Danjiang Bridge, world’s longest of its kind, opens to traffic

Danjiang Bridge, world’s longest of its kind, opens to traffic

2026-05-12

The Danjiang Bridge is finally open on Tuesday morning, to the excitement of the public. Ahead of the grand opening at 11:30 a.m., Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai presided over a blessing ritual and the plaque unveiling ceremony for the bridge’s very own control center, also the first of its kind in Taiwan. Following that, the minister personally drove the project’s head engineers to commemorate this major milestone in public infrastructure.

The conception to completion spanning across the millennium, the Danjiang Bridge is finally about to open. A long line of drivers can’t wait to experience it on Day 1.

Among them, a fleet of vintage cars. It now takes 25 minutes less to travel from Tamsui to Bali.

Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai presides over a blessing ceremony to wish the bridge a long lifespan and safe travels. The plaque unveiling ceremony for the Danjiang Bridge Control Center—also the first of its kind in Taiwan—was held on the same morning.

The minister is also driving the engineering team along the bridge to commemorate this milestone.

Chen Shih-kai
Minister of Transportation and Communications
Later, to express gratitude to our engineers who have been stationed here for so many years for this project, I will personally drive them across the bridge, which they’ve worked so tirelessly on for so many years to see its completion.

Designed by late master architect Zaha Hadid, it’s the longest single-tower cable-stayed bridge in the world, a major feat of utility and aesthetics, and a new Taiwan landmark.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#architecture #infrastructure #zahahadid #Taiwantravel #淡江大橋

淡江大橋正式通車大批民眾搶頭香現場舉辦祈福典禮

2026-05-12

淡江大橋今天正式通車，大批民眾開車在現場排隊等待，要搶頭香上橋，交通部長陳世凱，也舉辦祈福典禮，祈求通車一切順利，也為全台唯一的橋管中心揭牌，為了感謝團隊數十年來的努力，陳世凱還載他們上橋兜風。

世紀工程淡江大橋，終於正式通車，大批民眾已經等不及了，大排長龍也要搶頭香上橋。

還有中古車車隊，也來體驗，因為從淡水到八里，可以節省25分鐘車程。

交通部長陳世凱，帶領交通部團隊，舉辦祈福典禮，祈求通車一切順利，也為全台唯一的橋管中心揭牌。

為了感謝團隊數十年來的辛苦，陳世凱還要親自開車上橋，載團隊去兜風。

[[交通部長陳世凱]]
“那等一下呢，我們要感謝我們的一些，這一次工程過程當中的一些努力奮鬥，在這個地方進駐好幾年的工程人員，所以我會親自開著載著他們然後跨越這座大橋，跨越這座他們用了好幾年的心血，而完成的這座大橋。”

這座世界最大的斜張橋通車，不只讓當地交通更便利，也讓台灣工程站上國際。

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Watermelon season has arrived in Hualien. In the past, professional appraisers would tap watermelons to judge their ripeness, but these experts are becoming harder to find, as many are aging and haven’t passed down their skills. To make up for this, the Hualien County Government and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology jointly developed an AI tapping device to determine ripeness. The technology took two years to develop and has already been patented.

The best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by tapping it.

A higher, brighter sound means the fruit isn’t ready yet, while a deeper, fuller sound means it’s ripe. But most people could tap on a watermelon until it’s bruised and still not be able to tell the difference.

There are watermelon appraisers who are experts at this, but as they get older and their hearing declines, farmers have been struggling to judge their fruits’ ripeness. Now, with a collaboration between the Hualien County Government and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, AI can help determine whether a watermelon is ripe.

Watermelon farmer
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After listening for a while, appraisers’ ears might get tired and they might make mistakes, so this device can help us to improve judgement accuracy. We use it to tap and listen, confirming whether the assessment is consistent and reliable.

When farmers tap a watermelon with this AI-powered device, it analyzes the sound and shows a green light if the fruit is ripe. It’s already about 85% accurate.

Huang Neng-fu
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By loading different sound models into it, the device can perform different functions. For example, when we tap a watermelon, it can determine its level of ripeness—say 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%—or even detect internal damage or bruising.

Chen Shu-wen
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The Hualien County Government looks at the development of our technology and works together with our farmers to identify their needs and help them reduce labor costs.

From tapping and listening to using an AI-powered device, ensuring farmers can accurately determine watermelons’ ripeness will allow everyone to enjoy delicious watermelon this summer.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Rinsing purple sea urchins in beer brings out the natural sweetness of their flesh

May heralds the start of the purple sea urchin season. Many people like to visit Kaohsiung’s Kezailiao Fishing Harbor to enjoy freshly gutted urchins. Each vendor has their own unique way of preparing them. Some choose to rinse them with beer, which brings out the urchin’s natural sweetness. Let’s find out more.

- These aren’t farmed; they’re wild. We’ll catch as many as we can.

The sea urchins, freshly caught this morning, were sorted by size and then cut open with scissors.

- That’s it, just a quick rinse.

That’s right. They rinse sea urchins in beer, remove the guts, and then serve them to customers.

Vendor
Kezailiao Fishing Harbor
I developed this myself, and I’ve tested this myself. It works because it also washes away seawater, enhances flavor, removes fishy smells and leaves a sweet aftertaste.

May marks the start of the purple sea urchin season. Most vendors simply rinse the urchins with water, remove the digestive organs,and keep only the five yellow gonads. However, at a stall in Kezailiao Fishing Harbor in Kaohsiung, the vendors spare no expense and use beer to rinse them. What if they encounter customers who don’t drink alcohol?

Vendor
Kezailiao Fishing Harbor
Then don’t buy it. We will stick to adding beer. We used rice wine before, but it was too strong. This is the only one that tastes right. It doesn’t matter if it’s too expensive; the important thing is that it tastes good.

Member of public
Noticed the difference
I’ve never had it with beer. I previously had sea urchin that was rinsed with plain water, and it tasted quite different because adding beer brought out its sweetness.

When serving up raw sea urchin, the most important thing is to remove the fishy odor while preserving the sweetness. Some vendors rinse them with water and then spray them with lemon juice.

- It smells quite nice, with a lemony and sweet scent.

Penghu resident
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The beer flavor slightly overpowers the natural sweetness of the sea urchin. With this one, lemon juice has been added and it was sprayed from a bottle, so the natural sweetness has been better preserved.

To each their own. You only know which one you like after you’ve tried them.

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Biker aesthetic picks up speed as motorcycle ownership grows

Taiwanese truly love their motorbikes, with a density that ranks the highest in the world at an average of one for every 1.6 people. As more riders switch to heavy motorcycles, they’re no longer just looking to max out specs. The entire biker aesthetic, from jackets to helmets, is having a moment.

The market for heavy motorcycles is no longer just about the need for speed. It’s an entire aesthetic. From leather racing suits, to helmets, gloves, riding boots, and jackets, F1-inspired apparel brands are kicking off the spring and summer season with new collections of trendy biker gear.

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When you go out riding as a couple wearing a traditional biker getup, it can be very heavy and cumbersome when you get off at sightseeing spots. Since it was designed for safety, it’s super heavy. This new line of clothes has added airbags, so it’s extremely lightweight.

Breaking the mold of traditional riding gear, this new collection covers everything from streetwear to road and track styles. Models showcased the various street looks, including trendy racing helmets that are making their Taiwan debut. Safe while also looking chic, it’s no wonder these helmets have become a favorite among Hollywood stars and Kpop idols.

Mike Hsieh
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This helmet is the result of a lengthy period of brand development, about 10 years or so. Lots of young people are wanting to wear bolder designs. This year, we hope to focus on a more fashion-forward street style.

The number of heavy motorcycles in Taiwan continues to rise. By the end of 2024, there were already more than 260,000, with steady growth ever since. In the first quarter of this year, there were 280,766 heavy bikes among the 14,678,705 total motorbikes in Taiwan.

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CNN interviews KMT Chair ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

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CNN’s interview with KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun cut straight to the point: US skepticism for a reduced special defense package passed by the opposition-controlled legislature, NT$47 million smaller than the Cabinet’s NT$1.25 trillion proposal.

Will Ripley
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What’s your response to calls from US lawmakers that Taiwan needs to spend this money on its defense to send the message to the global community that Taiwan is serious about its defense?

Cheng Li-wun
KMT Chair
Actually, we are very serious. Most of it is too vague and lacks details, so we can’t give a blank check authorization.

Will Ripley
CNN correspondent
How can you guarantee it won’t happen if Taiwan doesn’t have what your military leaders say are enough weapons to deter military action by China?

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KMT Chair
When the KMT is in power, Taiwan’s defense capabilities, its deterrence will still exist.

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You obviously have your critics that accused you of being a pawn while you were in Beijing, saying that you and Xi Jinping had almost the same language.

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You said publicly, you’re worried about Taiwan being treated like a pawn. Are you talking about the United States treating Taiwan like a pawn?

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She also says that Taiwanese people should identify as both as Taiwanese and Chinese, Jim, which of course a very hot button issue here. A growing number of people here in Taiwan identify only as Taiwanese. They don’t identify as members of a greater Chinese nation, but that’s something that she’s really pushing for.

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Yang and her husband Lai Kuan-chih arrived back in Taiwan loaded with props and equipment, and beaming brightly.

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Getting the Golden Buzzer sends us straight to the final of Britain’s Got Talent. We were so surprised!

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We had no idea! And it was KSI who pressed the Golden Buzzer! Simon was about to let another judge give critiques about the number, but KSI rushed over and pressed the buzzer. I was so happy.

Yang and Lai are thrilled and showed it to the cameras at the airport, where fellow troupe members and friends were at the ready to welcome them home. Yang’s success is the result of 23 years of discipline and training. Her next challenge will be the final in late May.

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The next round is on May 30.

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We’ll probably head back one week before the day. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be working closely with our team and create a brand-new performance together as the Coming True Fire Group. I hope you’ll all continue to cheer for us.

Yang has once again captured the international spotlight with her talents, showing that dreams can come true as long as you’re willing to persist.

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A local aquarium at Pingtung’s Agricultural Biotechnology Park has been thriving after opening to the public a few years ago. It was originally designed as an aquatic exhibition hall for businesses hoping to enter the global market, but now the public can visit and see the large variety of marine and freshwater fish and shrimp on display in 61 tanks. The single-floor aquarium has become popular among tourists and families on weekends and holidays.

Elegant red discus fish show off their vibrant coloring as they swim through light and dark areas of the tank. At this local aquarium at the Agricultural Biotechnology Park in Pingtung’s Changzhi Township, many kinds of colorful fish and shrimp are on display.

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Brightly colored African cichlids like these were introduced to breeding farms in central and southern Taiwan over 20 years ago. Over the past decade, they have secured a place in Taiwan’s international ornamental fish market and are popular in this aquarium.

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African cichlids are our No. 1 exported ornamental fish. As for tilapia, after African cichlids were introduced, Taiwanese people bred and improved them. The more brightly colored varieties of African cichlids like these can be kept in aquariums for everyone to enjoy.

The aquarium provides a space for businesses to display their fish and shrimp, working in tandem domestic and international marketing events. Now that it’s open to the public, anyone can come to observe and learn about these beautiful sea creatures.

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