Taipei goes back to routine after random stabbing attack

Taipei goes back to routine after random stabbing attack

2025-12-22

Monday marked the first workday following last Friday’s random stabbing attack in Taipei. Police patrols have been increased across Taipei and New Taipei MRT stations to boost visibility and security. Though some commuters say they still feel uneasy, there hasn’t been a significant drop in travelers riding the MRT.

Travelers drag their luggage in the underground mall, as commuters head to work and school. It’s the first workday since last Friday’s random stabbing at Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan. People are still shaken.

Member of public
Riding MRT
I’m a bit uneasy. But the police has deployed more officers so it should be OK. On the MRT it feels the same as usual. I’m a bit more vigilant.

Member of public
Riding MRT
Security was the tightest one or two days after the incident, so you feel safer. But after a week or two passes when everyone forgets about it… that’s when you have to be cautious.

The attack began at exits M7 and M8 of Taipei Main Station, where now passengers stop to pay their respects to the victims at a makeshift memorial. Police presence has been reinforced at MRT stations in Taipei and New Taipei. Major transport hubs now have at least 10 officers on duty, and staff has been doubled at Taipei Main and Zhongshan.

Tsai Chien-hsing
Taipei Metro
Besides the increased police presence at stations, security and station staff are conducting more frequent patrols and inspections on platforms and concourses, especially at key stations.

Taipei Metro says that as of 8:00 on Monday morning, the system had recorded 180,000 passenger trips, marking no significant difference from last Monday.

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

#taipeimetro #mrt #transport #taipei

見警率增! 北捷攻擊事件後"首個上班日" 民眾坦言:毛毛的

2025-12-22

台北車站無差別攻擊事件，來到第四天，同時也是第一個上班日。雖然雙北捷運站，都有加派警巡邏，提升見警率，但有民眾表示，心裡還是毛毛的。週一下午，台北市政府社會局也在中山地下街R7出口，設至"安心關懷小站"，提供心理諮商。

捷運地下街，旅客們拖著大包小包的行李，還有不少通勤族，準備上班上學。台北車站發生無差別恐事件，事發第四天，同時也是第一個上班日，不少民眾還是心驚驚。

[[民眾]]
“稍微有一點(怕)，但因為後續警方有派一些人力，應該是還好，(捷運上)跟平常差不多，會稍微再注意一下”

[[民眾]]
“事發過後大概一兩天之類，戒備是最森嚴的，比較不會怕，反而是一兩個禮拜之後，大家比較淡忘事情之後，會開始比較小心一點”

張文隨機傷人案，第一時間，讓大家最震驚的，就是台北車站M7及M8出口，不少民眾經過事發地點，都會停下腳步雙手合十致意。雙北捷運站除了每日加派員警，在重要的轉運站點，有10名以上的警力，在事發的台北車站、中山站，則有兩倍的人力。

[[台北捷運公司站務處副處長蔡建興]]
“目前捷運車站除了有警察加派人力進駐以外，目前我們保全及車站人員，特別來加強車站的月台跟大廳，密集的巡察，特別是重點車站”

根據捷運公司統計，截至週一上午八點，約有18萬人次搭乘，跟上週同時段的運量相比，沒有明顯差異。

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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Taipei Police defends officers amid criticisms in wake of attacks

Taipei police were criticized for being slow to respond to last Friday’s attacks. Tthe aggressor had carried out two attacks within 75 minutes, and committed arson three times earlier in the afternoon before the stabbings. On Monday, the director of the Taipei City Police Department explained that given the circumstances and how meticulously the attacks were planned, the officers did done all they possibly could have.

Taipei police are under fire for being “slow” in responding to last Friday’s mass attacks and identifying the instigator. It’s alleged that their handheld transceivers weren’t functioning at the time of the crime.

Huang Jie
Lawmaker (DPP)
The walkie-takie wasn’t connected. That’s really serious.

Chang Jung-hsing
National Police Agency director
It’s simply impossible. They had to verify first that the arsonist was the same person. I believe the police were racing with time when they arrived at the scene.

Looking at security footage from the day, the attacker appeared quite confident while he carried a gas tank to the back of a hotpot restaurant on Chang’an East Road and set the vehicles parked there on fire. At 3:48 p.m. on the 19th, he first committed arson at two locations on Linsen North Road, and then at Chang’an East Road. Critics are wondering why the police did not react there and then.

Chang Yao-jen
Zhongshan Precinct
The leadership at the local police station was notified in the group chat by borough wardens of the arsons on separate occasions. At 5:41 p.m., we identified the instigator as the man surnamed Chang.

After the three arson attacks, Chang returned to his rented residence and set it on fire. A great number of canisters were found on the site. Within an hour, he committed arson at three different locations, and it took just as long to track him down.

Chen Jui-chi
Zhongcheng First Precinct director
After his facial features were captured more clearly on camera, and corroborated with the intel from Zhongshan Precinct, we interviewed the landlord of his residence on Gongyuan Road to confirm his identity. The entire process took 73 minutes. Immediately afterwards, we began our mission to capture him.

By then, the aggressor had begun to set off smoke bombs at Taipei Main Station. The chief of the local police station and his team arrived on scene just nine minutes later, when the attacker had already gone to his hotel room to change and pick up more weapons for the knife attacks at Zhongshan. Within 75 minutes, he’d committed homicide in two locations. Why wasn’t he stopped?

Chen Jui-chi
Zhongcheng First Precinct director
He set off 17 smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails to induce chaos at the scene. It was clearly planned in advance to divert the police. But our team still managed to identify him despite his efforts to distract us.

Amid criticism, the Taipei City police hopes that the public could be more understanding and offer encouragement to officers.

Lee Hsi-ho
Taipei City Police Department director
We humbly accept all criticisms and feedback, but I believe our colleagues can all do with simple words of encouragement.

According to the police, the aggressor had planned the whole attack so well that officers did all they could. They say they will continue to remain vigilant, as always.

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

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Japanese celebrity Otani Mondo defends Taiwan amid China spat

Japanese celebrity Otani Mondo has come to Taiwan many times over the years. Now as relations between Japan and China sour over the prime minister’s comments about Taiwan, the film star has been hitting back on comments by Chinese netizens. Taiwanese are praising him, saying that foreigners love Taiwan even more than Taiwanese do. Otani just said that he was voicing what the majority of Japanese think.

A commenter online tells President Lai Ching-te to get out of Taiwan, and claims that Taiwan is China’s. Japanese film star Otani Mondo won’t stand for it. In a response, he asks if they need to get their head checked. Another says that Taiwan is a part of China. Otani replied: “You have to listen to us, because we have a president.” The ever-outspoken Otani has recently taken it upon himself to hit back on Chinese commenters in defense of Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Voice of Otani Mondo
Japanese celebrity
I don’t represent the views of all Japanese people, but what I say is what most Japanese think.

After Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae last month said that an attack on Taiwan may constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, Chinese people have been lashing out online. Otani isn’t taking it sitting down, even praising Takaichi for doing a great job as premier.

Voice of Otani Mondo
Japanese celebrity
Taiwan and Japan have great relations. Our prime minister is also doing a great job. It’s that simple. Ever since I first brought the taekwondo team to Taiwan, everyone was so nice to me. So Taiwan is my second home, my second country.

At 45, Otani has been developing his entertainment and fitness careers in Taiwan for 20 years now. Calling himself a Japanese fitness icon, Otani works as an actor, model, and even an agent. At a time of tense cross-strait relations, he’s standing up for his second home.

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

#MondoOtani #celebrity #TaiwanJapan #JapanChina #Takaichi #Taiwancontingency #internationalsupport #netizen #sovereignty

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Taipei Philharmonic to celebrate 40 years with grand Mahler symphony

The Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It has gone abroad to perform many times over the decades, including in Vienna’s Golden Hall, Chicago, and Boston. Before the year closes, the orchestra will perform one more time, bringing the masterpiece Symphony No. 8 by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler to the National Concert Hall in Taipei. Because of its grant scale, the piece is often called the “Symphony of a Thousand.”

The symphony swells to a soaring crescendo as traditional Taiwanese puppets writhe to the music. The Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra was recently invited to the Osaka World Expo in Japan to perform a unique fusion of classical Western and Taiwanese folk music, exhibiting Taiwan’s global cultural influence.

The orchestra has been well received through its many performances abroad. Now reflecting on its 40 years, the chairman said it was passion that kept them going through the decades.

Chen Wei-chung
Taipei Philharmonic Foundation chairman
The longer I’ve been involved, the more my admiration grows. It enhances the appeal and recognition of Taiwan and of our orchestra, doing a great deal for our country through musical diplomacy.

Over the years, the orchestra has performed everything from chamber music to grand symphonies, community events to international tours. For the year’s grand finale, it is to perform Symphony No. 8 by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler at the National Concert Hall. Due to its immense difficulty and grand scale, the piece is often called the “Symphony of a Thousand.” Renowned Korean soprano Kim Sungyeun will also be featured.

Lai Wen-fu
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I’ll use the phrase recently made famous by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: Work, work, work! The Taipei Philharmonic is the same. Create, create! Over the next 40 years, all of Taipei will become a musical city.

The orchestra has also invited junior-high choir students to join, affording them the rare and valuable chance to be part of a grand ensemble. This extraordinary event promises to be a feast for the ears.

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

#TaipeiPhilharmonic #orchestra #choir #Mahler #symphony #music #singing #performance #concert #NationalConcertHall #SymphonyNo8

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Italian YouTuber rejects Chinese sponsorship over Taiwan demand

An Italian bassist with over 13.6 million followers on YouTube recently shared in a video that five years ago, he got a sponsorship deal with a Chinese mobile game. But just as he was getting ready to upload the video, the company demanded he delete a comment he made saying that “Taiwan IS a country,” or else it would cancel the deal worth US$75,000. He refused, saying it’s just common knowledge.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Italian YouTuber Davide Biale, who goes by the handle Davie504, spent US$10,000 out-of-pocket to buy 15 bass guitars for a fan giveaway. It was for a video that was to be the biggest sponsorship deal of his career. But just before he was about to post it, the company made a demand over a comment he previously wrote, saying, “Taiwan IS a country.”

Davide Biale
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They wanted me to delete one YouTube comment I wrote one year earlier. I stared at my screen like I just got jump-scared in a horror game. It turns out the mobile game company was from a country that didn’t like at all this kind of comment. You can guess which country.

The story happened five years before. At the time, the mobile game company partnered with the influencer to create a 60-second video for a total of US$75,000, or about NT$2.33 million. But the company waited until after the video was finished and the contract signed to demand that he delete the comment, or else it would cancel the entire deal.

Davide Biale
YouTuber
And this is not even political. It’s just geography. Like, literally. Just go on Google Maps and you will see it too. What really matters is, I kept my integrity, my comment, my free speech, and I learned a powerful lesson. Some brands want to buy your silence more than your sponsorship.

Davide ended up rejecting the sponsorship and posted the video anyway with the sections promoting the game taken out, absorbing all costs himself. It’s common knowledge that Taiwan is a country, he said. After all, he’s married to a Taiwanese woman and lived in Taiwan for a time.

The original comment was from this video he made in 2019.

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For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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With light melodious music, Skyline Jazz Band delivers a brilliant performance.

The Alishan Sunrise Concert, which combines stunning cloudscapes with live music, has become a hallmark of Chiayi’s New Year celebrations. The theme of the 2026 concert is “Dreams Above the Clouds.”

- Please promote our Chiayi more, okay? Please promote Alishan more, okay?
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- No, because it will be very cold.
- It’s quite pleasant today, isn’t it? It might be 5 or 6 degrees Celsius over there. If a cold front comes, it could drop to -1 to -2 degrees Celsius.

The event blends jazz, rock and classical music and features The Chairman, Skyline Jazz Band and Philharmonia Moments Musicaux. They will join the public to welcome the first rays of the New Year in 2026.

Weng Chang-liang
Chiayi County Commissioner
We’re in our 24th year. Every year we celebrate New Year’s Day with everyone at an altitude of 2,400 meters on Alishan. We start our performances at around 5:30 a.m. through to 7 a.m. when the sun rises. When the sun rises, we welcome the first day of the New Year with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy to allow everyone to make the best resolutions on New Year’s Day.

Chiayi’s county commissioner said he would join the public to welcome the first day of the New Year with cheerful and upbeat music. He also invited the public to go to Alishan’s Zhushan Sunrise Observation Deck, where they will experience an exquisitely beautiful musical feast, high in the clouds.

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

#Alishan #NewYear #cloudscapes #concert #2026 #happynewyear #holidays

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Exclusive: man who sacrificed himself in Taipei stabbings, per friend of 30+ years

One of the victims of last Friday’s mass stabbing was Yu Chia-chang, a Taoyuan resident who tried stopping the attacks near Exit M7 of MRT Taipei Main Station. Sadly, he was stabbed to death by the attacker, much to the shock and horror of friends and family. One friend of more than 30 years recounted that Yu once said he would’ve tried to stop the 2014 Taipei metro attack if he had been present. And his action 11 years later revealed him as a true person of his word and honor.

Mr. Lin says when the identity of the man who tried to stop last Friday’s mass-stabbing was revealed bit by bit, he still hoped it wasn’t his friend of more than 30 years, Yu Chia-chang. However, he soon had to accept it was, after texts to him in the friend group were left unanswered.

Mr. Lin
Friend of Yu Chia-chang
What comes first: tomorrow, or an accident?

Mr. Lin traveled from Linkou in New Taipei to Taipei Main Station to offer flowers to his late friend who died trying to restrain the aggressor. He also offered a salute to Yu, since they did mandatory military service together. He recalled how 11 years ago, following the 2014 Taipei Metro attack, Yu mentioned that he would have tried to stop the attacker if he were present.

Mr. Lin
Friend of Yu Chia-chang
So you did act on what you said you’d do more than 10 years ago. But I still think you shouldn’t have been so rash… you need to consider your age. You’re no longer young. That said, we’re still immensely grateful. We’ll always remember your bravery in the depths of our heart.

The photo was taken when the group of friends last met up. They were all smiles. Those who knew 57-year-old Yu all said he was your average good guy and a family man. He chose to reside in Taoyuan and commute to Taipei for work so he could take care of his aging mother. What happened last Friday was the utmost tragedy.

Peng Shih-sung
Zhongxing Borough warden
His mother says he’s always been an honest and straightforward person who stands up for the less fortunate, so what happened didn’t surprise me at all. He just bought a new place in Taoyuan and a new car. He hasn’t even had a chance to drive his new car.

Everyone is paying tribute to the late Yu Chia-chang for his courageous and selfless deed.

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

#taipeiattacks #hero #publicsafety #taipeimetro #余家昶

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