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Expensive artisan menu board for tofu pudding shop raises questions

While preparing to open a shop in Tainan, an entrepreneur approached an artisan to carve the menu out of wood in the traditional inlay style unique to the old capital. For a shop selling inexpensive tofu pudding and grass jelly, spending over NT$100,000 on the menu board seems to be an odd contrast, although somehow fitting for the over-the-top city.

Carving tool in hand, an artisan focuses intently on chiseling floral patterns to fulfill her commission. This is no ordinary carving, but a special kind of wood inlay craft unique to Tainan. An entrepreneur hired a specialist to create this menu board for his future tofu pudding shop.

Wang Yu-chien
Woodcarver
We usually just print it like normal. Using a craft special to Tainan for the menu will make this place unique.

Items on the menu include tofu pudding and grass jelly, all for only NT$30, yet the custom board alone will easily run into the hundreds of thousands. Only someone from Tainan could be crazy enough to wrap something so ordinary in pure luxury.

Liu Chin-wen
Woodcarver
I was surprised. You’re selling tofu pudding for NT$30, but this board will be over NT$100,000. Do you really want to do it? But he figured that reflecting the history was more important.

The order came by introduction from a friend of Liu Chin-wen who works in the food industry. The entrepreneur opened a well-known restaurant in Tainan that has received Bib Gourmand recognition for many years. Now, he’s preparing to open a tofu pudding shop. As the location happens to be next to the birthplace of this carving style, he decided to integrate it into the design.

Chou Jung-tang
Restaurateur
The innovative part is carving my photograph directly into the menu board in the special Tainan style. We hope to be able to hand it down through the generations.

It’s not cheap to make a menu board this exquisite, which has left people wondering: If prices go up, will they have to remake the sign? Chou said the specially crafted board isn’t just to drive business—more importantly, he hopes it will hang proudly over the old street as a part of Tainan’s rich history.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#Tainan #tofupudding #craftsmanship #culturalheritage #woodcarving #artisan

2026-07-21

Group of veteran cabaret musicians form band to benefit seniors, children

Wei Jung-tai, celebrated in the horticultural industry as an expert on foxtail orchids, served as a band director for numerous variety shows in his earlier days. In recent years, he’s assembled a team of musicians who used to headline all kinds of concert halls and cabaret shows into their own band. They go around the country performing charity concerts for audiences to enjoy and reminisce about the bygone heyday of Taiwan’s cabaret culture.

The classic Taiwanese folk song “High Green Mountain” is brought to life by Western wind instruments and Eastern drums.

The conductor waving his baton is Wei Jung-tai. He directs this charity band composed of senior instrumentalists.

Every musician on the stage was once a highly sought-after performer for cabarets and nightclubs in the 1970s. Many years later, Wei brought them all together to form this ensemble.

Wei Jung-tai
Band director
Restaurants, TV shows, and music halls all used to have big bands. We hope that TV channels will bring back variety programs backed by live music. This would elevate our musical standards while giving new life to Taiwan’s jazz music scene.

Wei currently serves as the chair of a successful orchid enterprise specializing in rare foxtail orchids, alongside operating a highly successful restaurant venture. He began studying the piano at four years old and later switched to the keyboard, eventually working as a musical director at various performance venues. His biggest wish was to form a group that would allow his former colleagues to take the stage together once more.

Wei Jung-tai
Band director
I’m bringing these older musicians back to give charity shows together. After deducting our basic expenditures, all remaining proceeds are donated to help orphans, foster homes, and elderly people who live alone.

Giving back through their musical expertise, the group opens their concerts free of charge to elderly people living alone and vulnerable children. These musicians are proving that passion knows no age, as they reignite the creative spark of their golden years.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#concert #seniors #bigband #jazzband #WeiJungtai #charity #cabaret #varietyshow

2026-07-21

TSMC-NYCU semiconductor summer camp welcomes Ukrainian students as teachers

As the AI wave is here to stay, science education is taking root at a younger age. National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University is hosting a semiconductor summer camp, which this year welcomed students from Ukraine who communicated with the participants entirely in English. The curriculum also incorporates interactive devices designed in Taiwan, transforming difficult chipmaking principles into interactive activities that students can actually touch and play around with.

Holding an interactive device as she looks at the electrical current on the screen, a high schooler from Hsinchu uses English to explain the principles of voltage, current, and short circuits to the class. Her voice never wavers, showing remarkable stage presence.

Each summer, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and TSMC work together to organize the Be Light AI Semiconductor outreach program. This year, they also partnered with a Ukrainian K-12 education project to bring Ukrainian students on board. After first receiving training on semiconductors and AI, Ukrainian and NYCU students teamed up to guide students from Hsinchu Girls’ Senior High through experiments and coding.

Liya
Ukrainian student
I feel really grateful and excited and happy. I’m becoming a teacher myself, and it’s good that you see how the way you teach and the way kids are—their response to this.

Liza
Ukrainian student
I know when their lectures become boring and the students tune out. And I feel like this helped me to create better materials.

Professor Wen, who designed the program, and Lora Ho, a former senior VP at TSMC, are both former students of Hsinchu Girls’ Senior High. They also hope to expose more students to AI early in their education.

Bella
Hsinchu Girls’ Senior High student
I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to finish the program with the assistance of these teachers.

Yang Po-hsuan
Hsinchu Girls’ director of academic affairs
First of all, Professor Wen is an alumna of our school—and a distinguished one at that. At the moment, high-school textbooks don’t have anything on semiconductors. Coming here to teach our students about semiconductors, and having Ukrainian students guide them, makes the topic into an opportunity for international exchange.

Taiwan is incorporating semiconductors into the curriculum ahead of schedule, giving students the chance to enter the industry on more solid footing.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#semiconductors #TSMC #NYCU #highschool #summercamp #AI #BeLightAI #Ukraine #internationalexchange

2026-07-21

Introducing three of Beitou’s most famous tea shops

Beitou in northern Taipei is famous for its hot springs, and drinking tea has also become a popular pastime there. But there are so many tea shops, it’s hard to know which one to pick. FTV checked out three of the biggest ones to find out what makes Beitou tea so special.

Many people come to Beitou to enjoy the black tea there, but locals still debate which shop has the best kind. There’s a popular tea shop in the market called Cai Yuan Yi, one that sells 3-kilogram bags of tea called Gao Ji, and another popular one on Guangming Road called Ming Quan.

A long line like this is a hallmark of the Gao Ji Tea Shop. About 10 employees stay busy inside. On a good day, the shop sells around 3,000 cups.

Mr. Chung
Gao Ji Tea Shop owner
We brew the tea and carefully select the leaves. There are lots of details about what kind of tea should be brewed at what temperature, and how much should be used.

Popular picks at Gao Ji include its affordable black tea and “worry-free tea,” with regulars often opting for the bagged version. Cai Yuan Yi says its half-sugar and full-sugar drinks best capture the taste of traditional black tea. Xu Jia Tea often sells out, while Mingquan Tea, which has only one location, is well-known for its milk and honey drinks.

Mr. Chung
Gao Ji Tea Shop owner
There might be more people selling it these days. Locals had it first, then visitors tried it and found the quality was pretty good. With the internet so big now, word spreads quickly, and everyone thinks that coming to Beitou means you should have black tea.

Beitou’s black tea culture dates back to the Japanese colonial era, when tea plantations covered Datun Mountain. As demand grew, local farmers began growing black tea, and by the mid-1970s, production shifted from export markets to domestic consumption. But as for which shop is the best—that’s still up for debate.

Member of public
Has a favorite
Since I was young, I’ve always had Cai Yuan Yi. I always get their tea. It has more flavor.

Member of public
Has a favorite
There are lots of tea shops around here. We usually go to Ming Quan. We think their black tea is better, it’s a little more traditional.

It’s really a matter of personal preference, so why not try them all and see which one you like the most?

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#tea #Beitou #hotsprings #blacktea #teaculture #drink #tradition #teashop

2026-07-21

Ex-TSMC manager indicted for leaking secrets to Chinese firm

A former manager at TSMC surnamed Chen has been indicted for trying to leak company secrets to China. The incident came to light during an investigation into a Chinese espionage group headed by Ding Xiaohu, a Hong Kong national. After joining the group, Mr. Chen made illegal copies of 21 secret documents and drafted a project to recruit Taiwanese talent to advance China’s semiconductor industry. TSMC discovered the activity and reported it. The investigation concluded on July 20, and prosecutors are seeking seven years in prison for Mr. Chen for violating the National Security Act as well as the Trade Secrets Act.

The case follows another alleged leak involving former TSMC engineers Chen Li-ming, Chen Wei-chieh and Wu Ping-jun, who were accused of stealing and leaking key TSMC technology to Japan’s Tokyo Electron. This time, however, the technology was allegedly intended for China. Experts say China currently cannot legally obtain the world’s most advanced EUV equipment. They say that, even with aggressive recruitment and infiltration efforts, it would be difficult for any firm to successfully replicate advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#spy #espionage #tsmc #tech #technology #leaks #engineering

2026-07-21

Mobile internet to be disrupted for military drills in August

If you are the kind who can’t go a minute without checking your phone, you definitely want to jot this down. For the first time ever, Taiwan’s military will conduct a drill simulating a disruption to mobile internet services this August. The drill will be held as part of the Han Kuang military exercises, which run from Aug. 5 to 14, and will cover 14 cities and counties across Northern and Central Taiwan. But officials are stressing that this is not actually a complete internet shutdown. Let’s hear more.

I would also like to take the opportunity to explain the drills to everyone. Mobile internet services won’t be cut off fully. The connection speed will be slowed down, to simulate a disruption as caused by a natural disaster or a large-scale cyber attack. If you require a connection you can use fixed lines, or Wi-Fi. Taiwan isn’t the first in the world to conduct a drill of this kind. Democracies such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore and some European countries have conducted drills where they simulate power outages or cyberattacks on internet communications systems. It’s common practice, as these simulations enhance the resilience of democratic countries.

During the drill, mobile phones will still be able to make voice calls and send SMS messages. Emergency services, including 110 and 119, will also remain fully operational, while disaster warning text messages will not be affected. The Central Taiwan drill will take place from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. on August 10. In Northern Taiwan, the disruption will take place at the same time on Aug. 13.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#drill #phone #internet #connection #network #data

2026-07-21

Campus ambassadors selection receives over 250 applications

The Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund just turned 30 recently, but it’s holding a new program for the first time: the Campus Youth Ambassadors selection. Over 250 young people applied, and students who made it into the second round were interviewed in both Mandarin and English. Next up for those who are selected is a 5-day stay in either Eswatini or Saint Lucia, where they’ll witness development diplomacy in action.

Getting out their IDs, these students have gotten to the second stage of the TaiwanICDF’s campus youth ambassador selection.

Su Yu-ting
Student applicant
Being able to go to a diplomatic ally like this, for me it’s something that feels like a rare opportunity. Before this interview today, I’d been trying to learn some words. Also, in the past I studied abroad in the US for a year. So, I’m thinking that having those skills from living abroad might be able to help me at this event.

These students have put in a lot of prep time for their interview, which involved them using Mandarin to share their knowledge about international cooperation. But that’s not all; their communication skills and ability to think on their feet were put to the test during an interview in English. Applicants also had to team up with other students to create a one-minute video; their planning, filming techniques, and ability to express themselves were all evaluated.

Student
Applied for Campus Youth Ambassadors
I wanted to tell our story to lots of people around the world.

Fu I-chin
Student applicant
Through this activity I can do an exchange in Africa. I came up here from Kaohsiung, so I’ll definitely be really happy if I’m chosen, because I rushed here from such a faraway place.

Peifen Hsieh
Taiwan ICDF Deputy Secretary General
It’s important to show that you care about international affairs, as well as putting your skills into practice and having the ability to tell a story through a video. But, of course, your passion is the most important thing of all. You’ll be able to see first-hand Taiwan’s soft power, to see exactly what our ICDF technical teams are doing in these countries.

This is the first time the Taiwan ICDF has held a campus youth ambassador selection event like this, which had over 250 applicants. Students who are selected will head to one of two diplomatic allies, either Eswatini or Saint Lucia, where in late August they will stay for 5 days as part of their job shadowing experience.

Donya Francis
Ambassador of Saint Christopher and Nevis
As you hope to travel as one of TaiwanIDCF’s campus ambassadors to Saint Lucia, where my grandfather is from, or to the Kingdom of Eswatini, I believe this is a great opportunity for all of you to learn more about Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.

The Taiwan ICDF has created a path for youth to visit diplomatic allies, where they’ll be able to achieve their dreams of diplomacy while experiencing first-hand the assistance Taiwan is bringing to its friends abroad.

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

#diplomacy #Eswatini #SaintLucia #youth #ambassador #dreamsarebeautiful

2026-07-21

Job market shifts south as AI boom fuels hiring surge

For decades, job-seekers all over Taiwan have been moving north, but that trend seems to be slowly reversing. According to a job bank survey, the number of job openings in Southern Taiwan increased by 10% in the first half of the year, compared with the first half of 2025. That’s a much steeper increase than the 5.8% increase in the North and the 5.1% increase in Central Taiwan. This new trend could be fueled by AI, semiconductor expansion, and the gradual formation of a tech corridor stretching from Chiayi to Pingtung. Let’s hear more.

Chung Chia-pin
Lawmaker (DPP)
Hsinchu Science Park isn’t the hottest thing anymore. Now the Southern Taiwan Science Park is in. This tectonic shift is making Southern Taiwan increasingly important, especially since historically, we’ve had plenty of water, power and land.

Hou Shuhn-Shyurng
Kun Shan University
We’ve established an AI college that the whole university is promoting. We have direct connections with more than 3,700 universities including TSMC, ASE and Innolux. Students can obtain professional certifications such as via the iPAS.

Lee Chien-I
National University of Tainan
We often hold events for alums. Thanks to their feedback, we can make adjustments to our curriculum. Every single student must take AI-enabled courses in their first year.

Universities and companies in the South are joining forces to retain talent locally. Fourteen universities have formed an alliance to work with tech companies and expand into hot fields ripe for AI such as long-term care and agriculture. With the support of major semiconductor giants, and with companies offering perks such as flexible work schedules, the North no longer seems so attractive as a career choice.

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

#jobs #taiwan #career #semiconductor #chips #tech #agriculture #south #southern

2026-07-21

Alert for barrier lake in Hualien is causing nearby crops to wither

The alert level for the Wanli Creek barrier lake is about to reach week 3, and so while many Hualien residents may still be worrying about a potential flood, local farmers are now dealing with an unintended consequence: a drought. Even though melon and rice fields are in desperate need of water, fears of flooding have resulted in irrigation canals being closed.

Lying on this black tarp are white water-starved watermelons that are basically knocking on death’s door. Melon farmers here are heart-broken, knowing that their hard work has likely gone to waste. It’s especially hard to comprehend over in this field near Jianying Bridge, an area that’s often overflowing with water, yet the withering watermelon sprouts here are now dying from thirst.

Mr. Yeh
Melon Farmer in Fenglin Township
The temps are really high. For that rocky area, when there’s no water the melons can’t take it. They’ll just end up dying.

Mr. Liu
Rice Farmer in Fenglin Township
There’s no water for us to irrigate our crops. Even if we were to have water, let’s say we start planting now, well we won’t even have vines until 3 weeks later. But right now we don’t even have water, so there’s nothing to talk about. There’s nothing.

Farmers in Hualien are finding the situation hopeless, as the alert for the Wanli River barrier lake is now on day 20. Making matters worse is the farm fields are in the evacuation zone, so the irrigation canals and flood gates have all been closed, meaning the farmers can’t get in and the water can’t get out. Knowing that melon and rice farmers are seeing their crops wither, along with their livelihoods, the authorities are seeking solutions.

Chen Shu-wen
Hualien Agriculture Department director
The alert for the Wanli Creek barrier lake has been extended, so when it comes to obtaining water, this is a rather difficult situation. And, of course, the most important thing is ensuring the safety of human life.

Lai Chih-feng
Hualien Irrigation Agency
If we’re allowed to enter the area, in under three days we’ll be able to open up the natural inlets in Lintianshan and Wanrong so that water can flow in from them.

The authorities are not taking any chances since Wanli Creek is still at a red alert level, meaning the barrier lake could overflow at any time. That’s why the local government is trying to think up solutions that will both save crops and not endanger human lives.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#thirsty #barrierlake #Hualien #irrigation #flood

2026-07-21

Lone macaque running amok caught after watermelon theft

Locals in Kaohsiung were treated to a tense yet entertaining standoff between a couple dozen humans and one macaque on a city trip. The monkey had apparently been taking in the local sights for three days, checking out popular tourist spots like Liuhe Night Market. But the primate’s trip was cut short on Tuesday morning at Sinsing District. After the monkey stole some pieces of watermelon from a woman, the local borough warden called police to take it away, resulting in an amusing spectacle.

What is happening? Police officers holding batons stand on the road, and a crowd of onlookers forms a semicircle. Even passing motorists stop to watch. The tension is palpable. Look up a bit and… it’s a macaque! Perched on the building’s façade looking over downtown Kaohsiung.

- Have you ever seen one before?
- Never! It’s so weird.

- It must be someone’s pet. Or maybe it was looking for food.

The monkey sits still, leisurely observing the movements down below. It stands and strolls around, yawning and chilling, even going as far as going to the toilet on a shop sign. Agriculture officials finally arrive, and after a long stare-off with the animal, they decide to shoot it with a tranquilizer gun.

Right on target! But instead of succumbing to sleep on the spot, the monkey started running amok and fell to the ground, baring its sharp teeth to anyone that got in the way. The final struggle is worthy of an epic.

Some people grab traffic cones to catch the monkey, while others rush forward with a net. Finally, sweet victory for the humans, as the group subdues the monkey. This macaque had been terrorizing Kaohsiung for three days.

Lee Hung-tan
Dongpo Borough Warden
It ripped off a piece of watermelon from a customer. While it was eating it over in the alley, I called the police over.

Voice of Chen Hsiu-fen
Kaohsiung agriculture official
We determined that the macaque strayed away from the pack in Chaishan.

The areas surrounding Chaishan and Shoushan Zoo are packed with macaques. It is unknown why one of them decided to venture into the city, where it was spotted making the trip to the Neiwei Arts Center, the popular Liuhe Night Market, and finally Linsen 1st Road, which is at least 6km away. The Kaohsiung Agricultural Bureau says the sightings are indeed the same monkey, a macaque that has been taken for a checkup at the zoo and will be released at a future date. With monkeys traveling deeper into the city, the question now is how to strike a balance of coexistence.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#monkey #macaque #funny #lol #kaohsiung #news #taiwannews

2026-07-21