Crowds flock to bento shop to catch hunky Australian firefighters

Crowds flock to bento shop to catch hunky Australian firefighters

2025-11-03

Crowds flocked to a bento shop on Monday, to catch a group of hunky Australian firefighters visiting Taiwan to raise funds for charity. At the bento shop, hordes of eager fans lined up to chat with the studs and take pictures together. Among them was an elderly woman in her 80s. Let’s hear more.

Visitor
Brought mother to see hunky firefighters
Seeing them is good for your health, especially for the elderly. That’s why I brought my mother out to see them. Seeing these studs from Australia is so special. It’s a rare opportunity.

Visitor
Fan of Aussie firefighters
I’m their fan, I’ve liked them for a super long time. I’m thrilled!

Visitor
First time seeing hunky firefighters
It’s my first time seeing them. I read about them online. My wife’s sister loves them.

And the shop had an eye for detail. Customers weren’t getting their meals in any old cardboard bento box. Instead, they got them in a box printed with a photo of the handsome men, for an extra special meal. Some eager fans were even so lucky as to pose for a photo getting carried like a princess by one of the muscular guys.

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

#hunk #hunky #firefighter #attractive #men #stud #muscle #workout

猛男來了! 澳洲消防員現身高雄便當店吸引粉絲搶拍照

2025-11-03

澳洲消防員來台公益訪問，今天特別現身在高雄鼓山區的便當店，與粉絲相見歡，現場吸引許多民眾排隊買便當，就是要跟猛男互動拍照，也有人帶著80多歲的媽媽前來。

[[民眾]]
“有益身體健康，對老人家很好，所以我帶媽媽出來，看看猛男，而且澳洲來的猛男很特別、很難得。”

[[民眾]]
“因為我是他們的迷，我一直喜歡他們，很久了，好開心，超興奮的！”

[[民眾]]
“第一次來沒有錯。網路上看到(知道的)，因為我老婆的妹妹很愛他們

便當盒上，還印有五名猛男的照片，讓人邊吃飯邊養眼，而且買便當就能跟他們拍照，有人找他們擁抱，也有人被公主抱抱起，民眾各個害羞開心的神情藏不住。

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

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Parents barred from retrieving cash handout for teen kids

Registration for the universal NT$10,000 cash handout begins on Nov. 5, for distribution as early as Nov. 11. The eligibility criteria and regulations have been clarified, but one is leaving parents concerned. Since the Ministry of Digital Affairs considers minors 13 and over to be capable of financial independence, they must retrieve the cash themselves. Their parents can’t retrieve it on their behalf.

The universal NT$10,000 handout is almost here. Anticipation is growing, but whether you collect it yourself or get someone else to do it for you makes a difference. That’s because the regulations state that for minors 13 and over, their parents can’t get the money for them.

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It’s a bit too early. 13-year-olds are in the last year of middle or first year of high school. I feel like they aren’t quite mature when it comes to debit cards or money. They might be at higher risk of fraud, and carrying cash on them isn’t safe, either.

Member of public
Children are still children, right? How is a 13-year-old going to spend money? It’s better if their parents control it.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs emphasized that setting 13 as the age threshold is the same as previous practice. The parents of children under 7 can collect the handout after verifying their NHI card, ID card, and account information, since the child isn’t able to. Parents of children aged 7 to 12 may also collect the cash on their behalf, or deposit it into the child’s own account. However, minors aged 13 and over are considered capable of financial independence and can collect the cash themselves.

The ministry established the rules out of respect for young people’s financial autonomy. But some are worried that they might spend the money recklessly or be targeted by unscrupulous individuals.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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New ticket purchasing platform aims to prevent fraud, scalping

To address the many issues with ticket validation, a digital ticketing platform is working with a tech company to develop a new system. Their patented technology creates a QR code after purchasing a ticket that changes randomly. At the event venue, the platform can be used without an internet connection, enhancing security against scalpers and fraudsters who use screenshots or recordings, or counterfeiting tickets.

K-pop stars often come to Taiwan to perform.

Fans get excited for every concert, but tickets can be hard to get. With scalpers running rampant, one digital ticketing platform is partnering with a tech company to develop a new anti-fraud ticketing system. They hope it can protect young people from getting swindled out of their hard-earned cash.

Lin Ching-hsiang
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It might not be a lot of money, but it could be a kid’s entire life savings. Our system can also split tickets. As for transfers, it’s up to the organizer. If they permit transfers, it will be enabled. If not, then the feature is locked. Some tickets linked to the buyer’s identify prohibit transfers. But I believe they should allow it in the interest of fairness.

To strengthen protections against scalpers and fraud, the new ticketing platform uses a patented QR code that randomly updates. At the venue, attendees can access it without an internet connection. However, the screen will go black if anyone tries to screenshot, record, or photograph the code, and they will be denied entry.

Chen Chia-chin
Former National Police Agency director
Just maintaining safety and order requires deploying many police officers. They must first go online and search for scalpers and fraudsters to crack down on scalping and fraud. If someone is fooled and they report it, officers will investigate immediately.

Whenever a big-name artist comes to Taiwan, it becomes a nightmare for law enforcement, not to mention issues with ticketing, real-name registration, and arriving early. Digital tickets that require an internet connection tend to lag when there are many people accessing it. Screenshots and screen recordings can expose people to fraud, while physical tickets are easily misplaced. Counterfeit tickets, screenshots, and photographs of tickets also present numerous vulnerabilities.

Yu Cheng-tien
Executive Yuan advisor
Before, we used real-name registration or paper tickets, which still had many drawbacks. This new system represents a significant technological breakthrough.

From fake investment websites, to phishing messages and AI voice scams, technological progress must be accompanied by trust and safeguards. Governments and private companies are constantly devising new methods to minimize risk of scalping and fraud.

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Porridge shop makes specialty ‘Guangdong boat banquet’ on order

Near Hukou Train Station in Hsinchu there’s a popular eatery that mostly sells savory rice porridge. But it’s not just their porridge and pork rice that are famous. There’s also a hidden item that’s not on the menu: the “Guangdong boat banquet.” Over 10 kinds of dishes including seafood are packed onto a bamboo platter, originally meant to keep it from falling while eating on a rocky boat. If you don’t order it ahead of time, you’ll miss out.

Oily roast chicken, braised pork knuckle, and fresh sashimi are all topped off with a healthy drizzling of sauce.

But wait, there’s more. Mullet roe, big-tail shrimp, giant oysters, chilled bamboo shoots, abalone, and enormous scallops, not to mention flying fish roe. The bamboo platter sags under the weight of all these delicacies, sure to satiate the most discerning of seafood lovers.

Customer
Everything looks gorgeous. It makes you want to dig in.

Customer
It’s my first time seeing it. It looks delicious.

This lauded meal is served at a popular eatery near Hukou Train Station in Hsinchu. Although their menu is mostly savory rice porridge, their pork over rice is also popular. And they also have a secret menu that includes this “Guangdong boat banquet.”

Wang Cheng-i
Owner
Before when people from Guangdong ate on their boats, they had limited space, so when the dishes came one by one, they were prone to tipping over as the boat rocked. So they put all of them together. You just have to hold onto the platter to keep everything steady so everyone could eat.

Customer
Surf and turf, poultry, it has it all. Everything looks so delicious.

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We heard about it through word of mouth. It’s unusual to see all the dishes piled together on one platter.

Over 10 dishes from the air, land, and sea, all served together on one giant platter. This ordinary eatery is anything but. Only those locals most in the know are aware of the delectable secret behind this unassuming porridge restaurant.

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Visitors have vanished from Hualien’s popular shopping area

Once a busy tourist hub, a commercial district in Hualien is now struggling to stay alive. At a tea shop that’s been open for half a century, the 90-year-old owner says he’s only sold one cup all morning. Down the street, even the famous Gong Zheng Bun shop, once known for its endless lines, now serves customers right away. After last year’s deadly earthquake and this year’s flooding, visitors have all but vanished.

It’s past 10, and we’ve only sold one drink
One drink!

This iconic tea shop in Hualien has been in business for 50 years, but the 90-year old proprietor is just watching time go by in the shop. It’s been three hours since opening, and they’ve only sold one cup of tea. They used to sell more than 1,000 every day, straight from their chilled steel pipes into the retro-design cups. Now it’s all just décor.

Proprietor
Gangguan Black Tea
If I bring them down, who am I going to sell anything to? I just sell one cup today, and another one tomorrow. We’re paying for electricity. Hualien’s Ximending is as silent as the graveyard.

The deadly earthquake on April 3 last year and the recent floods in Guangfu have taken their toll on tourism.

Down the street, a cloud of steam signals another iconic shop, Gong Zheng Bun. There’s a small group ordering buns outside, and inside there’s a handful of customers. But the long lines are gone.

Tourists
Noticed a difference
There’s still people, but it’s half as many.

Huang Lung-en
Gong Zheng Bun Store
There was a difference after the earthquake last year. As for the flood, at the beginning we also noticed a change. A lot of Shovel Superheroes came over, giving a boost to tourism.

Once bustling, the shopping district is now anything but. On Zhongzheng Road, Zhongshan Road and Zhonghua Road, there are more than 10 commercial properties looking for tenants, and “to let” banners are everywhere.

This pork chop noodle shop is shut, and a popular braised food shop is empty. Even during the recent long weekend, the streets were deserted.

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Kaohsiung man fined NT$2,000 for going topless at the park

A frequent visitor to Dadong Wetlands Park in Kaohsiung was fined twice for going topless, for a total of NT$2,000. While it’s not an uncommon sight to see shirtless men exercising, this man in question was fined because Kaohsiung explicitly bans so-called “nudity” in parks. He’s also a repeat offender, according to other visitors and volunteers.

He’s really an unruly repeat offender hell-bent on violating the good morals in our park.

A topless man plays Frisbee with a couple of friends at the park. Some visitors feel uncomfortable seeing his naked torso.

Lin Nan-sheng
Dadong Wetlands Park volunteer
There are hundreds of groups visiting in the morning. He’s always topless. We’ve asked him many times to not go topless, but he wouldn’t listen.

That leaves volunteers no choice but to ask the police to step in. This man often exercises topless at Dadong Wetlands Park in Kaohsiung, because he finds the weather too hot. However, other visitors clearly do not enjoy seeing him like that. Already, he’s been fined twice by the Kaohsiung Parks Office, for a total of NT$2,000.

Chen Chin-hung
Kaohsiung Public Works Bureau
Being unclothed at the top affects the experience of other park visitors. Those who do not correct their behavior or leave the premises when asked to will be fined NT$1,000 to NT$6,000 in accordance with Article 20 of Kaohsiung City’s regulations on park management.

Turns out, there actually is a law prohibiting shirtlessness in parks in Kaohsiung, and violators could even end up with a fine. However, it’s quite common to see men going topless when exercising. But how does the public really feel?

Park visitor
Against toplessness
It’s not a pretty sight. It’s not so appropriate in public spaces.

Park visitor
Against toplessness
If a woman sees it, she might feel uncomfortable.

Park visitor
Not against toplessness
The visitors here are mostly old people coming to exercise. It’s really not such a big deal if someone takes off their shirt because it’s hot.

Basketball court user
Not against toplessness
It’s completely normal. When it gets hot people would take off their shirt and wipe themselves off.

Now that someone got slapped with a fine going topless at the park, what about other places like bike lanes, racing tracks or basketball courts? Well, there aren’t any relevant regulations in these spaces, and so the police says taking off one’s shirt while exercising wouldn’t result in a fine.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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2025-11-03