Guanxi to give out NT$5,000 petrol subsidy to each resident

Guanxi to give out NT$5,000 petrol subsidy to each resident

2026-05-22

Hsinchu’s Guanxi Township is set to become the first place in Taiwan to give out money to residents to pay for petrol. The move comes amid concerns over rising oil prices due to the US-Iran War. Guanxi has approved a cash handout of NT$5,000 for every registered resident, with low-income households receiving an additional NT$2,000 per household. Anyone registered in Guanxi before May 29 will qualify for the payment.

The township plans to distribute the money in August, with around 26,000 residents expected to benefit. The program is estimated to cost about NT$140 million. Guanxi Township Mayor Chen Guang-tsai said cash will be distributed at community activity centers and designated payout locations, with residents given a three-day window to collect the money. Those who miss the deadline will still be able to claim their payment later at the township office.

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#oil #petrol #gas #gasoline #subsidy

全國首例！竹縣關西"石油津貼" 最快8月每人領5000

2026-05-22

中東戰火衝擊，日前"石油津貼"在政壇掀起討論，現在有地方政府成全台首例，新竹縣關西鎮公所拍板，將普發每位鎮民5000元，低收入戶每戶加發2000元，而且5/29前設籍關西鎮都符合領取資格。

關西鎮公所預計8月發錢、大約2.6萬人左右可領，估計需斥資1.4億。關西鎮長陳光彩表示，全鎮21里都將在活動中心、發放所等地發現金，並限時3天領取；不過若逾期未領，也能前往鎮公所補領。

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Related News

Parents concerned after school offers treats for washing Buddha figure

An elementary school in Pingtung recently hosted an event at which children lined up to pour water over a Buddha statue and pay respects, after which they were rewarded with treats. But parents were shocked after seeing the photos afterward, asking how their school seemed to become a worship venue.

Young students line up in a school courtyard. If you look closely at the front of the line, there’s a religious statue, the students take turns stepping forward to pay their respects. The sight left parents shaken.

Parent
Pingtung
At first I just saw a figurine and thought, “What on earth is that?” I don’t know why, but it seemed to be some kind of religious event. A lot of kids were lining up.

A parent who went to drop something off for their child witnessed the scene firsthand. After the students finished at the statue, they could go off to the side to get a cookie. Feeling that the playground had become a temple courtyard, she was upset.

Parent
Pingtung
Kids don’t know what they’re actually doing. They just know that if they participate and pour out water, they can get candy and treats. Of course they swarmed to line up like that! Plus, what if a kid is allergic to the treats they’re handing out?

This was at an elementary school in Pingtung City. As photos from the event began to circulate among parents, many were upset that the school didn’t communicate with them beforehand, exposing their kids to a religious practice without warning.

Chou Chih-jung
School director of student affairs
This was a moral education activity for Mother’s Day. We didn’t force anyone to participate. The goal was just to teach the students about having a good heart, doing good deeds, and speaking good words.

In response to the parental backlash, the Pingtung County Department of Education intervened to investigate. They said that while it was intended as a character-building exercise, schools must remain neutral, respect freedom of religion, and communicate better with parents to avoid misunderstandings.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#school #religion #Pingtung #controversy #education #Buddha #Buddhism #churchandstate

2026-05-22

Historic footage reveals Pingtung market sharing railway tracks

Many visitors to Thailand are sure to visit the famous Mae Klong Railway Market to see the vendors hurriedly collect their wares from the tracks to get out of the way of an oncoming train. But did you know that Pingtung used to have a similar market?, historian Chiu Tsai-yen and Taiwan Film Culture Co got together to document this page in Taiwan’s history.

Here at the Mae Klong Railway Market in Thailand, vendors do business right up next to the tracks. When a train comes, everyone gives way just enough for it to pass. But did you know that Pingtung also used to have a market just like it?

This documentary footage from 30 years ago shows a market in Pingtung’s North District. When a train comes, the vendors bring their wares inside, then bring them back out again when it passes. Ms. Yang, wearing a track jacket as she pushes her Hakka rice cake stall back into place, still sells in the same market all these years later.

Ms. Yang
Market vendor
Oh, there, there! That’s me. Taisugar’s train carrying sugarcane was running. If I heard a whistle, I’d hurry over there.

Fishmonger Mr. Chang used to bring his son with him to work. Now that the son is grown, he followed in his father’s footsteps to also become a fishmonger.

Mr. Chang
Fishmonger
I was still little then, around second grade. When the train was coming it would sound a horn and we’d quickly move the stall out of the way.

Historian Chiu Tsai-yen and Taiwan Film Culture Co filmed the area in front of Taisugar’s Pingtung factory before it closed to preserve the unique scenes of that era.

Chiu Tsai-yen
Historian
When I was little, I loved those sugar trains. When I saw one, I’d go running after it. Two or three years before they stopped, I started documenting them. Until they actually stopped running in 1997, I systematically documented each route, covering every inch.

Looking at the market now, you can still see some traces of the old railway track. Although there are no longer trains carrying sugarcane through here, the memories live on in the minds of the locals.

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

#sugarcane #train #railwaymarket #market #vendor #MaeKlong #Pingtung #history #documentary #historical #Taisugar

2026-05-22

Alishan artist creates leather workshop, homestay to share her Tsou culture

Leye Village in Chiayi’s beautiful Alishan has a leatherwork studio founded by local artist Chiu Mei-hui. She’s passionate about promoting handmade leatherwork and allows visitors to try out carving for themselves. Chiu’s assistant is none other than her 10-year-old daughter. After playing in the workshop ever since she was one year old, she was destined to fall in love with the traditional Tsou craft. The family also runs a log-cabin homestay for visitors to experience their culture on a deeper level.

Rhythmic tapping echoes through the workshop as focused visitors hammer into leather. Some are carving animal patterns, or maybe English letters and numbers. Each piece is a unique keepsake.

- Animals, like a chicken, rabbit. Here I put my English name. This way, it makes for a wonderful personalized souvenir.

- The instructor taught us to align the sight markers properly and not to be afraid of hitting our hands.
- Were you worried you’d hit your hand just now?
- Not really.
- I’m more worried about someone else hitting me!

Weaving through this crowd of adults is someone special. She’s not a kid here to experience leather working. She’s the instructor of this class, and all her students are actually prospective school principals from around Chiayi County.

Liang Chun-yen
Local school principal
Most of our prospective principals and teachers are ethnically Han people from the lowlands. They rarely get an opportunity like this to immerse in indigenous culture.

- I started when I was around five years old.

With her youthful face, she demonstrates leather carving with a strength and precision that’s beyond her years. The secret behind 10-year-old Pei-chi’s skill is that she’s the daughter of Chiu Mei-hui, the artist behind this studio in Alishan’s Leye Village.

Chiu Mei-hui
Studio founder
Ever since she was a little over a year old, this was basically her toy box. Every day, she’d dump all the tools out and hammer at random. She kept playing like that, and eventually I said, “That’s your play area. “

Lin Pei-chi
Junior instructor
It’s fun and relaxing. It lets me channel my emotions.

Chiu Mei-hui’s journey into the world of leather working was also an unexpected blessing.

Chiu Mei-hui
Studio founder
I picked up leather carving while I was caring for the kids. I was just at home and the village happened to start a class. I was bored and decided to check it out. I didn’t expect that as I kept going, I’d develop a passion for it.

Beyond helping tourists connect with the land through leatherwork, they wondered if they could take the experience even further. The family therefore decided to create a homestay as well, all from scratch. The Tsou style is immediately apparent in these cozy log cabins. Drawing back the curtains reveals layers of lush mountains, like a painting just outside the window.

Chiu Mei-hui
Studio founder
The decorations in the rooms use a traditional indigenous color palette. My husband built the entire place by hand. We also offer indigenous-style barbecue for our guests. So while offering different things like accommodation, food, and activities, we can also share some of our traditional Tsou stories.

Every year from April to June is firefly season. Mihu Trail just off the Alishan Highway is known as an easy place to see them.

Tang Chin-hsien
Leye Village guide
You can find the Mihu Trail at the 65.8km mark. It’s a super easy place to see fireflies. You don’t even have to walk after getting out of the car. If you’re feeling extra lazy, you can just roll down your window and look.

A trip to Alishan is the perfect escape from the daily grind, inviting travelers to slow down and reconnect with nature.

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 #leatherwork #leathercarving #artisan #Tsou #indigenous #LeyeVillage #Chiayi #familybusiness #fireflies

2026-05-22

’Power-on ceremony’ for phone recovered from fish after 8 months

A couple of days ago we brought you the story of a man who finally got his iPhone back after a big fish gobbled it up. The device was stuck inside the fish for at least eight whole months, but still retained its shape. Now it’s time for something really special. Let’s see if it still works.

- It’s actually in pretty good shape.
- Yeah, I mean, it was soaked for eight months.

The phone wiped clean and the station all set up, plus the amulet’s spiritual support, it’s time for the big reveal.

- We’re plugging in.

Everyone wants to know whether the iPhone 16 Pro Max that was lodged inside the belly of a giant grouper for a little over eight months will actually work.

- I don’t think it’ll turn on.

That might just be the longest minute ever. The screen stayed black, completely inactive. They’re not giving up yet, but it’s really done if not even supernatural forces would help.

Chen Chih-tung
Fish ate iPhone
I was amazed enough that the object could stay in such good shape in salt water. It would be way, way too much to ask for more.

A quick recap on how the phone ended up in the fish. The owner, Mr. Chen is a food reporter. In September last year, while he was filming at a fish farm in Yong’an, Kaohsiung, a giant grouper suddenly leapt from the water and swiped his phone from him. Almost immediately after that, another 150cm-long giant grouper swallowed it whole. After the fish died very recently, the farm gutted it and found the device, still held together in spite of corrosion and surface scratches. It’s all so surreal that a “power-on ceremony” was called for.

Chen Chih-tung
Fish ate iPhone
The fish is free now. No one would try to call it anymore. It won’t have to suffer. I tried “Find My iPhone,” and that should make the phone vibrate. I wondered if the fish felt that in the guts.

Alas, the phone no longer functions. But the fact that it kept its shape after more than eight months inside a fish is already quite a miracle. Mr. Chen says he’ll be keeping it as a memento.

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

#fish #iphone #farm #funny #lol #tech

2026-05-22

Presidential Office not notified of adjustments to US arms sales

And speculation is on about adjustments to a potential US$14 billion arms sale for Taiwan. US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering the deal, and also willing to speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te over the phone. But the acting US Secretary of the Navy says that arms sales will be put on pause, as the US is focusing on preparedness for military operations related to the US-Iran War. Taiwan’s Presidential Office says it has not been notified of any changes, but the KMT is already blaming the DPP. Let’s hear more.

Hung Cao
Acting US Secretary of the Navy
We have done some foreign military sales to them, It’s just right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury, which we have plenty, but we’re just making sure we have everything. But the military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary.

Karen Kuo
Presidential Office spokesperson
At this moment, we have not received any information regarding adjustments to this arms sale by the US. In fact, the biggest issue is that we hope related legislation and budget concerning arms sales in the Legislative Yuan will not encounter unnecessary complications.

Hsu Chiao-hsin
Lawmaker (KMT)
Unfortunately, the DPP may not be able to make Washington believe that it is not pursuing Taiwan independence, which could very likely affect our arms sales.

Wang Ting-yu
Lawmaker (DPP)
As for the issue raised by Hung Cao, he himself acknowledged that the decision is not in his hands. It is a variable and a concern, but it does not represent the final call. Frankly speaking, the space Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party now have was created by the KMT and TPP delaying the review of the special national defense budget in the legislature.

The arms sale would include Patriot interceptor missiles and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems among other weapons. But after Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, he openly stated that arms sales are a valuable bargaining chip for the US, adding that he wanted to talk with Lai Ching-te. The US House Foreign Affairs Committee later posted on social media, urging Trump not to allow arms sales to become a bargaining chip in negotiations with China, and warning that doing so would play directly into Xi’s hands.

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

#taiwan #china #washington #arms #military #defense

2026-05-22

AMD CEO Lisa Su talks AI industry trends, opportunities for Taiwan

AMD CEO Lisa Su attended a CommonWealth Magazine forum on Friday morning, a day after her company announced more than US$10 billion of investments across Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem. During the forum, Su praised AMD’s Taiwanese partners and expressed optimism for the industry’s future.

Lisa Su
AMD CEO
I always feel that there’s so much energy and there’s no other place in the world that has so much semiconductors… very, very small area.

In conversation with the CommonWealth Magazine in Taipei, AMD CEO Lisa Su talked business trends in AI and alliances with Taiwanese players. She praised their culture of friendly competition.

Lisa Su
AMD CEO
Everybody is so friendly. Everyone loves each other, even if they’re competitors—it doesn’t matter. I think, we grew up together. Ten years ago, people didn’t care so much about semiconductors. Our friends and colleagues are so, so successful because the time is right.

On May 21, AMD announced that it plans to invest more than US$10 billion, or roughly NT$320 billion, across Taiwan’s chip ecosystem, to scale advanced packaging manufacturing for next generation AI infrastructure. At the forum, Su said that AMD is very happy with TSMC as a partner.

Lisa Su
AMD CEO
It continues ramp capacity and be very, very helpful. We’re always considering what are the best options in the supply chain. We’ll always consider… but right now, we’re very, very happy with our partnership with TSMC.

Su also expressed excitement for the AMD’s forthcoming AI platform, and optimism for the future of AI, saying that it’s all just getting started.

Lisa Su
AMD CEO
Can this be real? Should we really invest so much right now? This is definitely real, and we are still so, so early. We… we’re in the third inning of still, nine innings, and that means that there’s still a lot of innovation to happen and a lot of opportunities.

Su was also asked about the company’s view on the Chinese market. On Wednesday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in an interview with CSBC that his company has largely conceded the Chinese market for high-end chips.

Lisa Su
AMD CEO
We’re also not counting on sales of our most advances chips to China. It’s a dynamic market. There are US export regulations as well as Chinese regulations.

US companies including AMD are strengthening their partnership with Taiwan amid ongoing US-China tech rivalry.

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

#AI #AMD #Nvidia #tech #semicoductors

2026-05-22

Tourists squeal in delight seeing 50+ short-finned pilot whales

An incredible scene unfolded off the coast of Hualien on Thursday, as a massive pod of more than 50 short-finned pilot whales appeared together in the open ocean. The lucky tourists on two whale-watching boat tours caught a sight of mothers and calves swimming side by side. But the star of the show was that the whales were peeking their heads above the surface, in a rare behavior known as “spyhopping.” It marks the first appearance of short-finned pilot whales off Hualien this year, and it was unusually early, as they usually only show up in late summer.

A boat cuts through the waves of the Pacific Ocean and happens onto a group of whales surfacing from the sea and blasting mist into the air. Wow. This huge pod of short-finned pilot whales was spotted off the coast of Hualien on Thursday, the first one of the season. Tourists were delighted.

There were dozens of whales out for a swim, some of which brought their little ones along. Hearts melted when a couple of the whales poked their heads straight out of the water for a peek at the humans. This behavior, known as spyhopping is a rare treat.

Chen Hung-ming
Whale-watching tour guide
There’s a better chance of seeing them in late summer or early autumn. This last time, we saw more than 50 pilot whales. There were mothers with their calves. And what’s more, we were lucky to catch them spyhopping.

Short-finned pilot whales have stocky bodies and rounded foreheads. They are also commonly known as “blackfish” despite being part of the dolphin family. They mostly live in the deep ocean waters. Whale-watching tour operators say only six boats encountered the species last year, and their first sighting didn’t occur until August. This year they are unusually early and numerous.

Chen Hung-ming
Whale-watching tour guide
Since they were spyhopping, we suspect they might be monitoring the sea surface and checking out the environment. We saw them peek up many times, which is extremely rare. It’s something we will treasure even after so many years observing pilot whales.

The appareance of the majestic whales left the tourists squealing in awe, but even for experienced whale-watchers it’s an unforgettable memory.

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

#hualien #whale #nature #cute #whalewatching #traveltaiwan

2026-05-22

Engineer dies four days after beginner’s boxing match in Taipei

A 30-year-old engineer in Taipei has died four days after taking part in a boxing tournament for beginners. The man, surnamed Chen, had been learning boxing for about a year, and during the match sustained multiple heavy blows to the head. He was able to seek medical treatment on his own after the competition, but later fell into a coma that he never woke up from. Let’s hear more about the case.

Huang En-lin
FTV reporter
Mr. Chen came to this boxing gym in Songshan District to compete. After a technical knockout, he felt unwell and went to the hospital. Four days later, he was pronounced dead.

Lee Shao-yu
Police officer
We were unable to contact the gym owner, so we haven’t carried out an inspection yet. The autopsy was completed yesterday. From what we know, Mr. Chen’s family has not raised major objections or reacted strongly to the incident.

Peter Hung
International Professional Boxing Event Director
I’ve been in Taiwan’s boxing industry for just three years, but I’ve already seen three competitors die, all of them beginners. In small competitions like this, people think it’s just for fun, so they hop on the ring and go wild throwing punches at full force. That’s really dangerous. Seasoned fighters can control their strength. They know where to hit, where to use force and where not to.

Lu Yun-feng
Cardinal Tien Hospital
In cases like this, at first, the symptoms might not be serious or obvious. But they gradually get worse. The most concerning development clinically is delayed brain hemorrhage.

Police have referred two suspects for investigation on suspicion of negligent homicide: that’s the gym operator, and Mr. Chen’s opponent, a 27-year-old man surnamed Hsu. Mr. Hsu was shocked and saddened by the incident, allegedly saying that he hadn’t meant to beat Mr. Chen to death. Whether the gym bears responsibility, and whether there were shortcomings in relation to safety inspections and oversight remains to be seen.

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

#boxing #boxer #gym #sports #coma

2026-05-22