Yilan residents welcome HSR as former officials blast plan

Yilan residents welcome HSR as former officials blast plan

2026-01-20

To solve the traffic issue on National Freeway No. 5, a plan was finally released at the end of last year to extend the high-speed rail to Yilan, replacing a former plan to build a more direct railway line instead at an increased budget of NT$400 billion from NT$100 billion. Former minister without portfolio Chang Ching-sen and former transport minister Hochen Tan have both come out against the project, saying it would be ineffective and severely impact the Eastern Trunk Line on the TRC. When the news got to Yilan residents, they urged the government to stop wavering and build the line soon.

The debate over whether to build a direct railway line or a high-speed rail from Taipei to Yilan has been ongoing for over 20 years. Now a plan has finally been approved to build an eastern extension of the HSR, with work set to begin in 2029 and finish in 2036. But experts have been vocal with their objections.

Voice of Chang Ching-sen
Former minister without portfolio
Just the section in Yilan alone would be extremely inefficient at an enormous cost. It would become a dead section of the HSR because it would run at a loss. Even without factoring in the initial cost, it would still run at a loss and be a drag on the High Speed Rail. If you thought the NT$95.5 billion to build a direct rail line was a lot, now the cost is four times that. Is this at all feasible? It’s completely unfeasible. If it’s not feasible, why insist on pushing it through?

Voice of Hochen Tan
Former minister of transportation
Compared with the original plan to build a direct rail line, it’s still the most economical and effective way to serve passengers. Moreover, for the newly established Taiwan Railway, it presents a promising new market.

After the HSR line opens, these experts say it will not only yield minimal benefits, but due to differing customer bases, it would do nothing to ease traffic on National Freeway No. 5 and instead divert traffic away from the Eastern Trunk Line. When Yilan residents heard the debate, they were furious.

Holding a red banner, these Yilan residents demand the construction of a high-speed rail. The long-awaited Yilan HSR extension has faced fierce opposition from experts. But residents recently gathered in front of the county government building to urge the central government to commit.

Yilan resident
It’s not just those of us who live here who will use it. If they build an HSR line, it’ll be like everywhere else in the world. Improved transport means development.

Yilan resident
Yilan’s industry hasn’t developed because of inconvenient transportation. It’s always been considered a backwater.

Shen Ching-shan
Zhuangwei Township chief
Some people are saying the Yilan HSR plan is just land speculation. Western Taiwan has a dozen special HSR zones. The economy is being developed there. It’s what the people need. Does it make sense to say that the Yilan HSR is just intended to inflate land prices? No, it doesn’t. Enough yanking us around.

Chen Chun-yu
Legislator (DPP)
Yilan sees over 3.5 million visitors every year. Plus we have residents who travel for work and those who come for business or to see relatives. All told, travel should exceed 5 million. Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung see over 20 million travelers in a year.

Residents said that NT$400 billion is certainly expensive, but it’ll only get pricier the longer it’s put off. Creating a complete transport system that enables single-day travel around the entire island requires consideration of effectiveness and cost. Aside from political maneuvering, there’s a lot to consider if it is to be achieved in the best way possible.

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

#highspeedrail #HSR #TRC #railway #publictransport #Yilan #TaipeitoYilan #publicworks #travel #trains

張景森.賀陳旦點名"北宜高鐵錯誤政策" 宜蘭人:別動搖快點蓋

2026-01-20

為了解決國五交通壅塞，北宜間鐵道運輸，終於在去年拍板，確定棄台鐵直鐵方案，改採北宜高鐵。只不過預算也因此從1千多億，爆增到4千多億，但前政委張景森跟前交通部長賀陳旦接連跳出來反對，根本毫無效益，甚至會嚴重衝擊東部幹線。消息傳到宜蘭鄉親耳裡，氣得直跳腳，呼籲中央千萬別動搖，北宜高鐵趕快蓋。

從北宜直鐵到北宜高鐵，吵了20多年。好不容易拍板高鐵東伸，最快2029動工、2036通車。但，專家反彈聲量，震耳欲聾。

[[聲源:前政委張景森]]
"單單宜蘭這一段，他的效益非常非常差，投資非常非常大，將來就變成高鐵的盲腸段，因為它將來經營的時候會虧錢，不要算投資成本，就算經營他也虧錢，而且會把高鐵公司拖累。(台鐵直鐵預算)955億就覺得貴啦，現在要調升四倍，那這樣這個計畫還有可行性嗎，根本就沒有可行性了嘛，那既然沒有可行性，為什麼要硬撐到底，一定要硬幹呢"

[[聲源:前交通部長賀陳旦]]
"相對來說還是回到原來直鐵的方案是比較經濟，也比較有效的來服務這個乘客，更何況它因此對於，剛剛成立的臺鐵公司來講的話，變成是一個值得期待的新的業務市場"

專家預估，北宜高鐵通車後，獲益不只不高，甚至由於客群不同，無助於舒緩國五車潮，還會排擠東部幹線。消息傳到宜蘭鄉親耳裡，氣得直跳腳。

拉紅布條，怒吼我們要高鐵！求了好久的北宜高鐵，遇上專家強烈反彈，宜蘭鄉親集結縣府前，呼籲中央別動搖。

[[宜蘭鄉親]]
"不是我們宜蘭人在使用而已，你如果高鐵(蓋了)，全世界都這樣，交流很好，我們才能發展"

[[宜蘭鄉親]]
"宜蘭工商業發展不發達，原因就是因為交通不方便，永遠都被稱為後山"

[[壯圍鄉長沈清山]]
"有人說我們高鐵，是炒地皮，西部那邊的高鐵，有十幾個高鐵特區，那邊就是經濟發展，民生需要，宜蘭做一條高鐵，叫作炒地皮這樣有理嗎，沒有理，吃人夠夠啦"

[[立委(民) 陳俊宇]]
“宜蘭縣一年，觀光人數超過350萬，再加上我們本身在地出去工作，還有一些來宜蘭洽公，或是來探親的，加起來應該超過500萬，宜蘭、花蓮、台東，一年加起來超過2千萬以上”

鄉親高喊，4000多億很貴，但現在不做，越拖只會更貴！要串聯全台一日生活圈，有沒有效益、成本怎麼精算，政治角力外，各方得好好思考，怎麼做最好。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
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民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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A trip to Turkey became an international nightmare for a Taiwanese couple late last year. Mr. Chen and his wife were heading for a dream getaway, when they ran into an unexpected problem during a layover in the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Chen was about to board his flight, when he was detained by a group of fully armed personnel, put in leg shackles, and taken away. After an international investigation, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs discovered that Mr. Chen had apparently been mistakenly flagged as a criminal by the local AI system. That mistake has cost him a detention in the country stretching 55 days. Let’s hear more from Mr. Chen himself.

Mr. Chen
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I went to Dubai 20 years ago for an exhibition, but I never returned after that. The police accused me of being involved in property embezzlement. I thought it was so strange. I hadn’t even been in the country, so how could I embezzle any property from far away? I never in my dreams imagined such an ordeal would happen to me.

Wife
Husband was stranded in UAE
My husband was put on leg shackles on the first day. It was terrible. He was treated like a prisoner and was cut off from the outside world.

Hsiao Kuang-wei
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On Jan. 15, our representative office in Dubai confirmed with the relevant local authorities that Mr. Chen would be allowed to leave the country. On the evening of Jan. 16, he was taken to Abu Dhabi Airport to leave the country. All actions were taken in compliance with local laws, while striving for and safeguarding the rights of our citizen.

Mr. Chen’s arrest took place last year, on Nov. 24. He was released a few days later, in the early hours of Nov. 28. But that was not enough to leave the country. On Dec. 3, he was joined by staff from Taiwan’s representative office in Dubai to handle administrative procedures with local authorities. For a while, Mr. Chen lived at the residence of the office’s director, while waiting for his legal team to process the case. He was later redirected to the home of a local pastor. It took more than a month to clarify the facts surrounding his detention, after it was confirmed that it was all a false alarm caused by an error in the local AI system. The travel ban that had been imposed on him was finally lifted, but the legal nightmare wasn’t over yet. It turns out that local authorities had misplaced his passport, so that had to be resolved before he was able to leave the country. He finally departed the UAE on Jan. 16 to get home after weeks of waiting and distress.

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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2026-01-20

Crowds flock to donate blood in exchange for roast chicken

What’s better than a piping hot roast chicken? Maybe a piping hot roast chicken that you got for free! That’s what a group of some 300 donors got in exchange at a blood donation drive in Taichung. The event was organized in collaboration with a local roast chicken vendor, enticing hordes of people to roll up their sleeves with the delicious smell. Donors who gave 250cc of blood could get a whole crispy golden chicken. And those who donated 500cc got that, plus a NT$200 voucher for a supermarket. These rewards got people coming out of their homes despite the cold, to do good and also get a tasty meal.

Steam pours out, filling the air with a delicious aroma. Golden-brown roast chickens hang inside the oven, juices dripping down. A mouthwatering sight. But before you tuck in, you’ll have to roll up your sleeve next door at the blood donation bus.

Donor
Joining blood drive
Doing good and getting a roast chicken. What a fantastic event!

Donor
Joining blood drive
There’s a severe shortage of blood, so everyone is helping out. I came early in the morning to get in line. I’m number 12.

Despite the cold winds, spirits were high. Thanks to the support from private sponsors, the blood drive is on its third year now, with four annual stops that are a boon for blood banks.

Cheng Hsun-tsung
Changhua charity chair
We hold these drives four times a year, tallying about 1,500 bags of blood. By offering roast chickens in exchange for donations, we hope to encourage more people to donate blood. You can eat them right away. And they have a monetary value of NT$400 to NT$500.

Sponsor
Offering roast chicken
Donating blood is a good cause. They give blood, we give them roast chickens. It’s a great thing to do, and everyone should do it!

About 300 roast chickens were prepared to give out to donors. Those who gave 250cc of blood could get a whole roast chicken. Those who gave 500cc could get that, plus a NT$200 supermarket voucher. With the cold keeping people home, blood stocks are getting dangerously low, especially since the Lunar New Year is around the corner.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#blood #blooddonation #donation #charity #donateblood

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Interview with Taiwanese poet, Yen Ai-lin

Today we take you to meet Taiwanese poet and author, Yen Ai-lin. Known for her poetry that explores the body, motherhood, and social issues, her work has earned her numerous literary awards and recognition across Taiwan and beyond. FTV reporter Stephany Yang spoke with Yen to learn more about her career and the inspirations behind her work.

Yen Ai-lin, a poet from Madou in Tainan, is celebrated for her fearless explorations of the body, animals, motherhood, identity, and social issues. She says her childhood in rural Tainan—growing up with her grandparents while her parents worked in the north—deeply shaped her imagination and became the foundation of her writing.

Yen Ai-lin
Poet
I was born in Madou, Tainan. Later, my younger brother and sister were born. When my parents traveled to the north to make a living, they left me—the eldest child—behind in Tainan. So I grew up with my grandparents. The Minnan dialect and the countryside life later became essential elements in my writing. Why didn’t I become a local realist writer, but instead chose poetry? First, because of my sensitivity to the different seasons, and the growth of all living things and how puppies, kittens, and chickens reproduced. I witnessed all of this clearly in my childhood. From the age of three or four, I was already pondering strange questions. Alone in the fields, any place higher than the rice paddies felt loft. I would think, the sky is so vast, and people are so small. The adults were in the fields working, and I was the only child. I grew up under the immense heavens, standing alone, wondering: why me? Why am I here? At three or four years old, I was already thinking about this. Since childhood, I was someone who let my mind wander. I even remember things from when I was six or seven months old.

Her poetry has earned her numerous accolades, including the National Outstanding Young Poet Award, the Outstanding Award for New Poem Creation from the Ministry of Culture, and the Taipei Literature Award. Her notable works include Bone, Skin, Flesh and Xiaying’s Local Delicacies, a memoir-like collection of essays that interweaves childhood memories and the cultural atmosphere of rural Tainan.

Yen Ai-lin
Poet
When I was writing this book, most of it came from my memories. At the beginning, I started with prose—before I ever encountered modern poetry, my writing was mainly compositions and essays. I loved drawing very much. As a child in the countryside, I would use tree branches to sketch on the sand ground. Later, when I entered kindergarten and first came into contact with paper, I began to draw the things that stirred my feelings most deeply. What’s interesting is that my philosophical thinking seemed to awaken quite early. By the fifth or sixth grade of elementary school, I was already painting abstract works. These fascinating experiences of life between town and country, combined with my imagination, became the starting point for my writing.

Recently diagnosed with cancer, she continues to stand strong. Having completed her final round of chemotherapy at the end of March last year, she has resumed her hobbies—reading, writing, creating jewelry, spending time with friends, and giving speeches.

Yen Ai-lin
Poet
As a woman poet in the 1990s, I started during Taiwan’s media liberalization—when the press flourished, and ideas clashed. I graduated from university in 1992, having entered in 1989, the year of Tiananmen, the most turbulent of times. My growth was deeply tied to the explosion of information. I believe that writing must always begin with what moves me. I never think, “Someone has already written this, so I cannot.” On the contrary, if someone has written it, why shouldn’t I approach it from my perspective? Every piece of my writing is how I see the world. If my words touch you, it is because I had no choice but to write it. For me, writing is a way of seeking emotional connection.

Yen hopes to continue to write freely and invite viewers to discover the power of poetry as a bridge of empathy and imagination. Through her words, she seeks not only to preserve memories but also to spark dialogue about a variety of issues.

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

#Poet #Poetry #PoetSpotlight #Culture

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Executive Yuan holds presser on Taiwan-US tariff and trade deal

The Executive Yuan on Tuesday morning held a press conference to formally present and explain the terms of the Taiwan-US trade deal. After nine months of efforts by the trade team, Taiwan has secured a much lowered tariff rate of 15% without stacking, as well as most favorable treatment under Section 232. Premier Cho Jung-tai said it was thanks to the team’s incredible attention to detail that resulted in this success. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun, who led the negotiations team, hoped that the deal will usher in a new beginning, in which “Taiwan-US can lead.”

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
Today marks the eighth month since May 20 last year. So it’s been one year and 8 months since President Lai took office. Vice Premier Cheng has spent more than nine months in negotiations.

The Executive Yuan is holding a press conference to formally present results of the Taiwan-US tariff and trade talks. Premier Cho Jung-tai emphasized that the vice president’s attention to detail, proposing a “Golden Plan,” bumped Taiwan’s position up the US’ agenda.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
Throughout the entire negotiations process, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim proposed a “Golden Plan” that allowed our proposal to be placed at a prominent spot, making it easy for President Trump to see the contents, which is the “Taiwan Model” proposed by Vice Premier Cheng.

Cheng Li-chiun
Vice Premier
The entire negotiations process was implemented by the whole government. I believe from the memorandum of understanding, it’s clear that we’ve secured a favorable tariff rate. At the same time, we also hope to expand our investments in the US, and thereby promote Taiwan-US supply chain cooperation. In the past we said, “Taiwan can help,” but we hope that in the future, it’ll be “Taiwan-US can lead.”

Taiwan’s trade negotiations team successfully pushed “reciprocal tariffs” down to 15% without stacking, as well as secured most favorable treatment for semiconductors and related products under Section 232. In exchange, Taiwan has pledged direct investments of US$250 billion, while the government will also provide US$250 billion in credit guarantees for businesses seeking to invest in the US. That said, the deal needs to get the legislature’s approval once finalized. The premier urges the opposition-controlled legislature to review it without bias.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
The entire talks were fully guided by the upholding of national interests. I believe we have thoroughly explained the parts that are already ongoing. I sincerely hope that the legislature can engage with us as equals, on the basis of correct information.

Cheng Li-chiun
Vice Premier
In the upcoming weeks, Taiwan and the US will formally sign a reciprocal trade agreement. We are so close to the finish line. We have also expressed to the US again, our wish for the deal to be finalized the soonest possible, to avoid double taxation between Taiwan and the US.

The trade team has secured rather beneficial terms for Taiwan against all odds. Now, it’s up to the legislature to give the deal a final seal of approval.

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

#tariffs #taiwan #us #trade #international

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Pea, carrot, and corn milk tea trending as challenge and prank

The classic mix of peas, carrots, and corn is popular in lunchboxes. But one breakfast shop owner decided to put these mixed veggies into a milk tea that has gone viral online, selling dozens of cups every day sometimes as a prank. It’s just the latest in a trend of weird drink challenges like the century egg milk tea or latte. One business even made a basil oolong green tea. But how do these weird drinks actually taste? Let’s find out...

Four big spoonfuls of mixed veggies are doled out straight into a cup of milk tea. This pea, carrot, and corn drink has caught the eye of customers eager to challenge themselves with something new.

Customer
If you don’t see what’s inside, I actually think the milk tea flavor is very strong and covers it up. But it’s really gross in a drink. Getting it once is enough.

Customer
At first I thought, all right, you can use it to prank people. It tastes like vegetables mixed with milk tea. It’s really gross. My coworkers’ reaction should be interesting.

This quirky drink has certainly generated buzz online. Some are getting it as a challenge, while others want to prank their friends. But is it worth buying?

Mr. Pi
Restaurant owner
The first day we offered it, I tried a cup. To me, it was... It’s hard to say. We started selling it last Friday. About 20 cups were sold per day over the weekend. Today someone bought 15 cups first thing in the morning.

It’s not just mixed veggie milk tea. Another weird drink trend has also gone viral. A century egg is mashed up inside a cup, milk tea poured directly on top. When mixed together, it looks like grass jelly—perfect to fool an unsuspecting victim.

Member of public
It looks a bit like grass jelly. It’s soft. Milk tea with century egg. Oh, no wonder the taste lingers like that. I’d try it.

Member of public
Black sesame. At first it was a little salty, but it became sweet at the end. It’s unique. Because I like century egg.

Drink flavors are getting more and more ridiculous, generating plenty of buzz. But it also makes you wonder—what can’t be added to a drink?

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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