Dream-like rainbow clouds delight Hualien residents

Dream-like rainbow clouds delight Hualien residents

2024-09-03

Hualien residents were delighted on Tuesday morning, after the clouds in the sky turned rainbow colored out of the blue. The dream-like phenomenon occurred at 11 a.m., giving the impression of candy floss floating high above. Locals rushed to capture the rare sight on the phones.

The phenomenon is known as cloud iridescence. It is caused by the refraction of sunlight on cirrus clouds, which float at high altitudes and are made up of shiny ice crystals. For the iridescence to show, several conditions must be met. The cloud must be at an altitude of at least 6,000 meters and its ice content must be high enough. Most importantly, the sun rays must hit the crystals at an angle of exactly 57.8 degrees. A rare sight indeed.

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好夢幻!花蓮天空出現「彩虹雲」民眾嗨:好幸運

2024-09-03

花蓮市區上空，上午11點多，蔚藍的天空竟然出現彩虹雲，藍綠粉的色彩飄在空中，就像彩虹棉花糖一樣，美的像畫，花蓮當地居民一看到，也趕緊拿起手機紀錄這罕見的一刻。

難得一見的彩虹雲，主要形成原因是由，太陽照射到高空的卷雲，扁平狀的冰晶讓雲朵折射出七彩的現象。不過，要出現彩虹雲的條件可不容易，像是卷雲高度，必須超過6千公尺、冰晶數量也要夠多，加上太陽仰角得達57.8度以上，才有機會看到。

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New online passport renewal system makes applications easier

A new online passport renewal system has launched in Taiwan, making the necessary paperwork less time consuming. Applicants can submit all the required documents online and collect their new passport at government offices when it’s ready. The system can be used by anyone aged 18 and up, though it does require the user to have a citizen digital certificate.

It’s early in the morning, and the Bureau of Consular Affairs is packed with people getting a new passport. Some have even had to take time off work to come. Starting Tuesday, the process will require fewer visits to government offices.

Enfys Yeh
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Previously, if your passport’s expired, you’d have to make an appointment online and bring photographs, documents and so on to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in person. After waiting in line, and submitting everything, you’d still have to come back once again on a different day to collect your new passport.

A new system has launched for passport applications with the Bureau of Consular Affairs. The requirements are as follows: applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a citizen digital certificate. They must also have not lost their passport in the past 10 years, and require no endorsement stamps. They must be in Taiwan, and require no changes to their household registration in Taiwan. If you meet all criteria, congratulations! All you have to do now is enter your personal information on the system, pay a NT$1,300 fee and choose a day to collect your new passport.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign minister
Our colleagues at the Bureau of Consular Affairs have been working for more than a year on this. I would also like to thank the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Digital Affairs for cooperating in promoting this system. There are more than 3 million people with valid citizen digital certificates. Of course we’d also like to encourage people to first apply for a citizen digital certificate.

The system is currently on a trial basis and can process up to between 400 and 500 applications per office per day. The daily cap is expected to be lifted when the system launches in full as early as November.

Member of public
It’s still quite a hassle, because you might not have a citizen digital certificate and you’d have to apply for that too.

Member of public
As I see it, it’s quite convenient. Before you’d have to book an appointment online, and then go to the office in person twice. This way you just submit the documents, and then you can collect your passport. You get it done in one trip.

The online system does away with unnecessary trips to submit documents, and can be accessed right from home, similarly to the tax filing system.

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Lawmakers taste delicious Miaoli pomelos ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival

Pomelos are in season once again, right in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival. On Tuesday, Yunlin County Commissioner Chang Li-shan led local farmers to Taipei to promote their pomelos at the Legislative Yuan. Hotel chefs were also invited to showcase creative ways to integrate the delicious fruit into drinks and sauces, which will sure add a zesty touch to mid-autumn barbecues.

Yunlin County Commissioner Chang Li-shan led a group of pomelo farmers to the Legislative Yuan to promote the fruits of their labor. The pomelos were so yummy that Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang couldn’t seem to have enough.

Johnny Chiang
Legislative Yuan deputy speaker
Farmers are already at the mercy of the weather, let’s not let them be affected by other various disturbances. Let’s all support our farmers and our Yunlin pomelos!

At the event, Chang tried her hand at mixing a pomelo and cranberry soda drink: one of the many creative uses of pomelos in the kitchen. She also whipped up a spicy pomelo and miso sauce: a hit among young foodies.

Chu Yu-wei
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Recently people seem to have taken a liking to slightly spicy flavors. This sauce has a naturally fruity and zesty flavor, with a slight zing and miso’s umami. So it pairs really well with boiled pork belly slices or white cut chicken, both are great.

Yunlin County highly recommended its pomelos: both wonderfully tasty and nutritious. Despite recent devastations by Typhoon Gaemi, the fruits from Yunlin are still top-notch.

Chang Li-shan
Yunlin County commissioner
Our pomelos, after assessments, have a certified sweetness of 13 to 17 degrees. You can say that the quality has stayed the same as last year. They were not affected by Typhoon Gaemi at all.

The pomelos from local farmers seem to be more delicious by the year. Through the county government’s promotion, some are already making their way to legislators’ homes this Mid-Autumn Festival.

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Taichung uses smart patrol to ensure road quality for F1 race

F1 is to hold a racing event at the end of September along Taichung’s Shizheng Road. Just over 1km of the street will be closed off for the race. To make sure nothing goes wrong on the day, the city has dispatched an “intelligent” patrol vehicle to inspect the road and make sure the surface is level. The street is now even up to highway standards.

When viewed from above, Taichung’s Shizheng Road looks perfectly smooth and clearly marked. Even the trees are arranged in neat rows, bringing vibrancy to the urban landscape. This is the place F1 racing is to soon hold a showrun. The city government is ready with its army of sensors to make sure the road meets international racing standards.

Chen Ta-tien
Taichung Construction Bureau
The smart inspection vehicle comes and takes measurements, like using infrared types of lasers and 3D cameras to detect certain indicators. These stats have all reached the standard for fast roads, even high-speed road standards, to such a high grading.

The Road Intelligent Inspection Vehicle is equipped with high-tech sensors, including a road-level sensor, AI camera, laser scanner and more. What used to take 10 people now only takes one driver. The F1 showrun is to be held on Sept. 28. On the day of the event, a 1.1km section of Shizheng Road, between Huiwen Road and Chaofu Road, is to be closed. Spectators are welcome to watch the souped-up vehicles in action from up close.

Yu Chih-hsiang
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Apart from the showrun, the event will showcase tire burnout, making donut shapes with skid marks. Ensuring everyone can enjoy the F1 cars, everything from the speed to the sound, it’s a big test of the quality of our road surface.

As the event is taking place from noon to 2 p.m., the public are reminded to abide by traffic controls and remember to bring sun protection. The Taichung City Government is working hard to promote this international race and show the world the quality of Taiwan’s roads.

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AI helps farm grow 15cm shrimp in four months

The shrimp farming industry depends heavily on weather patterns. A good harvest requires good weather. But one shrimp farm in Taitung worked with aquaculture experts to introduce AI farming technology. They effectively control everything from selecting shrimp and feeding, to water oxygen and algae levels, and even use clean Pacific seawater. In just four months, the shrimp have grown to over 15cm in length.

All the shrimp in this net are longer than 15cm.

After just four months, they’re longer than a person’s hand. So what’s the secret to this shrimp farm in Taitung’s Sanxiantai?

Chang Chih-hao
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Traditional farming methods require constant monitoring. But with the help of farming technology, staff don’t have to observe them all the time.

Chung Shang-hui
AI farming expert
This is a specific species of shrimp, so when picking which kind, we choose the best types. AI can help design anything for clients.

By partnering with aquaculture experts and incorporating AI, the shrimp farm is able to constantly control everything from shrimp selection and feeding, to water oxygen and algae levels. They even use clean seawater from the Pacific Ocean to raise genuine sea shrimp.

The shrimp have the ideal texture—tender with a bit of crunch. After being boiled with some spring onions and ginger to remove any fishiness, customers enjoy their delicate sweetness and salty undertones.

Chang Chih-hao
Shrimp farmer
At the moment, the results are really good. After four months we have about 10 shrimp per 600g. Traditional shrimp farms need eight months to grow this much.

Chung Shang-hui
AI farming expert
The changes on the bottom of the shrimp, its tail area, and its liver and pancreas are all monitored, like how a doctor would take care of humans. We use AI to measure it, much like a CT scan.

Using advanced technology reduces the risks associated with shrimp farming and is helping revitalize the industry in Taiwan. Successful shrimp farms also give local youth a better chance for employment in their hometown.

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Chiayi farmer wins ‘coffee Oscar’ invite to global auction

Some people call coffee “black gold” for its vast market opportunities. Taiwanese drink 2.85 billion cups every year, creating a huge market that is also worth a whopping NT$100 billion for Taiwanese bean production alone. A farmer from Chiayi recently won the top prize at the Cup of Excellence coffee competition, earning a ticket into top-tier international auctions.

Flawless coffee beans are measured out. Even though the brewing hasn’t started yet, their aroma fills the room.

Next to these, Starbucks, UCC, and Blue Bottle beans are all considered cheap. That’s because at this Cup of Excellence competition, the winning grower is to be invited to participate in an exclusive international auction, where the world’s top coffee connoisseurs are to vie over the best beans.

Krude Lin
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At the moment, Taiwanese coffee sells on the international market for NT$30,000 per kilogram. But we think that last year’s prices did not reflect the potential of Taiwanese coffee. We expect we can set a record this year.

This coffee was grown in the mountains between Chiayi’s Zhuqi Township and Alishan. Forty-five beans went through 108 tests. The taste is smooth and floral, earning it a “coffee Oscar.”

Wang Cheng-yuan
Award-winning coffee farmer
It’s floral, well-rounded, and quite delicate. It’s my first time earning an award. Probably the biggest event of my life.

Weng Chang-liang
Chiayi County Commissioner
Chiayi’s conditions for growing coffee are excellent, like in Alishan. It’s a blessing. Our farmers’ skill is also excellent. Among the four presidential awards, three were won by people in Chiayi. I think all the growers should be proud of winning this award.

Taiwanese drink 2.85 billion cups of coffee every year. That’s 200 cups per person on average. Growing coffee is also common, with production valued at NT$1 billion annually. Coffee lovers are breaking the Taiwanese market wide open, and showing the world what it has to offer.

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Alishan Forest Railway reopens with new protective measures

The Alishan Forest Railway is fully open, giving direct passage from Chiayi up to Alishan. There is a new safety system in place with two lines of defense, continuously monitoring the tracks and protecting trains from falling rocks and other dangers. After 15 years, the Forest Railway and its employees are ready to start again.

Travelers take pictures with the train as they arrive at Fenqihu, commemorating the reopening of the Alishan Forest Railway.

But with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and falling rocks, there is constant concern that the tracks will be damaged or obstructed.

Weng Hsing-chao
Train conductor
Whenever it rains, rocks and mud get on the tracks and we can’t keep going.

In areas prone to rockfalls, tires are piled up to form a protective wall. There are sensors in the tire walls to alert employees of any falling rocks.

Chuang Shu-ting
FTV reporter
This is the latest rockfall warning system. If large rocks hit this wall, an alarm goes off and an alert is sent to employees’ phones to inform them of the situation.

At first, animals or gusts of wind would also set off the alarm, so the sensitivity had to be reduced. But what happens if rocks fly over the tires and fall onto the tracks? Then the second line of defense comes into play: monitors above the tracks. Through this surveillance system, AI identifies any obstructions.

Wu Wei-jen
Fenqihu supervisor
If there are rocks, moving objects, or people on the tracks, the surveillance system will send a notice to our group using visuals and warnings.

Train drivers tested the railway many times before opening, putting rocks on the train to simulate the weight of passengers. As 15 years have passed since this section of the railway was used, new drivers have to become familiar with the route.

Wu Wei-jen
Fenqihu supervisor
They need to get used to the weight, inclines, and turns.

Maintenance technicians are also busy, heading to work in their helmets and reflective vests.

Chuang Shu-ting
FTV reporter
Wearing red vests, these maintenance technicians make sure the tracks are clear so that the train can travel smoothly. Let’s take the maintenance trolley with them to see what they do on their daily rounds starting at 5 a.m.

Checking the railway, they clear any debris that has intruded onto the tracks to prevent it from blocking or scratching the train.

Maintenance technician
Moisture or wind brings debris and even monkeys drop branches.

Using a pickaxe, they clear rocks and mud from the tracks and replace rotting railway sleepers.

Chen I-shao
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It’s dangerous for the train to operate if the sleepers aren’t securely fastened to the tracks.

The Alishan Forest Railway is fully operational with an all-new system in place. Employees carefully perform their individual duties, making sure the train runs smoothly and ensuring the safety of passengers.

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