Bookstore owners and DPP lawmakers rally behind arrested HK employee

Bookstore owners and DPP lawmakers rally behind arrested HK employee

2026-07-20

Freedom of expression is once again at the center of growing cross-strait tensions. Taiwan’s independent booksellers and pro-democracy lawmakers on Monday rallied behind a bookstore employee who was arrested by police last week in Hong Kong. Lawmakers and bookstore owners say the case is about more than just one arrest, arguing argue it reflects Beijing’s broader efforts to silence free expression. Among the participants were DPP lawmakers Wu Pei-yi and Chen Pei-yu, who joined the event to show their support.

Wu Pei-yi
Lawmaker (DPP)
In effect, China is burning books. We just didn’t think that China would go as far as banning books and suppressing the freedom of bookstores regarding what books they choose, display and sell. As lawmakers from the ROC’s Legislative Yuan, we must condemn the Chinese government on behalf of Taiwan. It’s also a time to remind everyone that since China has passed its “ethnic unity” law, this kind of “red terror” could spread to other free countries.

Chen Pei-yu
Lawmaker (DPP)
We’ve all seen many people in the KMT and TPP collaborating with China. They don’t proclaim it out loud, but by pushing for budget cuts and complying with the CCP, they are suppressing all sorts of possibilities in Taiwan. If we don’t stand up today, if we stay quiet because we are not the victims this time, we will be the victims one day.

The lawmakers co condemned what they described as Beijing’s suppression of even the freedom to choose and sell books. They also accused Taiwan’s opposition parties of working in step with China, through passing budget cuts to cultural ends. They urged the public to support the government and Taiwan’s cultural workers to help safeguard the Taiwan’s democratic freedoms.

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 #hongkong #bookstore #china #freedom

譴責中共逮捕港書店店員! 陳培瑜.吳沛憶偕獨立書店業者力挺

2026-07-20

聲援遭港警逮捕的香港書店店員，今天有一群台灣獨立書店業者出面，齊聲譴責中共，並且高喊「我是書店店員，我主張絕對的閱讀自由」，民進黨立委吳沛憶和曾經開過童書店的立委陳培瑜也現身相挺。

[[立委(民) 吳沛憶]]
“我們現在看到中國在做的事情，其實就是在焚書，我們沒有想到的是，中國現在連書店選書陳列賣書這樣的自由，都要去全面地禁止跟鎮壓，所以作為中華民國立法院的立法委員，我們要代表台灣的聲音，來對中國政府表達強烈的譴責。我們也要去提醒跟警示，因為中國剛剛通過了民族團結法，這樣子的紅色恐怖，它可能會蔓延滲透到其他自由世界的國家。”

[[立委(民) 陳培瑜]]
“大家都看到有非常多國民黨或民眾黨人，他們自許為在地協力者，他們做這樣的事情，但是他嘴巴不敢說，他們透過刪預算，他們透過配合中共的手段，在台灣打壓各式各樣的可能性。所以我要說，如果今天我們不站出來，如果我們覺得今天受害的不是我們自己，我們就不發聲，那未來受害的就會是我們。”

民進黨立委陳培瑜和吳沛憶發聲譴責，連選書自由都要鎮壓，也痛批提到在野黨配合中國，刪台灣的文化預算，喊話社會支持政府、支持文化工作者，讓台灣持續保有自由。

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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With AI, cooking has never been easier. A home electronics brand has launched AI cooking eyeglasses. When you wear them, they can be activated by your voice to identify ingredients, recommend recipes and guide you step by step through the cooking process. An accompanying AI-powered smart seasoning dispenser, can precisely measure the exact amounts of seasoning needed. Let’s take a look at these amazing new AI technologies.

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When paired with an AI-powered smart seasoning machine, it can also record preferences and customize flavor adjustments.

Wu Li-hsiang
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Through the design of AI glasses and our smart seasoning containers, AI technology and related equipment enables everyone to easily enjoy cooking in the kitchen.

After you’ve eaten and drunk to your heart’s content, you don’t need to worry about dirty dishes. Another company has launched a “built-in sink dishwasher” that uses ultrasonic vibrations to instantly remove dirt. It can wash dishes, remove pesticide residue from fruits and vegetables and even clean eyeglasses.

Yeh Wen-cheng
Dishwasher vendor
Ordinary dishwashers use water spraying, so you have to arrange them properly so the spray can reach them to clean. Our method is to soak them in water and use the water to vibrate them, generating more than 20,000 to 40,000 vibrations per second to dislodge the grime.

Modern people lead busy, fast-paced lives. Businesses are sniffing out opportunities presented by AI trends, aiming to bring smart devices into every household.

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

#smartdevices #AIdevices #homeappliances #easycooking

2026-07-20

Octogenarian keeps traditional fish counting trade alive in Tainan

Across the aquafarms of coastal Tainan, fish fry traders used to rely on professional counters, who tallied the young fish with the help of a rhythmic fish-counting song. Although modern advancements have nearly wiped out the practice, in Tainan, there still one who carries on the tradition. The 87-year-old counter continues to teach young people about early life along the Tainan coast, drawing upon his wealth of experience to teach an all-but-forgotten part of Taiwan’s fishing culture.

Newly hatched milkfish fry swim around in a barrel as a fish counter uses a bowl to quickly sort and tally them. As he works, he sings the fish counting song, a tradition among the coastal villages of Tainan.

Lin Ssu-ping
Fish counter
You need good eyesight. Once you’re used to it, it becomes second nature. You can’t make a single error. For every one you’re off, you need to compensate for 10 fish.

-He’s very accurate and very fast.

-His voice flows so seamlessly. I don’t understand it, but it sounds like a folk ballad.

At 87 years old, Lin Ssu-ping is the last fish counter in Taiwan. Drawing on his lifetime of experience, he guides parents and children to try out traditional seine fishing on bamboo rafts, teaching them how to use the nets and catch fry.

Member of public
Seeing it once is better than a hundred lessons. You can remember it so much better after experiencing it yourself.

Tsai Chun-feng
Ecotourism development association chair
Fish counting used to be done manually. It required a ton of labor. They could count 100,000 to 200,000 in one morning.

Unusual for someone who couldn’t read or do math, Lin decided to pursue a living as a fish counter. His uniform: a distinctive brown apron tied around his waist.

Lin Ssu-ping
Fish counter
If you need to cross a river or a canal, your lower half will get soaked. The apron is more breathable.

These days, it’s computers that count milkfish fry, driving traditional fish counters out of a job. But this passionate octogenarian proves that although times change, there’s still space for traditions to be passed on to future generations.

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

#milkfish #fishcounting #traditional #Tainan #coastaltown #fishing #aquaculture #heritage #folksong

2026-07-20

Six flights delayed after cracks found on runway

Flights at Kaohsiung International Airport were on Monday morning after cracks were discovered on the runway during a routine inspection. Authorities immediately shut down part of the runway for emergency preventive repairs to ensure flight safety, delaying six flights, with the longest delay lasting more than two hours. Officials say days of heavy rains may be to blame.

Maintenance crew at Kaohsiung International Airport inspect the runway thoroughly to fix the cracks in the tarmac. Days of heavy rains are thought to have damaged the pavement in several spots, posing a risk to flight safety. But the repairs came at the cost of flight delays.

- How long is the delay?
- I think about 50 minutes.

Passengers were left playing the waiting game, seeing that their scheduled departure times were long past. One passenger says their 8:30 flight to Hong Kong didn’t take off until 11:00. The airport announcements explained that the runway was damaged, making landings impossible. Airport staff discovered cracks on the runway on Monday morning, and rushed to make preventive emergency repairs, which lasted from 10:15 to 11:25. The work affected four international flights and two domestic flights.

Voice of Lin Yi-hsing
Kaohsiung International Airport
We issued a notice to airmen and informed all the affected airlines. Six flights were affected.

Traveler
Wasn’t affected by delays
Takeoff and landing are the most risky parts of any flight. It’s the right decision to make for the sake of safety.

The repairs delayed six flights, one of which was pushed back by more than two hours, at 136 minutes. A former pilot says even small cracks can be dangerous.

Voice of Lawrence Rau
Former pilot
Airplanes are extremely heavy, so any cracks or uneven pavement can have an impact on the tires during takeoff and landing. In general, operations are forbidden under those conditions.

Officials say the damage may have been caused by heavy rains, or possibly a lightning strike. Ultimately, they decided to close down the runway for repairs, as no compromises can be made when it comes to aviation safety.

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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Kaohsiung restaurant gets creative with fried rice flavors

Honey cakes go great with afternoon tea, but what about with fried rice? One restaurant in Kaohsiung’s Sanmin District tried it out, making a honey cake fried rice that blends sweet with savory. Its unexpected popularity inspired other creative dishes, like toast coffee fried rice and banana fried rice. These unique flavors challenge traditional expectations, revolutionizing this classic dish.

These eggs and rice already smell delicious as they’re fried in a wok. The chef then adds a unique ingredient: honey cake cut up into small cubes. Honey cake fried rice is this restaurant’s specialty.

Customer
It’s sweet at first, but it’s definitely fried rice. It’s pretty good, and I can tell that the rice itself is well done. Next time I want to try different flavors.

This long-running restaurant in Kaohsiung’s Sanmin District offers unique flavors of fried rice. One of its specialties combines cake with fried rice, making a sweet and savory combination that was unexpectedly popular.

Restaurant owner
My friend brought over cake and jokingly asked if I could use it in fried rice. So I gave it a try, and he thought it was actually pretty good. Both men and women come because lots of young people like trying it.

With over 50 kinds of fried rice on its menu, this restaurant is always experimenting with new, creative flavors. Some are truly mind blowing.

One popular option includes ostrich meat, while another uses toast. The toast is cut up into small pieces and stir-fried in the wok, then coffee powder is sprinkled on top for a breakfast-inspired fried rice.

Restaurant owner
People say that it tastes kind of like French toast. On good days, we sell 10 to 20 servings of specialty fried rice like this.

Breaking away from tradition, this restaurant uses creativity and culinary skill to revolutionize fried rice, blending seemingly disparate ingredients into delicious dishes.

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

#friedrice #Kaohsiung #honeycake #cake #cakefriedrice #coffee #coffeefriedrice #creative #innovation #revolution #restaurant #specialty

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Yunlin’s roasted corn so popular that China claims

Grown in Taiwan and processed in Taiwan, this roasted corn snack is so delicious that it even became a hit in Japan. A purchasing agent saw the business opportunity in a local brand that had sold 2 million bags, but sometime during its international adventure across the Taiwan Strait and into China the roasted corn’s packaging had its country of origin changed to Taiwan, China.

Yunlin County Commissioner Chang Li-shan and the secretary-general of Taishi Farmer’s Association are selling locally made Taiwanese food products during a live video. In their hands is a roasted corn brand that’s gotten so popular in Japan that now even Taiwanese are lining up to buy it.

- Customers need about two months to receive their order. Right now, on average, we sell over 10,000 bags a day.

As of now, over 2 million bags of this salty snack have been sold. Seeing a great business opportunity, an exporter brought the product to China, where its original packaging had a small silver sticker placed over each bag’s country of origin, which now says “Taiwan, China.”

This roasted corn should say it’s made in Taiwan, but once it started being sold in China, the snack’s bags had their country of origin changed to China. It’s another example of Chinese origin laundering.

Tsai Yung-fu
Yunlin County Council
Falsifying the country of origin like this, we think it should be investigated thoroughly, because it’s harmful to Taiwan’s own national dignity.

Member of public
Shocked by this incident
It’s really strange. Something that’s Taiwanese has been labeled as Chinese. Won’t other people think this is really bewildering?

Who stuck on these stickers? One culprit could be the purchasing agent, but no one knows where the snack was being sold in China. Roasted corn isn’t the only Taiwanese snack that had its identity stolen; Jiaxian Farmer’s Association produces preserved plums that are sold in China. These Kaohsiung plums also had their country of origin changed to China. When news about the roasted corn went viral, Taishi Farmer’s Association clarified that this popular roasted corn snack is only sold in Taiwan.

Lin Li-ying
Taishi Farmer’s Association
All of our bags use printing. We don’t use stickers, so this is the work of an individual.

A product made and sold in Taiwan was somehow brought to and sold in China, where someone had tried to change the identity of a salty snack that Taiwan is proud to call its own. But the only thing covering up the truth is a sticker.

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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Mother-of-pearl inlay artisan teaches craft to inmates

Mother-of-pearl inlay is a centuries-old craft that involves shaping thin pieces of iridescent shell and embedding them into objects. This traditional art is in danger of disappearing as artisans age without apprentices to take over. But one artisan has been teaching at Hsinchu Prison, inspiring many inmates to take an interest. Chen Fu-chiang hopes this beautiful art can help them regain a sense of purpose and hope in life.

Using a grinding wheel, an artist carefully sculpts seashells into a flower and inlays it onto a wooden board, creating a beautiful work of art.

A master at this kind of mother-of-pearl inlay work, artisan Chen Fu-chiang is also an attentive teacher. The art form involves shaping thin pieces of shells and embedding them into objects. But this highly delicate and intricate craft is in danger of disappearing. Now that he’s found more interested students, Mr. Chen sees hope for the future.

Chen Fu-chiang
Shell inlay artisan
The warden really values this tradition, so he invited me to the prison to teach it. They exceeded my expectations. They selected people who had artistic backgrounds or were skilled with their hands, and they learned very quickly.

Invited to teach at Hsinchu Prison, Mr. Chen does not treat these students any differently just because they’re inmates. He gives each one an equal opportunity to learn.

Chen Fu-chiang
Shell inlay artisan
I often tell him, that student, if you don’t know, then just ask.

Han Chih-hsiang
Hsinchu Prison officer
It’s important that those who come are willing to learn and can sit still. Of course, during the process, some students discover that it’s too tiring and challenging, so they might choose to leave the class.

Under Mr. Chen’s patient tutelage, many inmates have found a sense of accomplishment from learning a beautiful art form they never thought they would have the chance to try.

Inmate
I’ve learned to focus and work diligently, and it’s helped me manage my bad temper and negative thoughts.

Inmate
We have to do each step very meticulously and carefully, to the best of our ability, before we can move on to the next one. I think the same principle should apply to life in the future as well.

Studying mother-of-pearl inlay helps these inmates find a sense of accomplishment and unlearn bad habits, giving them and their teacher new hope for the future.

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

#prison #art #teacher #artist #motherofpearlinlay #tradition #motherofpearl #shellinlay

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Discarded trash piles up around Hsinchu clothing recycling bins

Recently, large amounts of trash have piled up by clothing recycling bins in Hsinchu. The litter includes lots of waste as well as old clothes, making the job of the organization responsible for collecting the clothes much more challenging and even subjecting it to fines. The organization reported the issue to police in hopes of catching those responsible for illegal dumping.

A mountain of bags is piled up by a clothing recycling bin in Hsinchu. Even though this facility is only meant for recyclable clothes, there is lots of trash inside these bags.

Huang Pei-sheng
Hsinchu disability employment association head
It’s really serious. It happens every week. It could be that vendors have taken away the good clothes. It’s a real hassle, especially when we have to come back and sort everything out. Each trip is a long drive, and our trucks aren’t very large, so if one-third of the load is garbage, the burden on our staff is huge, not even counting fuel costs.

Clothing recycling bins in Hsinchu County’s Xinfeng Township and Zhubei City have recently been filled with unusable clothes and even trash. It’s possible that recycling companies discarded the items after taking the more valuable pieces, but this leaves the disability support groups that manage the bins with a heavier burden and possible fines.

Volunteer
Helps with trash
We handle a lot of trash. We collect it twice a week and it smells terrible.

The association reported the matter to police, but the dumping often occurs after dark, and many collection bins are in secluded areas without surveillance, making it difficult to catch those responsible.

Liao Ying-ying
Hsinchu Environmental Protection Bureau deputy director
Dumping trash around clothing collection bins is subject to a NT$6,000 fine according to the Waste Disposal Act.

It’s illegal to dump trash by recycling bins, and authorities are working together to try and stop this egregious behavior.

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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