Credit card and wallet app payment available on Taipei MRT starting July 1

Credit card and wallet app payment available on Taipei MRT starting July 1

2026-06-30

Starting on Wednesday, Taipei MRT’s fare gates will also take credit card payment, both with a physical card or on a wallet app, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

From physical tokens in the early days, to EasyCards and single-journey paper receipts with a QR code, Taipei Metro now directly accepts cards issued by both local and international banks. If you have an iPhone, Apple Pay’s Express Mode also works. In June, Taipei Metro registered its 15 billionth trip. Now, it’s marking a new milestone with the inauguration of multi-payment services. Several Taiwanese banks are rolling out promotions and cash back for new credit card holders in response to the new development.

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

#creditcard #cashless #contactlesspayment #publictransport #taipeitravel

北捷7/1全面開放"行動支付進站" 手機一刷秒進站

2026-06-30

7月1日起，台北捷運將全面開放信用卡，及綁定Apple Pay 、Google Pay、Samsung Pay信用卡的行動支付感應進站，民眾可以直接用信用卡，或是用手機「嗶」進站。

從最早的藍色代幣、悠遊卡、到QR code乘車碼，現在更開放國內外信用卡，以及快速感應功能，蘋果手機不用再連按兩下電源鍵，黑螢幕也能感應進站。北捷6月份累積服務人次，突破150億。多家銀行也祭出新戶綁定手機享有回饋金，搶攻通勤商機。

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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New Pingtung sign warns drivers to watch for tortoises

A road sign warning people to watch for tortoises has been set up for the first time in Taiwan, in Pingtung’s Chaozhou Township. Numerous tortoises have been killed by passing vehicles in the area, so the county government installed signs to encourage drivers to exercise more caution and protect these slow-moving reptiles.

A tortoise slowly moves along the road, walking across concrete, through puddles, and even getting right next to a car tire. Here in Pingtung’s Chaozhou Township, tortoises are often seen roaming the streets.

Member of public
There are lots! We set them all free. There are tortoises walking around, and some have been crushed to death.

Member of public
We have lots of tortoises around here. Sometimes I pick them up off the road and move them to the side.

These slow-moving reptiles are vulnerable to getting hit by cars, so the local government designed a road sign to warn drivers to watch out for them. It pictures a black-and-white tortoise inside a red triangle, with the words “watch for tortoises” beneath.

Member of public
It’s really cute. I’ve never seen this sign before. It’s really creative. I’ll watch out for them.

Huang Yu-cheng
Pingtung County official
After discussing with multiple departments, they all agreed that wild animals frequently appear along this section of road and that a warning sign was needed.

Wang Chien-yuan
Chaozhou Township official
We put up a sign to watch for tortoises, but it’s meant to warn people about small animals in general, like frogs, toads, tortoises, or even snakes.

This is Taiwan’s first “watch for tortoises” sign. The roads in this area are straight and wide, so vehicles tend to drive fast. Hopefully, this sign will remind them to slow down and watch for animals. More warning signs like this are appearing throughout the country. In the neighboring county of Kenting, there are signs to watch for deer. With appropriate signage in place, drivers can help look out for wild animals.

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

# tortoises #roadkill #Pingtung #roadsign #watchfortortoises #tortoisecrossing #deercrossing #conservation #environment #car #vehicle

2026-06-30

Kaohsiung blacksmith and street performer makes light-up weapons

2026-06-30

Accomplished writer returns to Yilan to take over father’s gas bottling business

Sometimes, people will choose a side hustle to generate more income or showcase a different skill. But for Wang Ya-lun, hers is a way to commune with her late father. Now over 60 years old, Wang used to live in Belgium working as a writer, and has even worked with the Cannes Film Festival. Four years ago, her glamorous life came full circle when she returned to Yilan to take over her father’s natural gas bottling business, all to preserve his memory.

Drivers bring their trucks up to the station, emptying gas cylinders one by one to be refilled. It’s hard to imagine the boss weaving her way among them, Wang Ya-lun, was once a top student at Taipei First Girls’ High School and NTU’s foreign languages department. She even earned two master’s degrees in France on scholarship. But now, she’s selling gas.

As she leads the reporter through the station, Wang tells how she used to be a seasoned writer and European correspondent. Four years ago when her father died, she moved back home to take over his business.

Wang Ya-lun
Gas bottling station owner
Before, no matter how I wrote the invoice, it wouldn’t go through. I didn’t even know I had to get carbon paper! I came back so often at the time because my parents’ health was getting worse. After my father passed... That period of time was too short. I felt like, at least this station has been the same for 40 years. Of course it’s changed a little, but it’s still here, so I couldn’t... I couldn’t let it go.

Wang has helped with the Cannes Film Festival and even translated the memoir of its former president. But is it possible for this seasoned writer to blend in with the gas workers?

Mr. Yeh
Gas supplier
I told her not to take over the business. She should be holding a pen, not gas cylinders!

Wang said if she never took over the business, it would have been hard for her to understand the hardships her father faced.

Wang Ya-lun
Gas bottling station owner
I never doubted that my father loved me deeply, but he was very strict with me. It’s because I took over the station that I can better understand what he went through. The process is what’s most important. I’ve learned a lot.

Fans of her writing have even come to visit her at the station. After traveling all the way around the world, Wang has landed back where she started to better understand the love her father left behind.

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

#familybusiness #naturalgas #inspirational #Yilan #careershift #gasbottling #writer #CannesFilmFestival

2026-06-30

Kaohsiung roadside stands sell sausages for NT$40

As inflation continues to push prices up, just ordering one thing at a night market can cost as much as a meal used to. But one stand in Kaohsiung that has been running for over a decade still offers its specialty for just NT$40: a meat sausage wrapped in a rice sausage. Not far away by the Nanzi Tianhou Temple, another vendor sells the same snack for just NT$35, topped with plenty of garlic and cucumber.

Meat sausages sizzle on a grill, with rice sausages cut down the middle cooking next to them. This stand has been serving the local community for over a decade.

Customer
His sausages don’t have fatty pork like others, and they don’t taste gamey.

- It used to be NT$35.
- The price went up by NT$5?
- Yeah.

This stand on Sanduo Road in Kaohsiung sells a meat sausage wrapped in a rice sausage for just NT$40, which their customers appreciate as a really good deal. But the owner worries that as the cost of ingredients continues to rise, maintaining the price will be hard.

- It depends on whether costs keep rising.
- There might be no choice but to raise the price.
- Yeah.

Getting a filling snack like this for NT$40 seems like a great deal, but by the Nanzi Tianhou Temple, another stand has an even better offer.

A chef cuts rice sausage down the middle and fills it with sauce, garlic, and cucumbers. Here, the same snack is sold for only NT$35.

- I’ve had it before, it’s really good.
- What about the price?
- It’s so cheap.
- Nowadays everything is expensive.

Customer
There’s not a lot of fat inside. It’s a packed sausage. At this price, with cucumber included, it’s pretty good.

This stand gets lots of customers for their generous price. The owner doesn’t earn much, but she makes sure her customers are satisfied.

- How long have you been doing this?
- A very long time!
- I raised the price by NT$5 already.
- But it’s still really cheap.
- So, I don’t earn a lot.

Even as the cost of ingredients goes up, these two stands are doing their best to keep their prices down and keep customers coming back.

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

#Kaohsiung #streetfood #sausage #ricesausage #cheap #deal #affordable

2026-06-30

President Lai presides over joint military graduation

While most call him president, some call him commander-in-chief. President Lai presided over today’s joint military graduation, an event that features Taiwan’s eight military academies. During his speech, Lai reminded the graduates to remain resolute about defending democracy and freedom. The event also had some memorable moments, including a hat incident and a non-Taiwanese graduate.

As the nation’s commander-in-chief, President Lai Ching-te is personally pinning on the rank insignia of armed forces graduates. For the third time, Lai is presiding over the joint military graduation ceremony of the eight military academies. During his speech, Lai both wishes the graduates well and reminds them of their moral values.

Lai Ching-te
President
China is seeking to infiltrate our military from every angle, from trying to split us apart to conducting espionage activity. So, I ask all of our graduates to have a clear awareness of friend and foe. Resist communism, resist annexation, and stand resolute about the values of democracy and freedom. Remain steadfast that in terms of the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China, one is not subordinate to the other.

Lai emphasized that the government will be the military’s strongest supporter. After the ceremony, Lai took separate photos with the different service academies, including one with the Military Academy, which is known for being cursed when it comes to picture time.

All seems normal when the graduates shout a slogan, but a second look reveals something’s amiss behind Secretary-General Pan Men-an. A female graduate’s cap has been knocked off her head by a male graduate behind her. But this new officer has got quick hands, and the cap’s back where it’s supposed to be. The moment reminds some of Liu Chih-pin suffering a similar incident back when he was the president of National Defense University.

Back in 2023, they were chanting the same slogan when a female air force graduate accidentally knocked Liu’s hat off his head; Liu also has quick hands, as he was able to get his hat back on. History repeating itself in a funny way wasn’t the only noticeable aspect of this graduation, as a Chung Cheng Institute of Technology graduate from Guatemala also got the attention of the cameras.

International student
National Defense University graduate
I can improve Guatemala’s naval situation, improve their skills, and improve our Taiwan–Guatemala relationship.

The ceremony will serve as a life milestone for the graduates, who will continue to defend Taiwan in the years to come.

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

#defense #Guatemala #graduation #military #Taiwan

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Yilan local stumbles upon thousands of dead fish in canal

At 4 a.m. Tuesday, a Yilan local happened upon thousands of dead fish floating on the surface of Tarrochan Canal, right by Guangrong Road in Luodong Township. The local Environmental Protection Bureau immediately dispatched officers to assess the water quality. They found that although the pH levels were normal, the dissolved oxygen levels were not. At only 0.5 to 0.8mg per liter, it falls considerably below the 2.0mg per liter threshold for critical hypoxia. Officials are determining whether a sudden rise in temperature or illegal dumping of chemical waste is to blame.

Looking down from the embankment, one can see a large mass of white floating objects on the surface. Zoom in, and you’ll find numerous dead fish. The carcasses stretch several tens of meters, covering the water surface. Some have made their way further downstream.

Lin Chieh-chao
Dong’an Borough warden
It’s probably because the water’s too shallow and the sunlight is too strong. It’s hypoxia.

Lee His-chin
Luodong Township representative
For this stretch of water, over the years we’ve observed that every summer, it dries up all the way to the river bed, leaving it without water. Fish need water. Without sufficient oxygen levels, the fish will certainly die.

At 4 a.m. Tuesday, a local of Yilan’s Luodong Township was strolling along Tarrochan Canal when they got hit by a stench. Taking a look at the surface, they discovered a huge number of dead fish. They immediately reported the sighting to authorities. Soon afterwards, the local Environmental Protection Bureau dispatched officers to assess the water quality. They found that although the pH levels were normal, the dissolved oxygen levels were not. At only 0.5 to 0.8mg per liter, it falls considerably below the 2.0mg per liter threshold for critical hypoxia.

Chen Chih-hao
Yilan Irrigation Agency
From what we saw, we suspect that someone had sneakily dumped chemical waste, because the number of dead fish was huge, and even the hardiest bottom cleaners died.

Voice of Hu Pi-hui
Yilan Environmental Protection Bureau
At the moment, we’ve made our way upstream for inspections, and did not find any instances of abnormal runoff.

Officials are determining whether a sudden rise in temperature or illegal dumping of chemical waste was the culprit in the mass death of fish in the canal. At the moment, the carcasses have been removed and a physical barrier has been pulled up to prevent any individual dead fish from floating into the ocean.

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

#pollution #waterpollution #environment #chemicalwaste #extremeweather

2026-06-30

Officials attend event celebrating opening of Light Blue MRT line

Taipei Metro has officially opened a new line in New Taipei: the Sanying line. Also known as the Light Blue line, this light metro line runs from the Bannan line’s Dingpu Station all the way to Yingge. The line’s opening ceremony today had a large audience, including Premier Cho Jung-tai and New Taipei mayoral candidates Su Chiao-hui and Lee Shu-chuan.

Ten years in the making, today marks the day New Taipei residents can finally ride their city’s Sanying light metro line.

Premier Cho Jung-tai attended the event celebrating the decade-long transportation project, which cost NT$50 billion.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
This event today was just added to my schedule yesterday, but we cancelled our original schedule for this morning. I said that I have to come, and with the same excitement I had for the opening of the Danjiang Bridge, I congratulate the residents of New Taipei for this transportation milestone.

Also in attendance were New Taipei’s two mayoral candidates: the DPP’s Su Chiao-hui and the KMT’s Lee Shu-chuan. They shook hands when they first saw each other, but that didn’t seem to be enough; they shook hands again for the cameras.

Whenever there’s an event in New Taipei, Lee has made sure to keep close to New Taipei Mayor, and fellow KMT politician, Hou Yu-ih.

Previously a deputy mayor of Taipei, Lee’s seating arrangements have kept him close to New Taipei’s mayor. At first, Deputy Mayor Jhu Ti-jhih was seated between Hou and Lee, but later on Lee ended up sitting directly beside Hou. Despite Lee seeming cordial during photos taken today with his competitor Su, recently Lee criticized Su for using the opening of major transportation milestones to pad her political résumé. But, when asked, Lee didn’t want to shift the focus to the central government.

Lee Shu-chuan
New Taipei mayoral candidate (KMT)
I’d like to express my gratitude to Mayor Hou for the eight years in completing this project. To me, municipal administration is all about, one leader handing over the reins to the next one.

Su Chiao-hui
New Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
The entire project, from its budget to manpower, it’s been a collective effort of both the central government and city government. It’s the result of so many people’s hard work, and I know this first-hand, because as a local legislator I’d always immediately pass on good news to my fellow constituents.

As these two mayoral candidates vie for the future reins of New Taipei, both seem to know that their every word and action is newsworthy.

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 #DPP #KMT #NewTaipei #publictransport

2026-06-30