High speed rail extension to Yilan clears environmental assessment

High speed rail extension to Yilan clears environmental assessment

2025-08-21

Lots of Taipei residents flock to Yilan on weekends and holidays, drawn to the natural beauty of the northeastern county. But the result is long bottlenecks on Freeway No. 5. After years of controversies, it now seems like the High Speed Rail may actually be extended to Yilan city. The proposed extension project cleared an environmental impact assessment on Thursday, and the line could be up and running in just over 10 years. Let’s hear more.

Lin Mao-sheng
Yilan acting commissioner
We have serious traffic congestion every weekend and on holidays, especially for the Lunar New Year. So having a better transport connection is something that we in Yilan are really looking forward to.

Chen Chun-yu
Lawmaker (DPP)
We hope that the transport ministry and all the relevant government agencies will progress with the next steps of planning and construction swiftly, so that this project can get started and completed as soon as possible.

Locals are hopeful that the project will get the greenlight. But even then, the new transport link could bring hidden problems. The high speed link could lead to worse traffic patterns and impact the local industry and environment. The real challenge will be to strike a balance between convenience and sustainability.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#yilan #tourism #highspeedreail #hsr #taiwan

南港到宜蘭20分鐘! 北宜高鐵環評通過拚11年內通車

2025-08-21

宜蘭以自然環境聞名，是許多人假日旅遊的首選，但國五塞車，讓民眾苦不堪言。歷經多年爭議的北宜高鐵案，20日環評通過。預計2036年就能通車，屆時台北到宜蘭只要20分鐘。

[[宜蘭代理縣長林茂盛]]
“在宜蘭我們每週六日，甚至於連假，還有過年的期間都飽受塞車之苦，所以一個好的聯外交通，對宜蘭來講是宜蘭人的期盼”

[[立委(民) 陳俊宇]]
“未來我們期待交通部相關單位，對後續期程還有相關工程的推動，可以加緊腳步，讓這個工程，可以趕快來動工，早日來完工”

北宜高鐵案闖過環評大關，雖然地方多數樂觀期待，但也隱含交通衝擊、產業轉型與環境保護等挑戰，未來如何兼顧便利與永續，真正的考驗，才正要開始。

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Taiwan to conduct routine ID checks on core government personnel

Starting on Jan. 1 next year, the government will ramp up checks to ensure that people who work in key government positions do not hold IDs from China, including Hong Kong and Macau. The measure applies to workers in the military, public education system and civil service. The matter was brought up at a regular press event by the Mainland Affairs Council on Thursday. The spokesperson stressed that the enforcement of the law is in no way a test of people’s loyalty to the country.

Internet celebrity Holger Chen just returned from another seven-day trip to China’s Greater Bay Area. On his last day, he complained that he couldn’t get authenticated on Chinese Tiktok to do livestreams, costing him NT$4 million.

Liang Wen-chieh
MAC spokesperson
According to their regulations, you can’t have extensive tattoos and you can’t make vulgar content either. In Holger Chen’s case, it’s not surprising that he’d be refused. Perhaps he isn’t bootlicking hard enough. He needs to work harder, that way maybe he’ll get the green light.

At the regular press event, the council also presented results of a council-led poll. 74.3% of respondents said that the ROC and the PRC are not subordinate to each other. Another 74.5% said that public servants should not be allowed to hold IDs of the Mainland Area. Starting 2026, checks will be ramped up for core personnel in the military, education system and civil service to check whether they hold IDs from China, Hong Kong or Macau.

Liang Wen-chieh
MAC spokesperson
We’re now targeting core personnel. As for others, we’ll take it one step at a time, and determine later which categories of government personnel should be included. The checks should not be taken to be so called “loyalty checks.” The Cross-Strait Act also stipulates that it is prohibited to employ or continue to employ people of the Mainland Area to work without permission or beyond the scope of the permission. Any violation of that law will result in criminal penalties.

The spokesperson also responded to a question regarding the interior ministry’s recently proposed amendment that would allow it to refuse restoring Taiwan citizenship to those who had previously lost it after obtaining Mainland Chinese IDs. If passed, the three qualifying criteria to be met by those individuals would include making significant contributions to Taiwan’s national defense, international image or social stability, or benefiting Taiwan’s overall interests.

Liang Wen-chieh
MAC spokesperson
Taiwan citizenship is really precious. It’s not like you can get it just because you want to, and you can discard it just because you want to. These conditions had always been our standard when determining whether a former national should regain their Taiwan identity. We’re only making it explicit now.

The new policies are introduced to implement the president’s 17 major strategies to respond to national security and united front threats Taiwan currently faces.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#taiwan #china #crossstrait #內政部 #陸委會

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Quiet cars coming to Taiwan Railway trains starting Sept. 22

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Promotion highlights 19 hot spring destinations around Taiwan

If you think winter is the only season to visit hot springs, think again. Over this year and next, 19 hot spring destinations from north to south are promoting their attractions year-round, including the best places to dine. Travelers can enjoy a soak and then some good food, warming both their stomachs and their souls.

The Tourism Administration’s adorable mascot Oh Bear leads bathrobe-clad cheerleaders in stepping to the beat, driving up the energy at this opening ceremony. Famous chefs also present specialties from hot spring areas around Taiwan in mouthwatering displays.

Chef
It has water bamboo and mushrooms, cooked using an Indigenous grilling method. Then plum and tealeaves were made into a salt-and-pepper seasoning to give it more flavor.

From north to south, 19 hot spring areas around Taiwan can be enjoyed in different ways year-round. Like in Beitou, the unique green sulfur spring has traces of radium, which does wonders for muscle relaxation. Taichung’s Guguan is a naturally carbonated spring that you can drink as well as soak in, known as being the “heart spring,” as it’s great for circulation. Then there’s Guanziling in Tainan, a natural mud spring with turbid gray water that’s great for the skin.

Hsu Tsung-min
East Valley Scenic Area director
Going to the hot spring is something we do all the time, not necessarily something we’d travel for. When we need to relax, we’ll go to the hot spring in our area to get out and unwind.

Health and wellness is becoming a greater priority. For hot springs, that means business opportunities year-round. Cooperating businesses are not only offering discounts, but travelers can also register their receipts to win prizes and help support local economies.

Hsu Tsung-min
East Valley Scenic Area director
Taiwan has 19 hot spring areas. Each one has its own unique characteristics and specialty food.

Going to the hot spring can be an everyday activity, but traveling around Taiwan to different springs can introduce a host of new flavors and experiences to the everyday.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#hotspring #travel #relaxation #thermalspring #mudspring #sulfur #tourism #discounts #TourismAdministration

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Writer Yang Shuang-zi wins award for contributing to Taiwanese culture

Renowned author Yang Shuang-zi wrote "Taiwan Travelogue," a novel that brought her international fame. She recently won an award that honors young people who have contributed to promoting Taiwan’s identity. The award committee says her writing about Taiwan’s history has helped the international community come in contact with Taiwan’s unique culture, while also influencing Taiwanese society. In particular, it has helped to strengthen the younger generation’s Taiwan identity. Let’s meet the writer.

Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi receives a certificate, along with a painting. She has won a “New Generation Taiwan Spirit Award.” In recent years, Yang has penned many literary works, all of which are related to Taiwan’s history and unique consciousness. In this way, she has successfully promoted Taiwan’s history and culture on the global stage.

Yang Shuang-zi
Writer
When we look at Taiwan’s recent historical developments, being a Taiwanese is incredibly difficult. A large portion of our people are muddled and completely undecided about this. The fact that we can maintain the status quo is actually because 10% to 20% who are activists have shouldered the burden and worked hard to move forward.

As a writer who was able to receive this honor in the course of her career, Yang said she wanted to thank the previous generation who worked hard for Taiwan’s democratic consciousness, giving them her highest stamp of approval.

Yang Shuang-zi
Writer
The award truly commends us for how we present Taiwan to the world or how we uphold the concept of what it means to be Taiwanese. As a literary writer, I feel deeply honored to have this recognition

The award selects one winner annually with the aim of honoring young people who have contributed to promoting Taiwan’s identity. Chuang Wan-shou, an 86-year-old retired National Taiwan Normal University professor dedicated to nativist Taiwanese education, also attended the event.

Chuang Wan-shou
Retired NTNU professor
The award will continue forever – into their 15th, 20th, 30th and 40th editions. The Taiwan spirit will flourish eternally.

The award honors a unique Taiwanese perspective and serve as a catalyst for positive growth in Taiwanese society.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#taiwan #culture #literature #award #ethnologe

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Two bearded dragons smuggled in ‘toy’ parcel delivered to convenience store

A carton that contained something ordered online kept shaking, causing quite a stir in a convenience store in New Taipei. A clerk grabbed the box, which supposedly contained toys, only to confront a live lizard that lept out from it. And it wasn’t alone; there was another reptile companion inside the package.

The parcel keeps shaking. What’s inside? Surely not live reptiles, right?

The clerk was flabbergasted after a lizard leapt out of the box and chilled among the parcels. They immediately called animal protection officials.

Member of public
Wouldn’t they be caught at the customs inspection? You have to declare the packages. It’s crazy! Border officials should pay more attention.

Member of public
It’s insane. But it’s hard to catch things like this. It’s really cruel to the animals. It also shows there are cracks in animal quarantine procedures.

The buyer later admitted to spending NT$20,000 to get two red bearded dragons imported from Guangdong, China. Though the buyer was unaware of whether the seller had notified authorities, it still broke the Act on Wildlife Conservation.

Yang Shu-fang
Animal protection official
According to the Act on Wildlife Conservation, the import or export of live wild animals and products made from protected wildlife is prohibited without the approval of the central competent authority. Violators may be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000.

Bearded dragons are mostly native to eastern Australia. They are a diurnal reptile species and grow 40 to 50 cm long. They are highly sought after as pets for their gentle temperament, and they typically cost more than NT$10,000.

Lai Hsing-shih
Taiwan Insect Museum
They can even go for several weeks without eating. When food is scarce in their environment, their metabolism slows down, putting them into a semi-dormant state. These lizards are known as bearded dragons. When they are courting or very angry, their chins turn black.

The lizards made it through the mail alive, thanks to their slowed metabolism inside the cardboard box. They were quite dehydrated, however, and were eager to gulp down water. Unscrupulous sellers and buyers are clearly trampling on the welfare of these creatures.

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Pingtung business builds Hulk statue to block misfortune from bad fengshui

Because of its located at the base of a T intersection, which means bad fengshui, one shop in Pingtung’s Hengchun came up with the idea of putting a statue of the Hulk outside to ward off evil spirits. They even held a consecration ceremony for the 250cm-tall Marvel superhero, receiving a fair amount of hits for the video of the event posted online.

A man in black takes a brush to the face of a large statue as part of a consecration ceremony. But why does this statue look so familiar?

That’s because it’s the Hulk of Marvel fame. This stone statue of the green superhero was created to stand outside a shop in Pingtung’s Hengchun Township. People online were fascinated.

Member of public
It’s not good to face the corner of other people’s homes, so they put this here. Some people will put fengshui items like a bagua mirror or shanhaizhen to block bad energies.

Passersby are curious what the statue is for. After all, it’s pretty eye-catching to have a giant green Hulk standing just outside your store. If you ask the owner, he’ll tell you it’s because there’s an alley just outside the entrance. Afraid of the bad fengshui caused by being at the end of a T-intersection, he had the idea to build the Hulk there to stop the bad energy.

Business owner
We put the Hulk there to ward off evil spirits. We figured we may as well put something a little special there, so that’s how we ended up with the Hulk.

Master Da Chien
Folklore expert
From the perspective of fengshui, even if he invites a Taoist priest to come consecrate it and invites the spirit of the Hulk to embody the statue, it doesn’t matter, because it’s great for advertising and will be a good gimmick.

Regardless of how it does at warding off evil spirits, the presence of this huge green movie star on the roadside has already been successful at drawing attention to the business.

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

#Hulk #TheHulk #Marvel #statue #fengshui #Pingtung #evilspirits #viral #consecration #oddity

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Ministry of Economic Affairs showcases 11 cutting-edge techs at robotics expo

The Taiwan Automation Intelligence & Robot Show opened on Wednesday at Nangang Exhibition Center. At the four-day event, the economics ministry’s "MOEA Tech Hub" is showcasing 11 interdisciplinary R&D innovations, ranging from AI-powered healthcare solutions to a digital twin welding system. Let’s take it look.

An AI-powered robotic arm allocates medication to be dispensed. On the other side, there’s AI-powered image sensors and mobility aid that makes physical activity less strenuous for caretakers. All these technologies are developed to relieve burdens on medical professionals.

Chang Jen-yuan
ITRI
Wherever there’s demand, we’ll conduct R&D to meet that demand. What we have here is a mobile robot that can circumvent obstacles and recharge itself, and has over 10 hours of battery life. This helps reduce the hours needed by medical professionals to carry out their tasks by around 50%.

The Taiwan Automation Intelligence & Robot Show kicked off on Wednesday at Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei. The AI-powered healthcare robotic system was developed jointly by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, China Steel Corporation and National Taiwan University Hospital, and promises to reduce 20% of work by humans. Meanwhile, China Steel is also showcasing its Digital Twin Giant Gantry Welding Robot, which enhances welding precision and reduces human error, making it ideal for large-scale production such as ship-making.

Lin Yu-jen
ITRI smart robotics division
Its software reduces errors in experiments. In the future, once it’s introduced to new factories, it can then successfully produce the items it’s already simulated and then be introduced.

Many companies and institutes are participating at the show this year. And the 2025 edition is its biggest yet, with more than 1,000 exhibitors showing their latest tech, and a specially designated booth exhibiting 11 inter-disciplinary R&D innovations. The four days of this trade show mark a new milestone in smart healthcare and industrial transition.

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