Maokong Gondola gets makeover, Taipei mayor says he’ll ride with his kids

Maokong Gondola gets makeover, Taipei mayor says he’ll ride with his kids

2024-02-02

Taipei’s Maokong Gondola has gotten a makeover ahead of Spring Festival. Teaming up with a local creator, the gondola operator has adorned dozens of cabins inside and out with cute cartoons. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an says it’s a must-see, and that he’ll be sure to take the kids. The gondola operator hopes to see record ridership over the Lunar New Year break.

Gondola cars glide into the station, one after the next. Parents board with small children who can hardly contain their excitement.

Member of public
This is his first time. I wanted him to experience the thrill of the crystal cabin, to see if it gives him a fright.

The Maokong Gondola has gotten a Spring Festival makeover, drawing waves of eager passengers. The cars are adorned inside and out with cute characters, including a sloth – the gondola’s own mascot – and Emma from the Maji Meow cartoon. Even Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an wasn’t immune to the charm offensive.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
I’ll definitely go with the kids. They’re just the right age – one is two and a half, the other just turned a year old. It’s the right age for a trip on the Maokong Gondola, followed by a stroll in the zoo.

Visitor
We’re actually going to the zoo. I’d recommend taking the MRT to the Maokong Gondola, and taking the gondola to the southern end of the zoo. After that you can hop on a shuttle to explore the zoo. I feel that children are really interested in changes in transportation modes.

As the gondola gears up for the Spring Festival rush, nearby attractions are doing the same. The Taipei Zoo is embracing the Year of the Dragon with a dragon-themed activity for children. For selfie enthusiasts, the lupin flower field on Zhangshu Trail make for a stunning backdrop. It’s a sea of tiny yellow flowers against emerald leaves, just a five-minute walk from the gondola station.

Huang Chih-ming
Gondola center chief
If the weather is nice over Spring Festival, we could see about 20,000 visitors a day. We hope to set a new record this year.

The Maokong Gondola hopes to draw record tourists over Spring Festival. It will be closed on Lunar New Year’s Eve, but will run as usual from the first to the third days of the new lunar year. The God of Wealth will drop in at the station to distribute candy and greet riders.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

貓纜新年換"新裝" 蔣萬安也愛:要帶孩子來走春

2024-02-02

新年換新裝，貓纜這次結合超Q「IP麻吉貓」，車廂內外都是可愛動物，讓三寶爸，台北市長蔣萬安都忍不住，說一定要帶孩子來走春！搭配上貓空山上魯冰花海盛放，捷運公司評估，今年過年如果遇上好天氣，可望創下單日最多搭乘人次紀錄！

車廂一節一節回站、再出發，爸爸媽媽帶著孩子，搭上纜車，小朋友滿臉興奮，隔著口罩都藏不住。

[[民眾]]
“他是第一次搭，所以我想讓他體驗，水晶車廂的那種興奮感，看他會不會害怕”

貓纜趁著過年前換新裝，不少民眾搶著嘗鮮。看看上百個車廂，內外都貼上新車貼。除了有貓纜自己的吉祥物，樹懶，共ㄉㄨ拉，還有超可愛IP麻吉貓，連台灣動物緊急救援小組代言人EMMA都加入。超Q模樣，就連市長蔣萬安，都拜倒在這可愛魅力下。

[[台北市長蔣萬安]]
“一定會(帶小朋友去玩)，因為現在孩子剛好，一個兩歲一半，一個滿一歲，他們正適合來搭乘貓纜，然後到動物園走走”

[[民眾]]
“我們其實要去動物園，我會建議大家，直接從纜車站進來，然後坐到動物園南站下車，然後再搭他們的遊園車，進入園內去逛。我覺得小朋友對這種交通工具的轉換，會非常的有感”

貓纜迎接新年人潮，結合周邊景點設施，動物園搭上龍年熱潮，推出尋龍通關密語活動，讓小朋友能夠寓教於樂。喜歡拍美照的人看這邊！樟樹步道上的魯冰花海，也是走春成「嬌」點！黃色小花盛開，點綴綠葉，療育美景，搭到貓纜站，步行5分鐘，就能看得到！

[[纜車中心主任黃志明]]
“新春如果說是配合天氣好的話，我們預計大概(單天)會有，差不多2萬人左右，希望說今年應該是有機會可以突破歷年的新高”

衝人次，拚觀光商機！貓纜除夕暫停營業，初一到初三迎旅客，還派出財神爺不定時在車站，發糖果，跟大家拜年。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Related News

‘Buckle up!’: Han Kuo-yu’s election as speaker makes waves

On his first day as legislative speaker, the KMT’s Han Kuo-yu was absent from the legislature, as his first official job was scheduled for next Monday. But even so, his presence was felt in the halls. Fellow lawmakers weighed in on where they saw the legislature going with Han at the helm, given his sharp rhetoric and charismatic personality. On social media, a foreign correspondent warned that Taiwan’s "highly successful parliamentary diplomacy" is about to see a shakeup.

Outside the legislative speaker’s office, rows of flowers fill the space, celebrating the election of the KMT’s Han Kuo-yu. Some of the flowers were from President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Lai Ching-te.

Lai Ching-te
Vice president
I give my highest blessings to the new legislature. I hope very much that in future the Legislative Yuan, with both cooperation and competition among the political parties, can pass more bills that benefit the country and the people.

For a legislative speaker, the core duties are presiding over legislative proceedings and conducting parliamentary diplomacy. Both jobs are seen as challenging for Han, who’s known for his sharp and memorable rhetoric. Questions hang over whether he will resolve bitter squabbles between the opposition and ruling parties, or whether he will only intensify confrontation.

Han Kuo-yu
Legislative speaker
We hope to avoid the violent clashes that used to erupt at the drop of a hat. We want everyone to be able to sit down and talk. The Legislative Yuan is a place for reason, not fisticuffs. Of course we wouldn’t resort to using police power.

Lin Chun-hsien
DPP lawmaker
Now his words have much more weight. As legislative speaker, his catchy phrases will be more exciting than ever.

According to a Taiwan-based foreign observer, Taiwan’s successful parliamentary diplomacy is at risk of waning under Han’s leadership.

Lin Chun-hsien
DPP lawmaker
During Legislative Speaker You Si-kun’s tenure, hundreds of visiting delegations from dozens of nations came to Taiwan. China would always protest and put pressure on them. Does Han dare to offend China? When there’s a clash between Taiwan’s interests and China’s interests, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, which side will you choose?

Chang Chia-chun
KMT lawmaker
Actually Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu’s English is very good so this is all nonsense. People say these kinds of things because they don’t understand him.

From mediating between parties to expanding Taiwan’s international space, Han’s challenges as speaker are only just beginning.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-02-02

Japanese business delegation visits Taiwan ahead of TSMC’s fab launch

TSMC’s new plant in Kumamoto, Japan is nearing completion, and is set to open on Feb. 24. Ahead of the launch, Japanese businesses are gearing up for a surge of Taiwanese expats. Local supermarkets have started to stock up on Taiwanese products, anticipating a wave of new customers. Earlier this week, two Japanese business groups flew in to explore new contracts in product procurement.

A gift exchange between Taiwan and Japan. Two business groups from Kumamoto are visiting Taiwan, for talks with the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei. The visit comes just weeks before TSMC opens its Kumamoto plant, targeting production in the fourth quarter. The plant is expected to drive big opportunities for Kumamoto businesses.

Akito Kuga
Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman
During this visit, we are inviting Taiwanese college students to intern at the Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Taiwanese food brands are in talks with Japanese business groups to expand into Kumamoto. Local supermarkets have begun to stock up on Taiwanese products, at the suggestion of TSMC staff.

Akito Kuga
Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman
In communities where TSMC employees have settled, supermarkets offer about 110 Taiwanese products. The employees themselves have made requests, asking for more variety.

With TSMC in Japan, some 30 suppliers have also made the move, ramping up trade exchanges between Taiwan and Japan. There are currently 12 direct flights a week between Taiwan and Kumamoto, run by China Airlines and Starlux. According to the Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that’s no longer enough.

Akito Kuga
Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman
We came to Taipei from Fukuoka, because we couldn’t get a direct flight from Kumamoto. Two flights will be added in February, but if that’s still not enough, we hope that they will add more flights as quickly as possible.

With a world-leading chipmaker setting up shop, Kumamoto is ready for a surge in investment and consumer demand.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-02-02

Taiex rises 0.51% on AI optimism

2024-02-02

Spring festival shuttle buses and itineraries

The Spring Festival holiday is approaching. Do you have any plans? The Tourism Administration has launched a variety of shuttle buses that bring people to popular tourist areas and tour itineraries. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the details.

Yehliu Geopark is one of Taiwan’s most unique tourist attractions. The park has a new attraction: Taiwan’s first cliffside bookstore. With the spring festival approaching, the Tourism Administration has launched shuttle buses to key tourist areas such as Yehliu, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Maolin National Scenic Area, and Taroko National Park.

A total of 73 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle buses that bring travelers to popular tourist attractions have been launched. In addition, travel agencies have also unveiled “Taiwan Tour Bus” travel itineraries.

Huang I-ping
Tourism Administration
This year we have also planned nine dedicated routes. We hope that everyone can go to the Tourism Administration’s website to learn about it. In addition, we also strongly encourage everyone to take the Taiwan Tourist Shuttles which will take people to Taiwan’s popular attractions. There are currently 60 routes. The route is half-price if you use electronic payment methods. We hope to encourage people to take advantage of it.

Popular scenic hot spots that are prone to traffic jams include Caoling Qingyun Temple, Leofoo Village, Window on World Theme Park, and other areas. The Tourism Administration reminds people to take public transportation and make use of the “1968 APP” and“Happiness Highway APP” to keep track of road conditions.

Huang I-ping
Tourism Administration
In response to the traffic jams last year, for example, in Sun Moon Lake, we will put forward some warnings during the Spring Festival. We hope that people can use our information to avoid these road sections when there are traffic jams. We will have information about it on our official website. We will update it every day.

With Spring Festival fast approaching the Tourism Administration has also launched discounts on park admission packages or tickets. They hope to encourage more people to take public transportation to visit Taiwan’s theme parks.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-02-02

25 years after China handover, Macao fears losing unique heritage

Macao is known as "the Las Vegas of Asia," with a huge gaming industry in glitzy casinos. It is also home to a unique ethnic group the Macanese. Twenty-five years after the former Portuguese colony’s handover to China, however, there is worry among the Macanese and others that a part of Macao’s unique identity is fading away. Voice of America’s Cindy Sui explains.

Cozinha Aida is a restaurant with generations-old recipes, preserved and passed down. The eatery is a place to enjoy some home cooking of Macao’s Portuguese-Chinese mixed-race population, known as Macanese. And it is named after its founder, the grandmother of Ivone de Jesus.

Ivone de Jesus
Macanese restaurant operator
“The special thing about Macanese people is because Macanese people usually speak a few languages ... Portuguese, Macanese ... and like my grandma, she’s one of the 50 people who actually maintains the dying language called Patua.”

The Macanese say their identity is unique, from the languages they speak – a mixture of Cantonese, Portuguese and English – as the main ingredients, to the food and its fusion of Portuguese and Chinese cuisine.

But the Macanese and Portuguese populations in Macao are seeing a threat to their unique culture.

Although the latest census conducted in 2021 showed the number of people in Macao who are either full or mixed Portuguese has increased by nearly 5,000 compared to 2011 and 2001, shortly after the handover, it’s still just under 2 percent of Macao’s population of about 680,000, according to official statistics.

The Portuguese population, which also makes Macao unique, is also expected to decline.

The government has stopped giving preferential treatment to people from Portugal who want to live and work in Macao. They’re now treated like other foreigners, given a temporary work permit if they have a job.

Delfim Chacim
Macao resident
“This means our Portuguese culture will be weak for the next generation. All we’ll see will be the architecture built by the Portuguese people, such as the fortress, but they won’t know the real story. It will be no different from another province in China without such things.”

But while cultural heritage sites such as this fortress are being protected, and Portuguese is an official language here, along with Chinese, Macanese residents fear as time passes and with a decline in their population, they will lose their language and culture – something they say is crucial to keeping Macao’s uniqueness alive.

Cindy Sui, VOA News, Macao.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-02-02

British pop star Ed Sheeran to perform in Kaohsiung

British pop star Ed Sheeran has returned to Taiwan after five years. He’s set to perform this Saturday at the Kaohsiung National Stadium, to an expected audience of 50,000 people. Sheeran flew into Kaohsiung on Thursday, and has been sharing his photos of the southern port city on Instagram.

The lively melody immediately evokes memories. British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran will perform this Saturday at the Kaohsiung National Stadium, drawing an estimated crowd of over 50,000. To help disperse fans, the Kaohsiung Metro has mobilized hundreds of staff and organized for more frequent trains. On Shiyun Boulevard, banners with directions hang high from trees and poles, so that people can find where they need to go just by looking up.

Voice of Wang Po-yan
Kaohsiung Metro
From 3 p.m. that day, the interval between rides will be shortened from the original 6 minutes to 4 minutes, and this can even reach 3 minutes when the crowds are dispersing.

Workers move to and fro as trucks loaded with concert equipment prepare to enter the venue. After wrapping up in Japan on his world tour, Sheeran arrived in Taiwan on a chartered flight on Thursday. He was warmly greeted by a throng of fans. On his personal Instagram account, Sheeran showed off photos of his trips to Kaohsiung’s Love River, the Pier-2 Art Center, and a giant inflatable rubber duck installation, giving the latitude and longitude coordinates.

Before Sheeran performs, U.K. singer-songwriter Calum Scott will be his opening act. Scott sang in Kaohsiung on Friday. Hundreds of fans packed an autograph session just to hear his soulful songs.

Scott took part in the British show “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2015, where his rendition of a Swedish pop singer’s classic hit wowed the judges.

In 2018, Scott released his first album, featuring the hit song “You Are The Reason.” On Friday, the power of his voice thrilled the Kaohsiung crowd.

Scott also wished everyone a happy Lunar New Year in Mandarin Chinese, just ahead of the holiday break.

Scott’s gesture impressed his fans, endearing him further to his audience.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-02-02

70% of red envelopes, spring couplets don’t comply with labeling laws: survey

2024-02-02

Russian academic researches Paiwan women’s craft culture

Today we meet a Russian immigrant who is conducting research on Taiwan’s Indigenous cultures. Max Groza got his Ph.D. in Taiwan and now works at the National Science and Technology Council. FTV went with him to visit a craft workshop in a Paiwan village in Taitung, and learn about the local fabric culture from community leader Wang Hsiao-tung. The Pacavalj Fabric Workshop is a hub for local women to practice Indigenous arts, earn a living, as well as stay close to their communities.

Max Groza is visiting Pacavalj, a Paiwan village in Taitung’s Dawu Township.

He’s greeted warmly by Wang Hsiao-tung, director of the Pacavalj Fabric Workshop. After Typhoon Morakot in 2009, women in the village won government support to set up this workshop and use their expertise in weaving and embroidery, where they could earn money while taking care of their families.

Wang Hsiao-tung
Pacavalj Fabric Workshop director
Paiwan people love life, love the sun, love to be close to nature. We value our land, no matter how steep it is – we will never leave the place where we live.

Paiwan culture is known for being both elaborate and restrained, using a tricolor palette of red, yellow and green. Wang says every item made in the workshop is the Louis Vuitton of the South-Link Line.

Groza is working on a project for the National Science and Technology Council. This is the fourth village he’s visited in Taitung. He’s here to learn all about their work and make a record with his phone.

This small workshop is a bastion of cultural heritage. The layout of the space and the work itself is all full of Paiwan culture. Even a first-time visitor from abroad can easily learn a lot.

Max Groza
Russian immigrant
It’s my first time here. I feel amazed. I’ve never seen such an interesting place, full of so many beautiful cultural things, and so much richness.

Groza is throwing himself into his research of Taiwan’s Indigenous cultures. It’s a unique experience and challenge for the academic. He even wants to start learning the Paiwan language, and hopes to conduct more field research to bring himself even closer to Indigenous culture.

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

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-02-02

Chou Tien-chen reaches semis at 2024 Thailand Masters

2024-02-02