Taichung school bells made from bombs bear witness to postwar history

Taichung school bells made from bombs bear witness to postwar history

2025-10-03

There are unexploded bombs on school campuses? But don’t worry! In a survey of artifacts left in elementary and middle schools from the Japanese colonial era, Taichung found at least three that have bells made from bombshells. After World War II, schools used materials scavenged locally, including bombshells, as bells. As symbols of their time, they have the potential to be designated as formal historical artifacts.

This school bell has long since lost its paint and its coating has rusted over. But it’s still the pride of the school.

Chan Sheng-yuan
Taichung Wong-Zih Elementary principal
This is the pride of our school. It’s an unexploded bombshell.

This bombshell has been used as a school bell for a long time. Even though it’s long been replaced by an electronic bell, it still has symbolic significance.

Chan Sheng-yuan
Taichung Wong-Zih Elementary principal
When you strike this bell, it brings to mind the Second World War. But it never exploded, so it represents the chime of peace.

Taichung Wong-Zih Elementary student
We have been invaded before, but now we’re our own country.

Neipu Elementary in Houli District also has a bombshell that used to be a bomb, which it keeps on a cart.

Chiang Tung-i
Taichung Neipu Elementary principal
When the power has gone out before, they’d use a hammer to hit the bombshell as a bell to signal the start and end of classes.

During a survey of artifacts at elementary and middle schools founded during the Japanese colonial era, the Taichung Cultural Heritage Department found at least three schools that used bombshells as bells.

Lee Chih-fu
Cultural Heritage Department director
This shows that in the postwar era, when resources were limited, schools used bombshells as school bells.

Although they’re symbolic of a painful past, they also carry the hope for peace. The department plans to submit the bells for review to declare them as cultural artifacts to be preserved.

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

#Taichung #schoolbell #WorldWarII #bombshell #schools #postwar #artifact #Japaneseera #history

普查日治學校文物 "炸彈殼校鐘"見證歷史冀願和平

2025-10-03

這些校園裡，竟然有未爆彈殼嗎？別擔心!原來是，台中市在日治時期創校的，中小學校，最近進行文物普查，起碼有三所學校，留下"時代的眼淚"，保存"炸彈殼校鐘"，反映二戰後，學校就地取材，利用炸彈殼當校鐘的史實，具有"古物"潛力!

小朋友敲響的鐘，早已脫漆，外殼還已經生鏽，不過，這可是鎮校之寶。

[[台中市翁子國小校長詹勝淵]]
"它是我們的鎮校之寶，它是未爆彈"

這個未爆彈殼，有一段長時間，被拿來當校鐘，雖然近代已被電子鐘取代，它仍有特殊的象徵意義。

[[台中市翁子國小校長詹勝淵]]
"因為敲這個鐘，它所代表的意義，是二次世界大戰，但是卻又未爆，它所象徵的就是和平的鐘聲"

[[台中市翁子國小學生]]
"我們曾經被他人所入侵過，我們現在有自己的國家了"

在后里區內埔國小，放在推車上做為紀念的，也是二戰未爆彈的彈頭，也曾做校鐘。

[[台中市內埔國小校長蔣東益]]
"(之前)遇到停電的時候，工友就會拿鐵鎚來敲炮彈鐘，當作上下課的鐘聲"

台中市文資處，針對日治時期創校的中小學校普查文物，起碼有三所小學，有珍貴的"炸彈殼校鐘"。

[[台中市文資處長李智富]]
"反映戰後初期，資源有限下，學校就地取材，利用炸彈鐘當校鐘的史實"

雖然留下了"時代的眼淚"，卻也寄予和平的希望。文資處將炸彈校鐘，提報審查後，確定文資身分，將做出更妥善保護。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Related News

Chaos in Guangfu as county government flubs relief pay

2025-10-03

Kinmen opens stories exhibit, invites veterans to return

2025-10-03

Taoyuan Children’s Art Center holds exhibit about nature

The Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts has teamed up with the National Gallery Singapore to present a nature-themed children’s art exhibition. Five artists from Taiwan and Singapore have come together to create immersive and interactive installations. FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us in for a look!

This work is by Singaporean artist Soh Ee Shaun, who created a cozy reading corner surrounded by colorful illustrations of endangered animals from Taiwan and Singapore. He hopes that his work can spark a reflection on nature and conservation.

Soh Ee Shaun
Singaporean artist
My work is called Peace Forest and the inspiration behind the work is about bringing these endangered animals into the space in the art museum. It is a chance for children to try to learn about the endangered animals from both Singapore and Taiwan. I really want to capture the feeling of peace and calmness in the space, so there are a lot of sensory objects like cushions, and also bird sounds for them to feel immersed and relax in the space.

Taiwanese artist Chen Po-i’s work seeks to explore water systems through his photography and also an interactive work called "River Lab." It’s a hands-on installation where kids experiment with river dynamics and learn about the relationship between humans and the environment.

Chen Po-I
Taiwanese artist
With the River Lab installation and the three experimental stations, I hope that children can design the kind of river they imagine. As the water flows, the river they created will slowly transform. In this process, they’ll observe how water and sand interact and influence each other.

Singaporean artist Zul Mahmod created a sound installation inspired by Taoyuan’s reservoirs and waterways, encouraging visitors to slow down and encourage a state of deep listening and sensory awareness.

Zul Mahmod
Singaporean artist
It is inspired by Taoyuan’s reservoirs and waterways. I am using this element as a metaphor for interconnectedness and also continuity. It is also a place where the audience or children can slow down in this busy environment in the city. And also to train your other senses like your ears to listen to the surroundings.

"When Art Meets Nature" is a sensory children’s art exhibition co-curated by the Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts and the National Gallery Singapore. This immersive exhibition invites children and families to explore nature through the lens of contemporary art. It hopes to help spark ecological awareness and creative thinking.

Peng Hsiung
Curator
The exhibition is themed on nature, especially nature-related topics such as sustainability, environmental protection, and for example endangered animals. We hope to give the audience a message that we only have one planet and everyone should care about this environment.

The exhibit will run till Nov. 9 at the Taoyuan Children’s Art Center.

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

#taoyuanchildrensartcenter #nature #WhenArtMeetsNature #NationalGallerySingapore #art #childrensart

2025-10-03

National Center of Photography holds Taiwan-France photography exhibition

We now turn to a photography exhibition featuring Taiwanese and French artists, exploring the evolving relationship between land, urban environments, and visions of the future. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the details.

This room features works by Taiwanese artist Yao Jui-chung alongside French artists Éric Tabuchi and Nelly Monnier. Yao documents statues of deities across Taiwan, using them as a lens to examine urban complexities of modern life. In contrast, Tabuchi and Monnier journeyed through France to depict unofficial administrative zones. Their works delve into the effects of modernity and climate change, highlighting shared challenges faced by both Taiwan and France.

Hubert Kilian
Co-curator
This room is very interesting for us because the key point of this exhibition because we are seeking to fusion all together landscapes from France and from Taiwan, and putting an emphasis on the fact that also, France and Taiwan are very different historical background, socio-econimic development. The impact of modernity and climate change have also changes their scenery and landscape in a common way. In that room, we are trying to fuse the different French and Taiwanese landscapes in order to create the impression that we are facing the same challenge.

Another room showcases works by Alain Bublex, Frédéric Delangle, and Chou Ching-hui. Delangle questions the conventional portrayal of the French capital by sharing his photographs with artists from Taiwan, India, and Colombia. These artists drew on the photographs and reimagined the images through the lens of their own urban experiences, blending their local perspectives with French cityscapes.

Hubert Kilian
Co-curator
This room is about the city, the everyday city as a living environment. Those artists in that room are questioning the everyday environment through the questions of economic performance, modernity, over-modernity or over performance. The French artist is providing a large format black and white low contrast photography to Taiwanese students that has been asked to redraw on that photo, to repaint Taiwan’s visual urban cultures that we have in Taipei every day.

Another room features works by Elina Brotherus and Shen Chao-liang. Their works explore landscape photography and issues such as national identity, pollution, and overdevelopment.

Hubert Kilian
Co-curator
Elina Brotherus is using her own body to confront the classic definition of landscape with a romantic touch, challenging the notion of modernity which pushes men towards modernity development and to control and define landscapes. Shen Chao-liang is having a very beautiful approach to Taiwanese landscape, which is also putting into question some questions that Taiwan is facing within its fate, like national identity, pollution, overdevelopment.

The exhibition titled “Vanités Modernes" features works by 19 Taiwanese and French contemporary photographers. The exhibit will be on show at the National Center of Photography and Images until Nov. 23.

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

#photography #photographyexhibition #exhibition #nationalcenterofphotographyandimages #france #events #taipei

2025-10-03

Spanish media says papaya milk more Taiwanese than bubble tea

Bubble tea has become popular worldwide, and most people know that this delicious beverage is originally from Taiwan. But one popular Spanish food guide said there’s another drink that’s even more Taiwanese: papaya milk. Let’s ask some people what they think.

First comes tapioca pearls, then some ice, black tea, and finally milk to complete this cup of bubble tea, Taiwan’s world-famous beverage. But one Spanish food guide offered up another contender for the most Taiwanese drink.

This Spanish website says that tourists should forget about bubble tea, as Taiwan has another traditional drink that’s even more refreshing: papaya milk. Taiwan not only blends papaya, but all kinds of fruits together with fresh milk for a delicious drink that can easily be made at home.

Yeh Wei-hsiang
FTV reporter
Many people love having a sip of cold, refreshing papaya milk in the summer. Especially considering that Taiwan is known as the kingdom of fruits, many Taiwanese people love papaya milk in addition to bubble tea.

Taiwan has an incredible array of fruits that can be combined with milk in any number of ways to make different drinks. But which beverage do foreigners like the most?

Tourist
US
I’m a dentist, so I know how much nutrition means and I like this much more than bubble tea. Bubble tea is like a treat, this is a real nutrition.

Tourist
Italy
Bubble tea. (Why?) Because it’s wonderful flavors for us.

Tourists
France
We’re from France and it’s popular in France.
I think I like bubble tea more. I am like a kid that prefers sweets.

Ms. Chu
Fruit vendor
Not every day, but there will be more on some days, when about 30% of my customers are foreigners. They order mango more often because their countries don’t have mango.

The choice between bubble tea and papaya milk seems to depend on the person. With so many options, everyone can find something to quench their thirst in Taiwan.

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

#bubbletea #milktea #papayamilk #fruit #mango #KingdomofFruits #Taiwan #tourism #drinks #refreshing

2025-10-03

Commercial astronaut Sian Proctor shares her story with Taiwan kids

In 2021, Sian Proctor became the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft as part of SpaceX’s all-civilian Inspiration4 mission. Now, she’s in Taiwan, sharing her story, along with a message of perseverance, with local students.

In 2021 SpaceX launched Inspiration4, a groundbreaking space mission that took four civilians to orbit around the Earth for three days. Among the participants was Sian Proctor, who is now in Taiwan on a charity project with a clothing brand. She spoke with 60 students on Friday.

- What meals do you usually eat?
- What do we eat? Space X asked me what do I want to eat. My favorite thing, which is pizza! I love pizza. And so I ate pizza in space. But we also had M&Ms, and Skittles.

Proctor talked about space snacks and toilets, patiently answering every question. She says the voyage inspired her to design T-shirts for charity.

Sian Proctor
Commercial astronaut
I got to see and experience Earth light .This T-shirt has the international space station on it, which is a fantastic example of people from different countries coming together and living and working. And if this can be a model for space, it can definitely be a model for Earth.

Proctor is 55 years old and was born in Guam. Her father previously worked at a NASA tracking station, which sparked her dream of going to space. In 2009 she applied to become a NASA astronaut but was rejected in the final round.

Sian Proctor
Commercial astronaut
I have wanted to be an astronaut ever since I was a little girl. My dad was working at the NASA tracking station during the Apollo missions. And so I feel like space has always been a part of me.

In the end, Proctor became a geoscientist, and at the age of 51 was selected to join the Inspiration4 mission as a poet and artist. Before takeoff, she underwent 6 months of survival training, fighter jet flights and simulator drills. She’s the first woman to become a commercial astronaut and the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft.

Sian Proctor
Commercial astronaut
One of the big things was I was offered to become the mission pilot. And I have my pilot’s license, but I’d never flown like military jets and all of those things. I had to learn a lot of material. I basically had to go from a geoscience professor to a systems engineer in a very short period of time. But I tell my students that you can learn anything at any age.

Proctor did not give up on her dream, and finally traveled to space in her 50s. She’s now encouraging young students to keep chasing their dreams and never give up.

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

#inspirational #space #astronaut #sian #sianproctor #spacetravel #spacex

2025-10-03

Locals show gratitude to ‘Shovel Heroes’ after days of hard work

2025-10-03

11-year-old girl in ICU after man goes on stabbing spree

A shocking stabbing spree in Miaoli left two 11-year old girls with injuries on Thursday afternoon. One of them was severely injured, but is now in a stable condition in the ICU. Also injured in the attack was passerby who tried to stop the attack. The perpetrator was a repeat offender, who stabbed another four people at the same convenience store 10 years ago. He got out of prison in March this year, and once again went on a rampage, this time targeting children.

Schoolchildren run away in a panic outside a convenience store, as their teacher Ms. Huang tries to protect them. A girl, surnamed Ting, gets caught by a man with a grey helmet surnamed Chiu, who is wielding a knife. He grabs her by the neck and doesn’t let go, as her teacher rushes forward to save her.

- Don’t hurt her!
- Oh my god!

Ms. Huang pulls the girl free from the assailant to prevent an even worse outcome.

The girl got stabbed, causing blood to pour into her lungs. She was taken to the ICU, and thankfully, her breathing and blood pressure have since stabilized.

Ms. Huang
Teacher
I turned around and saw the attacker had grabbed one of our students and was holding her hostage. I just had to get her away from him. So I rushed forward to free her, but as I tried to pull her free, he moved quickly and slashed her on the spot.

Another hero in this shocking incident is this man. CCTV footage shows him covering his chest after stepping in to protect the children.

Yuan Kuo-ching
Da Chien Health Medical System
He sustained a 8 to 9cm wound on the right side of his body, between the chest and abdomen, and a 6cm wound on his back. There was a lot of blood on the right side of his body. His lungs, diaphragm and liver are injured, but he’s in a stable condition now.

Injured man’s wife
Married to man who protected kids
One of the girls ran over to him asking for help. He was very brave, and tried to help her. While he was calling for help, the attacker suddenly stabbed him in the back.

After the stabbing, the Miaoli government dispatched child protection patrols at the student’s elementary school on Friday morning, to ensure their safety during class hours.

Chung Tung-chin
Miaoli commissioner
Their teacher deserves a 10 out of 10. I thanked her yesterday, already, she was absolutely amazing. Had it not been for her, it could’ve ended much worse.

Parent
Concerned about stabbing
I’m afraid that another incident like yesterday’s will happen. The attacker should be locked up and never be let out.

The attacker was actually the perpetrator of a similar stabbing spree at the same convenience store 10 years ago, in which four people ended up injured. After being released from prison earlier this year, it’s only been a matter of months before he did a repeat attack, this time on children. Parents are hoping for justice to be served.

#stabbing #random #incident #random #attacker #assailant #conveniencestore

2025-10-03