigues
Engineer and Indian immigrant
Taitung, Tainan, Alishan, Taichung, Hualien… My favorite place is Liuqiu Island.

He’s made his career in the cutting-edge communications industry. Taiwan’s impressive transport network and warm, industrious culture make it the perfect place for him to do great things.

Terence Rodrigues
Engineer and Indian immigrant
Taiwan had a really good, well-developed tech sector, and world-class manufacturing facilities, right? So that spoke to my interest in technology. So I was always interested in finding a job opportunity in Taiwan. And so when I found it, I said “I have to take that job opportunity,” because it allowed me to work as an engineer, but also I could live in Taiwan and study Mandarin in a local setting. And I could also learn about a new culture. So all of those reasons in total said, “I have to be here in Taiwan.”

Rodrigues says that when he first heard Chinese spoken, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. From that moment on, he was inspired by the beauty of Chinese to travel to Taiwan. Now this is his third home in the world. He is part of the team that developed the Google Maps navigator, which is his way of making Taiwan more visible to other global travelers and explorers.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by New Immigrant Development Fund

2023-08-14

Guest list revealed for sleepover at Presidential Office

The guest list is out for the Presidential Office’s sleepover program. From September to December, 15 groups of participants from 12 countries will stay overnight at the Presidential Office Building. They include the creators of educational YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE. There’s also an award-winning Thai chef and a Japanese couple who have made Taiwan their second home. The Presidential Office’s sleepover program takes applications from foreign nationals. Selected participants are required to produce content based on their experience in Taiwan.

He’s traversed a desert, gotten up close with firefighters on duty, and filmed the destruction of war in Syria. Now this Dutch YouTuber will be spending a night in Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building.

Govert Charles Wilhelmus Jacob Sweep
Dutch YouTuber
Because I already go to Taiwan this October, it would be very nice to also get this experience to sleep in the Presidential Building.

With humorous songs and quirky videos, this Canadian duo makes science fun. They run a renowned YouTube channel with more than 1.04 million subscribers. They too will be sleeping over.

Also on the guest list is Ku, a French YouTuber living in Taiwan. There’s also a Thai chef whose eatery topped Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023. He can’t wait to explore Taiwan’s food scene.

Lee Hou-ching
GACC
This year’s edition has participants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We’ve got key opinion leaders in intellectual topics. For example, we have a science influencer who’s looking forward to sleeping at the Presidential Office Building and visiting the Taiwan Space Agency.

This one-of-a-kind experience will be held for the second time ever, after a hiatus of four years. The guests hail from 12 countries, including Canada, the U.S., Japan, France, South Korea, and Thailand. This time around, there are participants from four new countries: Slovakia, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Lin Yong-chi
FTV reporter
The 15 groups of participants will start arriving in Taiwan in September to sleep over at the Presidential Office Building. Butler service will be included.

Once again, the Presidential Office Building will host visitors for an overnight stay, in hopes of showcasing Taiwan to the world.

2023-08-14