Taiwan’s table tennis team wins bronze at ITTF World Championships Finals

Taiwan’s table tennis team wins bronze at ITTF World Championships Finals

2024-02-26

For the first time in 10 years, Team Taiwan won bronze at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals, which wrapped up in Busan, South Korea last Saturday. Two members of the team flew home to a hero’s welcome on Monday. Table tennis player Lin Yun-ju said that the tournament was grueling, thanking his teammates for having his back. Rising star Kao Cheng-jui, who’s just 19 years old this year, agreed that his teammates were his biggest source of support.

Lin Yun-ju
Table tennis player
I’d say that each and every game left me with a strong impression, because every single one was difficult. We all pushed ourselves to perform as well as we could. I’m very happy we got to bring home the bronze.

Kao Cheng-jui
Table tennis player
I was extremely anxious on the court, but my teammates on the sidelines really built me up, helping me overcome our opponents.

The athletes were greeted by cheering fans at the airport. Both the men’s and women’s team made strides at the World Team championships, reaching the quarters and earning a spot in the Paris Olympics team events.

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睽違10年! 桌球男團世錦賽奪銅林昀儒.高承睿光榮返台

2024-02-26

台灣男團在世界桌球團體錦標賽，奪下睽違十年的平隊史紀錄銅牌，26號下午兩名隊員返台。談到這次比賽，林昀儒說每場都是苦戰，感謝隊友相挺；而在這次世錦賽扮演「奇兵」的19歲小將高承睿，也表示學長們是他最安心的後盾。

[[桌球選手林昀儒]]
“應該每一場都很印象深刻吧，因為每一場都非常難打，然後大家都是盡自己全力，去打好每一場比賽，最後可以拿到銅牌也非常開心”

[[桌球選手高承睿]]
“其實那時候在場上非常緊張，但場下隊友就一直跟我說，一直給我信心吧，讓我可以戰勝對手”

掛著剛到手的銅牌走入國門，現場立刻響起歡呼聲，台灣男女在釜山進行的世界桌球團體錦標賽，都成功晉級8強，紛紛拿下了巴黎奧運團體參賽門票。

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Lai Ching-te to engage with young adults at three forums

With just three months remaining until Lai Ching-te’s presidential inauguration, the DPP plans to hold three forums targeting young people. Lai will attend the events to hear young adults’ views on the country’s future. Lai also has engagements scheduled with the international community. On Monday, he received a delegation from the U.S. think tank the Heritage Foundation. During the meeting, Lai reiterated his commitment to the cross-strait status quo.

A delegation from the Washington-based Heritage Foundation is in Taiwan. It met with Vice President Lai Ching-te on Monday, congratulating him for his election as Taiwan’s next president. The delegation also congratulated Taiwan.

Kevin Roberts
Heritage Foundation president
So congratulations for Taiwan being No. 4 in the world for economic freedom. I’m a schoolteacher and so we look forward to you vying to be No. 1.

Lai Ching-te
Vice president
Last month, on Jan. 13, Taiwan completed elections that would determine the future of Taiwan. With their sacred votes, the people of Taiwan determined Taiwan’s future. We have decided that we will continue on the path of democracy. And despite intimidation and pressure from China, we still made this decision for the future of our country. Despite interference from China, we are glad that we have had support from the international community, including U.S. organizations like the Heritage Foundation. We thank you very much for your support.

Lai thanked the group for its support of Taiwan and vowed to maintain regional peace.

Lai Ching-te
Vice president
Working together with Vice President-elect Hsiao, and the people of Taiwan, we will continue to do our best to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and maintain the status quo. We also hope to contribute more to peace and stability in the world.

Ahead of his presidential inauguration on May 20, Lai plans to attend a series of forums to engage with young adults.

Justin Wu
DPP spokesperson
The plan is to hold a series of youth forums from March to April. By communicating with younger voices in the party and holding public forums, we hope to encourage more young people to share their opinions with the DPP. We hope to systematically gather views from young people, on what they want for Taiwan’s future. Their opinions will form the foundation for the government’s youth policy after Lai takes office.

The DPP hopes to engage with young adults at a series of forums held in northern, central and southern Taiwan. Lai himself will attend the events to engage with youth issues.

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Plaques unveiled for four sites of injustice ahead of 228 Incident’s anniversary

Taiwan unveiled plaques for four new sites of injustice on Monday, ahead of the 77th anniversary of the 228 Incident. One site was the Executive Yuan building, where KMT guards shot and killed protesters. Across the country, there are now 42 historical sites of injustice, memorializing one of the darkest chapters of Taiwan’s past.

Premier Chen Chien-jen, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan and Control Yuan President Chen Chu unveil a plaque designating the Executive Yuan building as a historical site of injustice. The building was once known as the Office of the Taiwan Provincial Administration. During the 228 Incident, guards of the building opened fire on protesters, causing numerous casualties. It’s now marked a site of injustice.

Chen Chien-jen
Premier
The meaning of this step can be compared with South Africa’s efforts to promote transitional justice. They decided to establish the seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa at the Number Four Prison in Johannesburg, where Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and many other fighters for democracy had been imprisoned. Preserving sites of injustice demonstrates the government’s determination to prevent these atrocities from happening again.

The premier visited several sites of injustice near the Executive Yuan. The sites serve to commemorate the past and encourage people to reflect on history.

Chen Chien-jen
Premier
The Transitional Justice Commission designated 42 sites of injustice in Taiwan, and there are another 64 potential sites. It’s the government’s responsibility to systematically preserve sites of injustice, turning them into an opportunity to educate the public on the history of Taiwan’s democracy.

Besides the Executive Yuan, plaques were also unveiled at the Ankang Reception House, the Tang Te-chang Memorial Park in Tainan, and the Jing-mei White Terror Memorial Park. The Jing-mei White Terror Memorial Park used to be the Taiwan Garrison Command’s detention center and military court. Minister of Culture Shih Che and Senior Adviser to the President Yao Chia-wen attended the plaque unveiling ceremony, where victims shared stories from Taiwan’s authoritarian past.

Fred Him-san Chin
Victim of political prosecution
I am extremely touched to be taking part in this event today. Our wishes have finally come true. I really hope that in the future, there will be a plaque at every place in Taiwan where things like this happened.

The Executive Yuan is promoting a dedicated law concerning sites of injustice. It urges ruling and opposition lawmakers to uphold human rights and fulfill transitional justice, to preserve a dark chapter of history that must not be erased.

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Succulent expert and Chinese immigrant shares gardening love

Today we meet a succulent expert and Chinese immigrant who is sharing her gardening knowledge with her community. Qiu Zhifen moved to Kinmen 19 years ago to be with her husband. After she developed an eye disease, friends encouraged the homemaker to start growing succulents. Soon, she fell in love with the beautiful green hues of this special family of plants. Now she runs her own succulent studio, creating pots and spreading the love of these plants far and wide.

After sending her kids off to school, Qiu Zhifen gets down to caring for her potted succulents, removing dead leaves, and giving them fertilizer. This desert rose is getting so big, it needs a larger pot.

Qiu Zhifen
Succulent expert and Chinese immigrant
Generally, when you repot a desert rose you use a set of pots.So, you take it straight out of the old pot, without touching the roots, and you put it straight into the new one, and then you fill it up with earth.

Qiu started growing succulents four years ago after getting an eye disease. A friend suggested the green would help her eyes relax. Qiu fell in love with the vast world of succulents. Today her studio is full of more than 1,000 plants across 100 species to look after.

Qiu Zhifen
Succulent expert and Chinese immigrant
Kinmen has a very dry climate, with little rain, so it’s good for succulents. Especially in the winter, the succulents are beautiful. When there’s a large drop in temperature from day to night, the succulents gain a very beautiful color. That was when I gradually started to fall in love with them.

Qiu advises succulent owners that they need plenty of sunlight, constant ventilation, and moist soil without being flooded. It’s also very important that they’re planted in soil that’s airy and hydrophobic.

Qiu Zhifen
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Most of what I spend goes on soil, because they grow so beautifully when you plant them in a combination of special soil for succulents and peat from South Korea.

She’s also developed her own cement pots and started this succulent studio. She teaches children and adults how to paint their own flower pots, and shares her pots in the local market. Qiu is grateful to her neighbor Chang Ling-li for her friendship and support as she’s grown her project.

Qiu was born in China’s Zhangzhou, and was working in Xiamen when she met her Taiwanese husband. They moved to Kinmen 19 years ago.

She says she’s now used to the climate and pace of life in Kinmen as she spends her days with her plants, enjoying the natural world.

As her children grow up, she hopes she can grow her studio even further and break out of the restrictions she finds herself in.

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

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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2024-02-26

Transport chief urges hotels to lower holiday rates

Transport minister Wang Kwo-tsai wants Taiwan hotels to lower their holiday rates. The call comes amid complaints of prohibitively high prices on weekends and holidays. Remarking on the market trend, the transport chief projected the arrival of 12 million international visitors to Taiwan this year. He said that their arrival could cover the income shortfall that hotels experience in off-peak periods, allowing them to lower their rates on holidays.

Many people want to travel in Taiwan on their days off. But high hotel prices are forcing some to reconsider.

Member of public
If we were to go out as a family, we’d have to spend NT$5,000, NT$6,000 or more. So I’d consider doing a day trip instead.

Member of public
I’d go abroad because it’s cheaper.

Holiday rates at hotels have been sky-high. In response, transport minister Wang Kwo-tsai said that flights have already returned to 90% of prepandemic levels. Taiwan is aiming for 12 million international tourists this year, he said, noting that these visitors would fill hotel income on weekdays, potentially leading to lower holiday rates.

Wang Kwo-tsai
Transport minister
As international visitors return, they will cover revenue shortfalls on off-peak days. If hotels end up earning money on off-peak days but keep rates high on peak days, I’ll scold them. There will be no punishments, but we’ll have a talk.

Cho Chien-hui
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If these 12 million tourists come in tour groups – if group travelers make up the bulk of people coming, that would be more helpful toward hotels making money on weekdays. Tourists traveling independently don’t boost weekday business as much.

One hotel association says that more international tourists will only help if the travelers come in groups. She adds that, with a labor shortage and rising prices for materials and utilities, the cost of running hotels has risen by 60%, making price cuts challenging.

Cho Chien-hui
Hotel association
We should just allow market mechanisms to determine the rates. There’s no need for the government to ask for adjustments, or the minister saying he’ll scold us if we don’t lower prices.

The association says Taiwan’s hotel market has a wide range of prices. It said that in a free market, consumers can choose the price point that suits them.

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Kaohsiung bids farewell to yellow duck display

Kaohsiung has bid farewell to a pair of yellow inflatable ducks anchored at Love River Bay. The public art installation was deflated last Sunday as spectators looked on. Kaohsiung’s tourism director hailed the month-long exhibition, which attracted more than 9 million visitors and generated billions in business opportunities.

A diver bobs in the water, hooking a white sling around the base of a yellow inflatable duck. Then the hoisting operation begins.

A crane lifts the duck from the water, as workers pull on ropes to guide it slowly onshore. By 6:10 p.m., both birds had made a safe landing, marking the end of the double duck display.

Weighing several tons, the ducks had to be deflated with care. Several people held each duck’s outside surface to keep its air vents open. Workers on the other side maneuvered the exhaust fans, and used long ropes to fold the duck down as it lost its shape.

Slowly but surely, the ducks were folded down until completely deflated. Despite the late hour, a large crowd gathered to say good-bye. Kaohsiung’s tourism director Minlin Kao was on the scene throughout. She thanked staff for their hard work that made the exhibition possible.

Minlin Kao
Kaohsiung tourism director
There were many impossible missions, many formidable challenges. We accomplished them all. I am very grateful to our entire team. Together we overcame so many difficulties.

Kaohsiung’s Love River Bay had hosted the installation for the first time in a decade. The two birds were on display for a month, drawing more than 9 million visitors. They also achieved two world firsts.

Minlin Kao
Kaohsiung tourism director
Together we helped Kaohsiung achieve global firsts. First, we took the ducks on a dynamic harbor tour. Second, we became the first in the world to complete a successful “maritime rescue.”

During the display period, nearby retailers, night markets, department stores, and restaurants saw a surge in business. The exhibition brought a wave of economic opportunities and showcased Kaohsiung’s ability to host large-scale events.

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Digital artist Ko Po-lung creates lifelike illustrations of Su’ao

Digital artist Ko Po-lung has turned the charming fishing village of Su’ao into a series of lifelike works. The former interior designer now spends his days focusing on the little details of life in Su’ao. His perceptive eye picks out all the most beautiful spots in the town, and his work has found praise from the town’s officials.

Ko Po-lung lays a bright background on the image and adjusts the transparency. The picture was vivid before; now it jumps off the screen. The picture is called “The first tuna in Nanfang’ao this year.”

Sixty-year-old Ko is a graduate of Fu Hsin Trade and Arts School. He first worked as an interior designer in Taipei, and drove a taxi for four years. He happened to visit Su’ao on a trip, and unexpectedly fell in love with the culture of the little fishing village.

Ko Po-lung
Digital artist
I had passed through Su’ao before, sometime when I was about 30. I thought then that I’d like to move to Su’ao one day, Su’ao or Toucheng. But I realized that Su’ao has more stories than Toucheng. Compared to Toucheng, Su’ao doesn’t have so much hustle and bustle, it’s cleaner and quieter.

Ko is passionate about drawing. He started making portraits of dogs, which he loves. He linked up with an association for guide dogs, drawing merchandise for the association. But then a comment from Su’ao Township head Lee Ming-che made him start to draw the town itself.

Lee Ming-che
Su’ao Township head
I’ve noticed his drawing style gradually changing in the last few years. It’s gone from his love for guide dogs gradually towards seeing lots of the beautiful scenery of our Su’ao. So he sought out lots of the unique scenes of Su’ao. His work doesn’t just contain lots of those real scenes; he also adds in lots of creativity.

Ko began to put Su’ao scenes into his images: the seafood store on the corner in Nanfang’ao and the fishing harbor have both featured in his work. He takes his pen wherever he goes. He’s particularly proud of this drawing of a store in a small alley.

Member of public
All the scenes are different and have their own flavor. They’re beautiful.

Member of public
They’re different to others’ work. He draws very well. They’re beautiful.

Member of public
It’s just like it. See, here are the owners sitting there, and the kid, and the motorbike parked here.

The table and chairs outside the store, the scooter, and even the classic red spring couplets. When you compare the drawing to the street, it’s almost 100% identical. Ko’s drawing skills have earned him plenty of admirers.

Ko Po-lung
Digital artist
If you don’t have any feelings about the work, or you don’t understand the place, then you won’t know how to get into it.

With his love for art as well as for Su’ao’s local culture, Ko has plenty of material to keep him drawing for many years to come.

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Shellfish sweetness balances pickled cabbage at Taipeihot pot restaurant

One hot pot restaurant in Taipei offers the classic pickled cabbage and pork, but with a twist! They also add copious amounts of crab, shrimp, and fresh oysters to bring a taste of the ocean to the traditional meal.

Crab, shrimp and clams can be found in this pickled cabbage hot pot. The crab is brimming with meat, adding a sweetness to balance the sour taste of the pickled cabbage. Paired with the traditional pork slices, this surf-and-turf hot pot has it all.

Using a big knife, the chef cuts the crabs in half before cleaning them thoroughly.

They use chicken to make the soup base, simmering it for a day until the meat almost completely dissolves and the soup turns a milky white.

The hot pot is prepared in the classic copper pot. First, they add cabbage that has been pickled with salt, rice water and white wine. Then they add shrimp, Penghu crab, clams and fresh oysters.

Finally, the chicken stock is added and brought to a boil, mixing the seafood and chicken flavors together.

Wan Chu-chieh
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My father is from Shandong, but when I was growing up in Taiwan, I didn’t like food that was so sour. Adding a lot of seafood helps to neutralize the acidity.

They also serve a tofu hot pot, which includes a whole row of shrimp in addition to slices of pork. Most Korean tofu hot pots are made by boiling the ingredients, but here they stir-fry some first.

They stir-fry the garlic and onions, then add Korean chili powder for that spicy flavor.

Next, they add tofu, meatballs and some more chili powder. Lastly, they put in the seafood and glass noodles.

Wan Chu-chieh
Owner
I worked at our family restaurant for a while, but we would often argue when the restaurant was busy. At times like that I thought, I know I want to make my own pastries, so why not just do the things I want to do.

Rather than manage the family restaurant, Wan Chu-chieh decided to start his own. By adding seafood to the traditional pickled cabbage hot pot, he creates flavors beyond imagination.

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