Racers wearing 10kg costume set off on 1,000km marathon

Racers wearing 10kg costume set off on 1,000km marathon

2025-07-01

A 1,000km marathon around Taiwan in the summer heat sounds like a hard sell. And even more so if you learn that you also have to wear a 10kg costume while on the road. But that hasn’t deterred the 21 participants in this year’s Chio-Tian Cup Tour de Taiwan Ultramarathon, which lasts a whole 28 days.

The whistle marks the start of a 28-day race around Taiwan, with 21 participants this year.

The Chio-Tian Cup Tour de Taiwan Ultramarathon is in its 13th edition. Racers set off from Taichung for a 40km leg southward. All in all, they’ll cover more than 1,000km.

Hsu Chen-jung
Chio-Tian Folk Drums and Art Troupe
The most important thing is perseverance. It can teach the young ones how to exercise perseverance.

The participants range from adults to high school students, and even a 11-year-old child. They have to take turns wearing a costume of a deity that weighs 10kg, all while braving the summer heat. It’s a test for the body and the mind.

Participant
Your shoulders get sore when you wear it. And you have to concentrate and look at the road ahead through the gap at the mouth.

The racers are taking turns wearing the costume to prevent heatstroke, as they pace their way around the island. The extreme challenge is sure to be a story to never forget.

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

#marathon #taiwan #culture #tourdetaiwan #roundtheisland

九天盃環台賽開跑! 選手扛三太子環台28天

2025-07-01

九天盃太子極限環台賽，吸引社會人士和學生，總共21人參加，以徒步方式，輪流扛著三太子神偶環台，總長超過一千公里，沿途還得克服炎熱天氣，要走28天。

哨音響起，21名選手起跑，展開28天的徒步環島行程。

這是今年，邁入第13屆的，九天盃太子極限環台賽，從台中出發，每天往南走40公里路程，全長超過 1千公里。

[[九天民俗技藝團長許振榮]]
“這個賽事最大的，就是毅力的堅持，讓我們的孩子透過這樣子的一個賽事，然後去訓練自己的毅力的堅持。”

今年的參賽選手，涵蓋成年人、高中生，最小的參賽選手，甚至年僅11歲。他們必須扛著，重達10公斤的三太子神偶，還得克服炎熱天氣，相當考驗，耐力以及體力。

[[參賽選手]]
“背的時候，這邊肩膀兩邊會有點酸，然後剩下就是，你必須要很專注的，去用神偶的嘴巴看前面的路。”

就怕天熱中暑，選手們合力，輪流扛神偶，一步一腳印環台，挑戰極限，寫下屬於自己的人生故事。

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Sinkhole measuring 2.6m by 1.8m forms in the middle of the road

A giant sinkhole measuring 2.6m long and 1.8m wide appeared close to midday on Tuesday in Taipei’s Songshan District. Leakage from a damaged pipe was suspected to be the cause, as there was a pool of water inside. The city government has since begun repairs at the site.

The road is cordoned off and passersby have to make a detour. It’s because a giant sinkhole formed smack in the middle of the road.

At 11:28 in the morning, a large hollow measuring 2.6m long, 1.8m wide and 2.5m to 3m deep appeared all of a sudden in Taipei, at the intersection of Changchun Road and Lane 46, Qingcheng Street. A local shopkeeper seems to have gotten quite a fright.

Voice of Ms. Luan
Local shopkeeper
Of course it’s worrying. So now there’s a hole, and there’s even water inside. We made sure that people won’t get close to it as soon as it appeared.

Huang Chien-ping
Songji Bourough warden
Close to midday, a member of the public was parking their car nearby and reported that they saw a small hole around 1m wide. So we rushed here and saw that it continued to get worse. It kept collapsing deeper and deeper, so we contacted competent authorities at the city government.

Staff at Taipei Water Department and the city government’s New Construction Office were dispatched to the site.

Hsu Chih-hao
Taipei Water Department
It’s not implausible that underground pipes may be compromised with cracks or holes, and so the water came from the pipes after seeping out of them.

An initial check confirmed that the leakage eroded the foundation underneath the road. But there was still leakage after the valve was closed, meaning there could be other damaged pipes. Repairs will affect as many as 276 households. This isn’t the first time in recent years for such collapses to form. This recent case is only a worrying reminder to keep up with maintenance works, a failure of which could create road safety hazards.

Hsu Shu-hua
Taipei City Councilor (DPP)
Since Chiang Wan-an took office, there has been almost ten such ridiculous cases. Apparently it will take another ten years to finish replacing the remaining one-third of pipes past their prime. Can the city government not be quicker? The problem of these holes forming in Taipei should be dealt with the soonest possible.

A city councilor urges the local government to speed up replacement works on the pipes, so as to ensure road safety.

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

#breakingnews #sinkhole #roadsafety #traffichell #pedestrianhell

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Abe Akie to serve as lecturer and honorary president of One Day School

One Day School is an international cultural exchange project centered on food, music, learning, and exploration. This time, it will be held in Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where the late Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was buried. Abe Akie, the widow of the former prime minister recently came to Taiwan to promote the event. In addition to serving as the school’s honorary president, she will also be giving lectures in the capacity of an instructor. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the story.

Abe Akie, the widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has returned to Taiwan. She announced that she will serve as the honorary president of One Day School project and will also be a special guest lecturer. In addition to sharing untold stories about Abe Shinzo, she hopes to convey the importance of having dreams and taking that courageous first step. The event will be held from Aug. 1 to 3 in Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. This location holds deep personal and historical significance, as Nagato was not only Abe Shinzo’s hometown but also a region to which he remained closely connected throughout his life and political career. Mrs. Abe revealed that she will be visiting Taiwan again in September, October and December.

Abe Akie
Widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo
This is already my third visit to Taiwan this year, with many more opportunities to come, including in September, October and December. This August, we specifically chose Nagato City for the event not only because it’s the hometown of former Prime Minister Abe, but also because it’s a place I love. I hope our friends from Taiwan can come to appreciate the beauty of both Japan and Taiwan. Beyond the exchange between children, I also hope we can further strengthen the relationship between Japan and Taiwan.

One Day School centers on the themes of food, music, learning, and exploration, with instructors leading a wide range of activities—from the arts and crafts to sleep science and cross-cultural dance. The school was founded by Taiwanese expat Cecilia Chen. She was inspired in 2019 during a trip to Myanmar, where she was deeply moved by the children’s passion for learning.

Cecilia Chen
One Day School founder
This year it’s in Nagato City, last year it was in Hsinchu. All 200 children participated for free.

One Day School has been held in both Japan and Taiwan, aiming not only to nurture personal growth but also to foster deeper ties between Taiwan and Japan.

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

#akieabe #japan #taiwan #abeshinzo #onedayschool #exchange #japantaiwanties

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Student’s severe scoliosis cured by Taichung Veterans’ General Hospital

A foreign student from Indonesia surnamed Huang was afflicted with scoliosis, a condition where the spine has irregular curvature. Huang’s case was severe and she had an “S” shaped spine. Not only did she have difficulty breathing, but she also wore loose clothes and coats and even grew long hair to cover up. Three years ago, she was treated by Taichung Veteran’s General Hospital at the age of 18. After the surgery, she looked 8cm taller.

When she was 18, Ms. Huang would wear long sleeves and slacks and wore her hair long. She would wear loose clothes. But it wasn’t because she liked to dress this way. She was covering her spine, which made her feel insecure.

Pan Chien-chou
Taichung Veteran’s General Hospital
Our assessment showed that she had severe scoliosis, with curvatures at an angle of about 90 degrees.

Ms. Huang was an overseas student from Indonesia suffering from severe scoliosis. X-rays clearly showed her spine was almost S-shaped. She was initially worried about the risks of surgery and was unwilling to go through it, but she did not expect that with her scoliosis came difficulties with breathing.

Ms. Huang
Scoliosis sufferer
I really didn’t feel anything when I was in Indonesia. I could only see my back and it didn’t look very good. Then, when I came to Taiwan to work, I felt tired and had trouble breathing. When I went to sleep, lying down was painful and I couldn’t move.

Through an operation that included a robotic device used on the spine, Huang finally got to have a straight waist and back. An even more obvious change was an increase in her height – from about 156 cm to 164 cm.

Pan Chien-chou
Taichung Veteran’s General Hospital
At present, we have no way of knowing the exact cause of non-specific scoliosis in adolescents. Posture problems can aggravate the symptoms, but they are not the main cause of this type of scoliosis.

Ms. Huang was discharged from the hospital just 6 days after the operation. Now 21 years old, she often participates in outdoor sports and has resumed a normal life. She has also decided to stay in Taiwan to complete her university studies.

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

#posture #goodposture #health #scoliosis #glowup

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Hospital hosts mahjong event to improve seniors’ cognitive function

As Taiwan becomes a super-aged society, postponing and preventing dementia is a topic of increasing public concern. One hospital in Chiayi organized a mahjong event designed to exercise the brain, inviting seniors with mild cognitive decline to play mahjong together. This stimulates their brain, enhancing their memory and training hand-eye coordination. Participants thoroughly enjoyed the activity, with smiles all around.

Four to a table, these seniors are having a blast playing mahjong. This event is hosted by a hospital and tailored specifically to seniors to help their cognitive function.

Participant
It puts me in a good mood, exercises my brain, and gives everyone a chance to bond and socialize.

Skillfully shuffling and stacking the tiles, these seniors are more than ready to play. As Taiwan becomes a super-aged society, postponing and preventing dementia is a topic of increasing concern. This hospital organized a special mahjong activity, inviting seniors whose cognitive function is starting to decline to come together and exercise their brains through the game.

Tsai Yu-tai
Dementia center director
When they first came, they just sat here looking sickly and not doing much. But once they got to the mahjong table, their movements became swift and agile. We can’t even compete!

For those not familiar with mahjong, the hospital also prepared an interesting matching game where they can arrange the tiles according to a pattern, like solving a puzzle. By playing mahjong, the participants stimulate their brains, improve their cognition and giving them a chance to socialize.

Tsai Yu-tai
Dementia center director
Through playing games like this, we help seniors to train their memory, focus, and problem-solving skills, so that all these cognitive functions can be maintained.

Playing mahjong helps improve memory and concentration and trains hand-eye coordination. Here seniors can also make new friends, reducing loneliness as well as risk of dementia. Many participants enjoyed it so much that they didn’t want it to end.

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

#agingsociety #dementia #mahjong #seniors #memory #concentration #cognitivefunction #hospital #friendship

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Decommissioned train car transformed into ice cream parlor

Many people choose Kaohsiung as a travel destination. There’s the good weather and famous tourist hotspots like the Pier2 Art Center. Now there’s one more spot you can’t miss: a cozy ice cream parlor inside an old train car. Apart from offering unique gelato flavors, it also preserved the original look and feel of the cabin. With the perfect combination of old and new, it’s no wonder it’s packed on weekdays and weekends alike.

When you step inside this train car, the first thing you see isn’t vintage seating. It’s a brand-new ice cream counter. Lots of customers are stepping inside to order a couple of scoops with a coffee.

Customer
It’s not bad. Their ice cream and drinks are both pretty good.

Customer
I used to take trains like this all the time. Now to have a dining car just like it, I think it’s really fresh and really great.

The shop is located next to Hamasen Station on the light rail. The owner transformed a decommissioned train car into an ice cream parlor, selling gelato with special Taiwanese flavors made from tea and fruit. Many customers make the journey just to get some.

Ben
Store cofounder
We’re a tea-based ice cream parlor. We have a lot of special tea flavors. Some we mix with fruits to give it a flavor that’s both familiar and surprising.

Although it’s now an ice cream parlor, the owners preserved and restored the original functionality of the train car.

The brakes, horn, and headlights inside the conductor’s cabin, as well as the automatic doors all work, transporting people back to the railways of 2003.

Ku Ting-wei
Takao Railway Museum director
It’s a decommissioned Tze-chiang express car, so it was already here in the so-called train junkyard. The city government made a plan to take the cherished train that’s so intertwined with Kaohsiung’s history and bring it back from the dead.

These train cars feature in the memories of many city residents. Now they can not only enjoy it once more, but can also sit inside to enjoy a cozy afternoon.

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

#Kaohsiung #train #ice cream

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