Penghu International Fireworks Festival kicks off with ‘One Piece’ drone show

Penghu International Fireworks Festival kicks off with ‘One Piece’ drone show

2024-05-03

The 2024 Penghu International Fireworks Festival is underway. Nearly 16,000 people flocked to the archipelago to attend the grand opening. The event featured a 10-minute fireworks display and a first-of-its-kind drone show, where 700 drones took to the sky, forming characters from the Japanese anime series "One Piece."

Dazzling fireworks light up the sky.

The Penghu International Fireworks Festival is now in its 22nd edition. The team behind Finland’s National Day fireworks was invited to create an unprecedented pyrotechnic feast.

Besides fireworks, the grand opening featured a drone show designed in collaboration with the Japanese anime series “One Piece.”

Seven hundred drones spelled out the words “The 25th Anniversary of ‘One Piece.’” Then characters from the series appeared in the sky, one by one.

Penghu Commissioner Chen Kuang-fu dressed up as Monkey D. Luffy. His administrative team, a crew of Straw Hat Pirates, made a splash as they entered to kick off the event.

Neil Gibson, the AIT’s Kaohsiung branch chief, flew out to Penghu for occasion.

Neil Gibson
AIT Kaohsiung branch chief
This is my second time in Penghu, but my first attending this festival. I’m very impressed, and I like it a lot. I’ve already planned to bring my whole family here, my children, too.

Strong winds exceeding Level 6 on the Beaufort scale put a damper on the fireworks display, shortening it from 15 to 10 minutes. The drone show was halted, prompting many in the crowd to leave. As the winds eased off, the drones returned to the skies at 9:50 p.m. before a much smaller audience, ending the grand opening on a bittersweet note.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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澎湖花火節開幕大風攪局無人機宣布停演又升空

2024-05-03

2024澎湖國際海上花火節2日晚間盛大開幕，現場湧入近1萬6000名遊客。這次花火節與日本動漫航海王25周年合作，除了璀燦的煙花之外，還有萬眾矚目的無人機展演

五顏六色的璀燦煙火，在夜空中綻放。

邁向22年的澎湖國際海上花火節，今年特別邀請曾經負責芬蘭國慶煙火的團隊擔任施放顧問，帶給遊客不同以往的煙火饗宴。

除了煙火秀之外，還有萬眾矚目的無人機展演，這次首度與日本動漫航海王合作。

七百架無人機在空中排出航海王25周年的字樣，主角一一現身，和觀眾打招呼。

澎湖縣長陳光復也打扮成魯夫，縣府團隊化身草帽海賊團閃亮登場，與觀眾一同航向未來。

美國在台協會高雄分處處長張子霖也特地飛到澎湖參與活動。

[[美國在台協會高雄分處長張子霖]]
“我澎湖是第二次來，但是我是第一次參加今天的活動，我很感動，特別喜歡，我已經計畫要帶全家要來，小孩子也要參加”

超過六級的風力，讓原本應該施放15分鐘的花火秀，縮短成10分鐘。而無人機展演更是一度宣布停放，不少遊客隨即離去，後來見風勢轉小，在晚間9點50分又升空演出，讓不少提早離場的遊客扼腕，也讓開幕式留下遺憾。

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This project went through 10 tenders without a winner. A contract was awarded only in the 11th round of the tendering process. So this project is unique in that, first, it’s exceptionally difficult to execute. Second, it underwent many tenders without success. Third, it will have a major local impact. And fourth, it requires a huge investment.

The new cross-port bridge will span 1,010 meters. It will start on the intersection of Shiping 1st Street and Chengping Road, and reach the intersection of Yunghua 2nd Road and Anyi Road. Once complete, the bridge will divert traffic from provincial highways 17 and 86, easing congestion in the harbor area.

Huang Wei-che
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I hope that the next 44 months of construction will proceed smoothly. Ideally, we’ll finish ahead of schedule. The goal is to open up another channel for traffic flow in Anping Port, to improve urban transport for the people.

Tainan’s Anping District is a well-known tourist site. It’s home to a fishing port and a yacht pier, where traffic is currently limited to one direction only. The completion of the cross-harbor bridge will see the formation of a circular traffic network, greatly reducing congestion during holidays. Officials say the improved traffic flow will drive more growth in local tourism industry.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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If you’re aged 80 or over, it’s OK to be overweight

A body mass index of 28 is considered overweight, but that may be a good thing for people aged 80 and older. A new study shows that for this demographic, a BMI of 28 is associated with the lowest mortality risk. According to physician Weng Pei-hsuan, being thin can be detrimental for older adults, as it weakens their ability to fight disease. But older adults should still pay attention to their waistlines, because with every 5 centimeter increase in waist circumference, the chances of dying from a heart disease will double.

In a hospital’s sports center, older adults follow a coach’s instructions, as they train the muscles of their hands and feet. Since muscle mass decreases with age, being either underweight or overweight can adversely affect health. So what body shapes and body mass indexes help you to live the longest?

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If you’re carrying too much fat, it is not good for your body. Your BMI should at least be lower than 25, but as mine has dropped to 20, I am very afraid of the cold in the winter.

Huang Hsuan
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A bit of extra weight in an older adult can reduce the mortality rate by 4.5%.

According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, a BMI that’s overweight or mildly obese can benefit longevity in people aged 80 and above. For every increase in BMI of 1, the mortality risk is reduced by 4.5%, while a BMI of 28 is associated with the lowest risk of death. A slimmer waistline is also conducive to longevity: There is a positive correlation between waist circumference and deaths from cardiovascular disease. For every 5 centimeter increase in waist circumference, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease increases by 193%. Therefore maintaining a plump body shape with a small waist could be optimal for longevity.

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People aged over 65 years old should not be too thin. If they are too thin, they will actually lose muscle and some capital for fighting illness. Therefore for these people, we can accept a BMI of around 27. If the waist circumference increases, the risk of cardiovascular diseases will markedly increase. Generally speaking, a woman’s waistline should be less than 80 centimeters. Men’s should be less than 90 centimeters.

Doctors say the secrets to longevity include daily exercise of 30 minutes, moderate strength training, and a diet rich in high-quality proteins such as eggs and milk. Don’t forget to get enough sleep, to increase your chances of a long and healthy life.

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For the first time, the Society of Wetland Scientists’ annual meeting will be held in Taiwan this year. Scheduled for November, the event will feature talks by wetland professionals and researchers, as well as field excursions to Taiwan’s wetlands. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has more.

The 2024 Society of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting will be held in Taiwan in November. The society’s Asia Chapter and the Taiwan Wetland Society have put together an event program that’s centered on the theme “Wetlands and Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation.”

Susan Galatowitsch
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The topics that we will focus on at this meeting will include certainly many things related to how to conserve wetlands in urban areas in cities so that they are valuable to people and serve important functions. Also, we will be taking on topics related to climate change and how wetlands can store carbon. The best ways to make that happen. And then, certainly, something that I work on as well is climate adaptation. Basically, when we are conserving and managing wetlands, how do we take in to account the tremendous changes that will be happening now and moving forward in the next few decades?

The six-day event will feature talks by wetland researchers and professionals in the fields of blue carbon initiatives, sustainable resource use and development, net-zero emissions planning, wetland sciences, and community-led resilience planning. Organizers have also planned field excursions to several of Taiwan’s wetlands where migratory water birds reside.

Wu Tang-an
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The interior ministry’s National Park Service lists 58 important wetlands and marine areas in Taiwan. We also have nine national parks and one natural park. Scientists from all over the world can come to Taiwan to learn about our efforts in wetland conservation.

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Why choose Taiwan? Certainly, the wetlands scientists who are based here in Taiwan have tremendous reputations and have been highlighting the importance of the work that goes on in Taiwan for many years. This is a great location to see some interesting how people are grappling with some of the most important challenges.

The society’s annual meeting will take place in Taipei and Tainan from Nov. 11 to 16.

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Su Yutong has become a skilled chef. Cooking dishes she loved in Beijing connects the journalist with her home country and helps fill the long periods spent home alone. The reason for her self-imposed isolation: years of attacks and threats from China.

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“I keep telling the truth, so they [China] want me to shut up, including by threatening me.”

Sharing a banned book on Tiananmen Square back in 2010 began Su’s troubles. Police raided her home in Beijing and held her under house arrest. But with the help of friends, she escaped to Europe. For a while, Germany’s capital provided a sense of safety. Su wrote human rights stories for Deutsche Welle and then Radio Free Asia. But the sense of safety soon disappeared. In 2022, strange men started turning up at her building, brought there by an underground sex website that listed her address.

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“I felt very disgusted and very humiliated, and I had some mental health problems at the time. I was afraid to walk down the street.”

The worst was yet to come. In 2023, assailants used Su and two Chinese activists’ identities to book rooms at luxury hotels in Berlin and other cities. Then, they called in fake bomb threats. Experts say that Su’s case is extreme even for Beijing, which ranks among the worst perpetrators of transnational repression.

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“The basic tactics of transnational repression are usually geared toward showing people that they can’t get away from the Chinese government.”

The driving goal, says Ohlberg, is to stop any criticism of China overseas. Neither China’s embassy in Berlin nor its foreign ministry responded to VOA’s requests for comment. Being targeted is a lonely experience. Over a two-year period, Su barely left her apartment. She says even something as simple as a walk in the park can feel tinged with danger. But now, Su says she feels less afraid.

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Hualien and Taitung this area is very special. It is very unique. Not only for the cultural issues like including a lot of indigenous people and culture but also for the natural environment like touching two continents. Every location is special.

The duo hopes to continue to capture the beauty of Hualian and Taitung, allowing more people to learn about its history.

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