Chimei Museum staff tie down hippo to prevent typhoon escape

Chimei Museum staff tie down hippo to prevent typhoon escape

2026-07-09

Staff at Tainan’s Chimei Museum are taking no chances of another hippo escape, as Typhoon Bavi approaches Taiwan. We don’t mean a real hippo, of course, but their now-famous hippo sculpture, which made headlines late last month after heavy flooding caused it to float away and drift across the museum grounds. This time, museum staff and the artist have moved the hippo and secured it with ropes to make sure it doesn’t run away again.

Visitor
Commenting on hippo
It’s all to protect the artwork. When typhoon passes, they can let it be free again.

Visitor
Commenting on hippo
People coming here for the first time might think the hippo is meant to be there.

Tsai Hai-kuang
Chimei Museum
We tied the hippo down from three points on the boardwalk to keep it safe and prevent it from drifting away in the typhoon.

The 350kg sculpture was originally displayed beneath a grove of trees outdoors. But on June 26, torrential rain flooded the museum grounds, causing the sculpture to float and drift roughly 40m before coming to rest in its current location in Lake Muse. The unexpected journey quickly went viral online. With a typhoon now approaching, museum staff consulted with the artist and decided to secure the runaway hippo with ropes to prevent another escape.

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#hippo #sculpture #art #tainan #museum

巴威來勢洶洶! 奇美博物館河馬雕像被"五花大綁"防颱

2026-07-09

台南奇美博物館，重350公斤的河馬造型雕塑，上個月底因豪雨淹水，結果河馬漂走位移，掀起話題，現在巴威颱風步步逼近，館方和藝術家也特地為河馬做防颱準備，用繩索綁住它，讓它不能再落跑。

[[民眾]]
“一方面也是保護這個作品嘛，等這個颱風完以後，說不定就可以讓它釋放自由一下。”

[[民眾]]
“第一次來(的人)應該覺得(河馬雕像)在這邊也滿適合的。”

[[奇美博物館展示教育組專員蔡海廣]]
“分三個位置，去靠在那個木棧道綁緊一點，相信颱風來時可以保護河馬，讓它水上不會漂走。”

這個重350公斤的河馬造型雕塑，原本是駐點在戶外的林蔭內，沒想到上個月26號的豪雨侵襲台南，造成園區淹水，河馬也浮起來，漂移了約40公尺，來到現在的新地點繆思湖裡，掀起討論，這回巴威颱風來勢洶洶，就怕河馬又到處跑，因此館方和藝術家討論，也替河馬做防颱措施。

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Residents frequently complain about the stench of a famous stinky tofu restaurant from Hualien. This is not the only strong odor in the area that people have reported, with other restaurants, manufacturing facilities, and farms also drawing complaints. Taipei’s Department of Environmental Protection has hired professional smell testers to determine whether odor levels exceed standards.

Professionals set up devices to test wind speed and identify odor sources, then use a special vacuum box to extract samples.

These specially made sampling bags cost over NT$1,000 each. After samples are collected, filtered air is injected into them to create control samples before they are analyzed. To address complaints over strong smells including those from a stinky tofu restaurant, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection brought in six odor evaluators to conduct blind tests.

Odor evaluator
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It’s very pungent, really very pungent. It doesn’t scare me, but when you squeeze the sample, the smell is truly overwhelming.

Odor evaluator
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I don’t care for my nose in any special way. As long as I don’t have a cold and haven’t eaten spicy food before the test, it should be fine.

Before starting work, odor evaluators first test their smell sensitivity by identifying the solutions in five test tubes. After passing the test, they need to rest for 30 minutes before they can start working.

The evaluators test the samples through funnels, with the result determined by the average reading from six people. The entire process can take up to three hours.

Wui Hui-chen
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If the odor levels exceed the standards, we follow the prescribed procedures and issue data showing the odor levels. After we submit the results to the Department of Environmental Protection, it decides whether to impose penalties.

Fearing penalties, many restaurants have installed electric odor removal and carbon filtration systems to eliminate smells. If the odor evaluators determine that odor levels exceed standards, restaurants could be fined up to NT$20 million.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Hualien Bus Station adopts cat that stole its snacks

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Diving captain saves two sea turtles entangled in fishing net

Touching sea turtles while snorkeling or diving is subject to a NT$300,000 fine, but this doesn’t apply when saving them. A snorkeling guide in Penghu recently encountered two sea turtles trapped in fishing nets while leading a tourist group. The divers used scissors to carefully cut the net off the turtles and untangled them, rescuing the two baby animals.

Divers haul up a clump of tangled fishing net with two small sea turtles squirming inside. One takes a pair of scissors and starts to cut them free.

They carefully cut the baby turtles free, untangling them one string at a time to make sure not to harm them. One had part of the net wrapped around its neck and was struggling to breathe, but thankfully they got it free in time.

The captain notified authorities at the closest port in Qimei and turned the ship around to get them treatment as soon as possible.

Voice of Yeh Sheng-hung
Captain
I saw what looked like sea turtles out of the corner of my eye. I told the divers to hold on a second and went back to check, and it turned out there were two sea turtles tangled up in a net.

The captain was taking tourists snorkeling in the waters around Qimei, south of Penghu, when he noticed a fishing net on the water’s surface with something moving inside. He turned around and managed to rescue two baby sea turtles.

Hsueh Chieh-yin
Penghu Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau secretary
After the coast guard and county personnel were notified that two sea turtles had been found entangled in a fishing net, the turtles were sent to a sea turtle research center for observation and treatment.

A similar incident occurred on Xiaoliuqiu recently. Divers said a sea turtle was swimming toward them when they realized it was completely entangled in a fishing line.

The divers used a small knife to carefully cut the tangled line, allowing the turtle to swim freely once again. Thanks to helpful divers around Taiwan, these turtles were able to escape danger.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#seaturtle #Penghu #Qimei #Xiaoliuqiu #fishingnet #fishingline #trash #endangered #tangled #conservation

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Kinmen to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kinmen Marathon

The Kinmen Marathon will hold its 20th anniversary on January 16 next year. The Kinmen county government has announced various activities, including a nostalgia exhibition area and upgraded Kaoliang liquor and other special gifts for contestants. Let’s find out more.

Bang! The starting guns fire simultaneously as a massive pack of runners surges forward like wild horses, filling the air with excitement. The annual Kinmen Marathon is a major event in the sporting world; to welcome next year’s milestone 20th anniversary, the county government has specially produced a promotional video.

Chen Hsiang-lin
Deputy Kinmen County Commissioner
The 2027 Kinmen Marathon marks its 20th edition. For any brand, reaching a 20-year milestone is quite an achievement. We hope the Kinmen Marathon will continue to thrive and establish itself as a premier brand on the international marathon circuit.

Ou-yang I-hsiung
Kinmen County councilor
It began when I was a student at National Quemoy University. Seeing all this along the way until today makes me very moved.

The Kinmen County Government held a press conference to officially announce that the 20th Kinmen Marathon will be held on January 16th next year. This 20th-anniversary limited edition not only features a "nostalgia exhibition" at the event but also offers a rich variety of commemorative gifts for finishers. Additionally, to encourage former participants to return, a secret “homecoming gift" will be provided.

Chen Hsiang-lin
Deputy Kinmen County Commissioner
For the gift for completing the race, we have made a special upgrade to the Kaoliang liquor. We also encourage all the runners who have participated in the Kinmen Marathon to keep coming back to Kinmen to relive their past memories here. That is why we are offering a special “homecoming gift.”

The Kinmen County Government invites runners from all over the world to embark on this internationally certified course, experience the charm of battlefield culture and the warmth of Kinmen residents, and together, write the most exciting chapter of the Kinmen Marathon.

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

#Kinmenmarathon #Kinmen #Kinmenactivities #marathons

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Londoner becomes traditional Chinese medicine practitioner

Sean Dyer from London has become something of a local celebrity in Kaohsiung, for working at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic. He initially moved to Taiwan after falling in love and getting married to his Taiwanese wife. He liked it here so much that he even gave up his British nationality to become a Taiwanese citizen, even though that forced him to do military service in Taiwan. Now, he treats patients in fluent Mandarin, which is shocking for many.

With his fair hair and deep-set features, Sean Dyer speaks flawless, accent-free Mandarin during consultations. He’s a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who works at a Chinese medicine clinic in Nanzih District in Kaohsiung -- but he’s originally from the UK.

Patient
At first I thought there might be a language barrier, but once you enter the consultation room, you feel completely at ease. Dyer has not only mastered Mandarin, but also speaks great Taiwanese.

Most people associate traditional Chinese medicine practitioners with ethnically Chinese people, so Dyer’s appearance often sparks discussion among patients. Coming from a family of medical professionals, Dyer originally worked as a martial arts and boxing coach. With his family’s support, he later decided to pursue his strong interest in traditional Chinese medicine.

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After I started studying traditional Chinese medicine, I just read books, and the more I read, the more I loved it. After all, both my parents are doctors: my mother is an anesthesiologist, and my father is a nephrologist.

Dyer met his future wife when visiting friends in Kaohsiung. After they got married, they decided to stay in Kaohsiung. For the sake of his family, Dyer not only became a Taiwanese citizen, but also served in Taiwan’s military.

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I gave up my nationality for my family and became Taiwanese. But at the time, they said: You’re not even 36 yet! You still have to serve! So I joined the military and served as an artillery soldier in Chiayi. Most patients are pleasantly surprised but sometimes I’ll run into people asking if I’m really capable. Actually, no matter what the illness is, I feel quite interested in anything that’s challenging.

Dyer says with a smile that although some patients were initially skeptic due to his looks, they all find the right treatment after a consultation in fluent Mandarin, making for a unique visit to the clinic.

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Typhoon Bavi is coming, and preparation is key. For businesses, it means that it’s time to remove added-on structures that could be hazardous, such as ad banners and signboards. In the past few days, construction workers in Hualien and Yilan have been very busy with removal assignments. Some teams say they can expect to get around ten assignments a day. With payment reaching up to NT$7,000 each, these days have sure been lucrative.

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Typhoon Bavi will soon reach Taiwan, and the northeastern Yilan is expected to be the first area impacted. Locals are worried of the hazards of these large added-on objects.

- How many assignments do you have?
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- There’s a charge for the crane and wages. The crane operator gets a little over $2,000. Workers removing the structures are paid separately.
- Will it cost at least NT$5,000?
- Yes, at least.

To remove an ad banner, clients can expect to shell out between NT$5,000 to NT$7,000. There’s a removal fee, personnel fee and crane usage fee, all calculated separately. The final cost also depends on the size of the banner. Should the client wish to put the banner back after the typhoon, they’ll have to pay again. Meanwhile, it’s also busy in downtown Hualien.

Workers are taking advantage of the clear weather to temporarily remove the large signboard.

In another direction, a group of workers are also rushing to remove an ad banner.

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I have to work on seven, eight assignments, each taking a little more than an hour. Particularly with signboards that are especially high above ground or protruding more prominently, we would suggest that the client have it removed.

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President Lai Ching-te on Thursday attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a new building at National Taiwan University Hospital’s Jinshan Branch in New Taipei’s north coast. Once completed, the new building will also house a long-term care center. To drum up support for the year-end local elections, the president invited the DPP’s mayoral candidates for New Taipei and neighboring Keelung to the ceremony. He also credited the hospital’s origin to ex-Premier Su Tseng-chang, who was then-Taipei County Commissioner.

President Lai Ching-te attends the groundbreaking ceremony for a new building at National Taiwan University Hospital’s Jinshan Branch in the north coast. Lai announces that the central government will conditionally provide supplementary funding for the project.

Lai Ching-te
President
Here’s the deal. This is our plan: if construction is completed on schedule, before Lunar New Year in 2029, which should normally be in February, we’ll subsidize NT$100 million.

The president invited DPP New Taipei mayoral candidate Su Chiao-hui to the event, while also recognizing the hospital’s origin, which traces back to her father Su Tseng-chang’s term as commissioner for then-Taipei County.

Lai Ching-te
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It used to be the North Coast Jin-Shan Hospital Foundation. It wasn’t easy to recruit doctors back then, not to mention retain them. When former Premier Su Tseng-chang took office as Taipei County Commissioner at the time, he supported administrative and construction works. Later, as Premier under President Chen Shui-bian, he coordinated with National Taiwan University and NTU Hospital to incorporate this hospital into their system.

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In the future, I hope to attract and retain local talents with subsidies and bonuses for local medical practitioners, so that we can boost the north coast’s healthcare capacity and allow local residents healthy and decent lives.

Lai also invited Keelung mayoral candidate Tung Tzu-wei, for a rare public appearance between the distant relatives.

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We’re in Jinshan, which is right next to the president’s hometown and Keelung. The three places form a neighborhood. I’m very grateful that the president is so dedicated to advancing the development of Northern Taiwan.

The DPP hopes to join forces in healthcare at the grassroots and bring neighboring communities in the north coast together.

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June’s CPI saw an increase of 2.6% from the year before, marking the second month in a row above the government’s warning threshold of 2%, and a 17-month high.

Yang Chin-long
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As of June this year, nearly 20 major institutions forecast an average inflation rate of 1.9% for the year, with the figure expected to drop to 1.7% next year. Overall, inflation is expected to remain stable.

A stronger US dollar, and net selling by foreign investors in the Taiwan stock market has depreciated the New Taiwan dollar, which dropped past NT$32 to the greenback. The Central Bank says it will continue with its “willow theory” approach, and allow the currency to sway.

Yang Chin-long
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Though the US dollar is indeed strong, and interest rates are on the higher end, Taiwan’s economy is performing well. Exports are strong, growth is robust and inflation is under control. So these solid fundamentals are helping offset the impact of a strong US dollar.

The stock market has been bustling with activity, and investors have been taking out loans to cash in on the AI surge. But concerns are rising about a bubble.

Yang Chin-long
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The government’s tax revenue is strong, and the stock market has been very active. Though we are keeping an eye on the issue, I think the AI wave is fueled by genuine momentum. We need to watch closely whether excessive leverage is building up through credit expansion. That’s what we should be concerned about.

While acknowledging concerns over an overheated stock market and increasing investment leverage, Yang cautioned investors about potential risks. However, he said he does not believe the AI boom has entered bubble territory.

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