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Chemical Society short film on cancer tech seeks to make science fun

Bringing together experts from across disciplines as scientific advisors, the Chemical Society of Taiwan recently produced the short film Through Chemistry’s Realm. The film explores treating cancer cells in a dog’s body, aiming to make complex scientific concepts into an easily understood, lively, and engaging storyline for everyone to enjoy.

When you were struggling to memorize the periodic table of elements for school, did you ever imagine it could become instantly simpler when done with a fitness routine?

Then we take a microscopic perspective as we enter the body of a dog named Ha-chiu to fight his cancer cells. The Chemical Society of Taiwan gathered input from many scientific advisors for this short collaborative film entitled Through Chemistry’s Realm.

Chen Yu-ju
Academia Sinica vice president
As scientists, we describe our work through experiments, data, and academic papers. But for film, it’s a completely different world. If these pop films can reach kids and plant a seed of scientific curiosity, I think that would be the most important outcome of this entire journey.

Complex scientific concepts such as cryo-electron microscopy and targeted therapies were converted into easily accessible and entertaining clues to the story and visuals. Over four years of prep work, the process certainly tested everyone’s creativity. At the premiere, cast members Wayne Song and Louis Chiang shared their experience making the film.

Wayne Song
Actor
We had to do the national fitness routine while reciting the periodic table. I memorized it back in high school, but for the film, I had to memorize a homophone version of it, which was a bit challenging for me.

Louis Chiang
Actor
Integrating three or four chemistry concepts into a short 20-minute film was honestly a bit tough for a humanities-oriented brain like mine to pull off.

The film is available to watch on YouTube alongside an extended learning website, while a themed exhibition has simultaneously opened at National Taiwan University’s Shih-liang Hall for a seven-month run. Through rich storytelling, the creators hope to make it easier for everyone to make sense of science and Taiwan’s scientific achievements.

#chemistry #science #ChemicalSocietyofTaiwan #AcademiaSinica #shortfilm #educationalfilm #cancerresearch

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2026-09-22

Local Yunlin candidate features giant cockroach in campaign poster

You know election season has arrived when streets and alleys across Taiwan become covered in campaign posters. Tseng Chiang-chuan, a candidate to represent Yunlin’s Dounan Township, went with an unusual mascot choice—a giant cockroach. The candidate explained that when spoken quickly, the Taigi pronunciation of his name sounds like “cockroach.” Throughout his previous four terms leading his village, his constituents all called him the “cockroach warden.”

It’s hard to tell what’s on this campaign banner as it whips in the breeze. There’s no way that could be right. A nearby billboard should be clearer...

There’s a massive cockroach right in the center! It must be a printing error. Why would the candidate feature a cockroach so prominently? Let’s ask the man himself, candidate for Dounan Township representative Tseng Chiang-chuan.

Tseng Chiang-chuan
Dounan Township representative candidate
When I was a kid in elementary school, I was very mischievous. The sound of my name morphed into the nickname “Cockroach,” and people have been calling me that ever since.

If you say the name Chiang-chuan fast in Taigi, it starts to sound like the the word for cockroach. This resident said it more clearly.

- When we were kids, “Kang-tsuân” became “ka-tsuâ.” Everyone in Dounan calls him Cockroach. We have a lot of nicknames here. Like me, I run a breakfast shop selling hamburgers, so everyone calls me Burger.

Tseng previously served a warden of Jiushe Village for four terms, where his constituents all knew him as the “cockroach warden.” After an eight-year break from politics, he’s running for office once more. Afraid people have forgotten his real name, he decided to put the cockroach on his posters as a reminder.

- He’s been a warden for many years, so everyone’s very used to him.

- He was warden for a few terms. He did a good job!

In nearby Douliu, there’s another unique name. This candidate for Yunlin County Council is named Liao-something-chun. But how do you pronounce the middle character? Some people say yung, while others see hsu. So which is it?

Liao Chang-chun
Yunlin County Council candidate (NPP)
People tend to pronounce characters based on the components, so they usually say “yung.” I’ve noticed that people get tripped up when they see this character, so I added a phonetic guide to all my posters.

With so many people mispronouncing it, this candidate included an explainer on his promotional materials to help people remember while also leaving a lasting impression.

#2026election #campaign #campaignposter #candidate #cockroach #Yunlin #nickname

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2026-09-22

Huge Fumeancats inflatable at port celebrates Keelung’s 400th B-day

The city of Keelung is celebrating its fourth centennial, and to celebrate it, its famous port is getting a super cute, super huge decoration. Keelung Mayoral Candidate Tung Zi-wei joined forces with Fumeancats to put up a 15m inflatable kitty right on the water. The installation will be there for a whole two months.

Tung himself boarded a boat to take the cat out for a walk and drag it to its spot in the middle of the harbor for a test. People crowded the area, taking photos of the spectacle. With the city’s 400th birthday, Tung says he hopes everyone will get reacquainted with Keelung and its history, while creating new memories. He hopes the cute cat will get people traveling to the seaside promenade and get to know the city anew.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#taiwan #cute #cats #keelung #anniversary

2026-09-22

Mid Autumn Fest meat demand has suppliers raising white flags

With the long weekend just around the corner, the market for barbecue supplies is booming! Wholesale barbecue suppliers are completely swamped. To handle the surge in orders, one business owner is turning to friends and family for help. They begin working in the early mornings until 3 or 4am and see daily revenue exceed NT$1 million. Popular items such as meat skewers or handmade meat rolls are in high demand. Even a daily output of 5,000 skewers is failing to meet demand. Despite preparing an inventory worth over NT$10 million, the rapid surge in demand is forcing suppliers to decline new orders.

Here are freshly grilled skewers with their tempting marbling and mouth-watering aroma. For just one bite, the barbecue factory is swamped with work.

Inside the cardboard boxes, the meat is sorted by type and loaded into crates in batches before being moved to the freezer. Every day the barbecue ingredients are shipped directly from the factory to wholesalers.

- Orders surged unexpectedly on the 21st, so we stopped accepting new ones. Still, there are over 100 pending orders.

Aside from the pre-orders, they have many walk-in customers who bring their freezers to stock up.

Customer
Loyal to this supplier
I’ve been coming here to buy for the Mid-Autumn Festival for years; everything is already skewered, so there’s no cleanup involved.

Tang Shih-ching
FTV reporter
What’s the best way to enjoy barbecue? In my hand, I have 20-inch barbecue meat skewers - they go through hundreds of packs daily in sales. Even inside this massive walk-in freezer, where stock is constantly being replenished, demand cannot be met.

Since August, sales have surpassed NT$10 million. However, the pace of incoming orders is much faster than the supplier’s ability to meet them, leaving them no choice but to surrender and press pause on new orders.

Yang Chien-huang
Barbecue meat supplier
Starting this week, we asked friends and family to come and help. We’ve been busy since 10am and work until 3 or 4am, since yesterday we have reached our limit. We generated over NT$1 million in sales in a single day, and much of our stock was completely wiped out.

Long-term partners and live streaming channels place orders ranging from tens of thousands to over a million. Although they secured their stock a month in advance, the unpredictable surge of large orders from individual customers is very intense.

Yang Chien-huang
Barbecue meat supplier
Every day, we prepare 5,000 meat skewers; we deliver more than 10,000 in a day. This is all handmade; there is no way to meet Mid Autumn Festival demands.

To keep costs down, suppliers stocked up on materials in advance and absorbed a portion of the price hike themselves. With production capacity hitting the 10-million-unit limit, the entire workforce is pulling all-nighters to meet the sales peak during this important season.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#midautumnfestival #barbecue #meatskewers #bbq #meatmadness

2026-09-22

Hermes Testing Solutions debuts on OTC market

Hermes Testing Solutions made its OTC market debut on Tuesday with a record-high underwriting price of NT$2,250 per share. And it didn’t stop there. The semiconductor testing company’s shares went on a honeymoon rally, skyrocketing by 110% to close up at NT$4,730. The lucky winners in the IPO allotment are now sitting on an unrealized profit of up to NT$2.48 million. The company says it has plans to expand into advanced packaging equipment and silicon photonics testing. Let’s hear more.

Wang Tzu-chien
Hermes Testing Solutions general manager
I would like to thank all our many investors for having so much confidence in us. We expect our performance this year to be even better than last year, and next year better than this one. We’re already providing services on a small scale in silicon photonics testing, and we plan to ramp that up next year. Our advanced packaging reflow equipment is also looking good. Our main focus is two years from now, as next year our goal is to continue laying the groundwork and start seeing some returns.

Wayne Chen
President Capital Management
Aspeed Technology already broke past NT$20,000. That’s the price of a house! And still it’s hitting new highs. The market is waiting for the meeting between Trump and Xi on Thursday. If the meet eases trade tensions and companies reach deals in AI, it could be a big boost to Taiwan shares.

Hermes Testing Solutions has become the third-largest stock on the OTC market, which is led by Aspeed Technology. For the latter, it took less than seven months for shares to go from about NT$10,000 to a whopping N$20,905, becoming the first company ever to break past NT$20,000. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s stock market opened high, before surging by 900 points, hitting a record intraday high of 48,601 points. Though the gains deflated by the end of the session, the market finished at a tidy 47,800 points, a new record high closing figure.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#shares #market #technology #hermes #aspeed

2026-09-22

NTUE back on the stage for National Day celebration

The Goodwill Ambassador Team at National Taipei University of Education has once again been selected for the National Day welcoming ceremony after a three-year hiatus. This year they come equipped with brand-new uniforms, skills in foreign languages, good looks, and physical fitness. Some members resemble celebrities, such as Ruby Lin and Ella Chen. Today, they showcased the results of their training. Let’s see.

- It’s so hot! The sun is so strong, can anyone help me?
- The venue has seating arrangements, let me ask the security officer for you.

Lin Yi-yun
FTV Reporter
With their sweet smiles and professional performance, these are the goodwill ambassadors of National Taipei University of Education. Let’s take a look at the results of the training.

After a three-year break from the spotlight, National Taipei University of Education has returned for the National Day stage. With perfect posture and gestures, even their movements are in sync. Looking closer, some of their faces resemble celebrities. One looks like Ruby Lin and another like Ella Chen.

Tung Ssu-hsien
National Taipei University of Education
I personally think I look similar to Ruby Lin because my mother looks like her. This is a photo of my mother when she was younger. I look like Ruby Lin because of my mother’s genes.

Yin Wen-hsin
National Taipei University of Education
At first, I thought, “Really?” because I only started hearing this in high school. Then my friends made a video, and I thought my personality was similar to Ella Chen. We are both the ones responsible for creating a lively atmosphere and being cheerful.

Good looks are not the only thing you need to serve National Day ceremonial guests, foreign language skills are also essential. Every member of the group is fluent in a foreign language. Standing on the big stage is not just about having a pretty smile.

Tung Po-shou
Chairman of International Protocol and Goodwill Association
There are a total of five universities that will provide protocol services for the National Day celebrations. They will oversee etiquette, verbal communication, and crisis management. They will be running around the track and undergoing rigorous training. This training started two years ago, with long intensive sessions three times a week.

On the surface, the National Day ceremony is wonderful and elegant. Behind it, however, lies rigorous and demanding training. With the event just around the corner, members continue to prepare to bring their best performance for the big stage.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#nationalday #goodwillambassador #ntue #rubylin #ellachen #taiwan

2026-09-22

Health ministry launches rewards program for taking care of yourself

Starting October, taking good care of your health will come with benefits. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is rolling out a program in which completing certain health missions rewards users with Health Tokens that can be redeemed for goods and services. The tasks include actions such as going for health checkups, cancer screenings or getting vaccinated. The tokens can be exchanged starting December, with rewards including exercise and sports related products.

A new rewards program will soon offer Health Tokens to people who take good care of their physical wellbeing. Officials held a press conference on Tuesday to launch the program, with familiar faces such as Minister without Portfolio Chen Shih-chung and Health Minister Shih Chung-liang.

Shih Chung-liang
Minister of Health and Welfare
Our main goal is to encourage everyone to complete the tasks, especially during the first month. The app features a list of all the things you can redeem your Health Tokens for. During this first phase, it’s as if you were shopping online, exchanging the tokens for exercise-related benefits or products. You receive a QR code that you can use to redeem the goods.

Now, being on top of your health to-dos, actually pays off. There are three ways to earn Health Tokens. If you’re aged 18 and up, it’s as easy as downloading the NHI’s Health Passbook app, and ticking off the lists of tasks to get tokens. The missions include tasks like health checkups, cancer screenings and vaccinations. Then, in December, the tokens can be exchanged for products and other rewards.

Shih Chung-liang
Minister of Health and Welfare
We hope the program can be sustained, because we want to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles and habits. We wanted to make it accessible to everyone, so in this initial phase, all our partners operate nationwide. In the future, we may work with partners locally, such as county and city governments. Many of them already have reward programs of their own.

The program aims to encourage people to stop procrastinating screenings and vaccinations, and take better care of themselves. With tangible rewards to be had, the ministry hopes people will have extra motivation to take their health seriously.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#health #tokens #healthandwelfare #rewards #taiwan

2026-09-22

Bus with smashed-up window stays on road for weeks in Tainan

Would you sit next to a smashed up window on a bus? For most of us, that would be a resolute no. But that didn’t stop a bus in Tainan from traveling all around the city for weeks with a broken window. The situation was captured on video by a commuter, who said he first saw the shattered glass in late August. Let’s hear more.

Voice of Mr. Yen (anonymized)
Saw smashed window
It’s extremely dangerous. Just think about it contracting in the cold and expanding in the heat. Or if the bus shakes a little bit too much, it could all come crashing down on passengers, and cutting them. It’s so scary. I was sitting further back, but it wouldn’t be safe anyway. I saw the broken window on the bus in Tainan on Aug. 29, before the school year started.

Ms. Hsiao
Bus company
The window broke due to a rock that was kicked up from the ground during weed-cutting work. The window is laminated glass, which forms a spiderweb pattern instead of shattering or scattering into shards. So it does not pose an immediate danger.

The bus company says that, although the glass may look scary, it does not pose an immediate danger to passengers. Still, the bus has been removed from circulation while the window is replaced, which should put passengers at ease.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#bus #transit #urban #citylife #tainan

2026-09-22

Convenience store sells shelf-stable rice from Japanese emergency prep brand

One of Taiwan’s convenience stores recently partnered with a well-known Japanese brand to provide self-stable rice that can sit at room temperature for a year, intended for customers to always have a stockpile at home for an emergency. Even if there’s no power, it can be heated up with a handwarmer. YouTuber HowHow was tapped to demonstrate how to prepare this “lazy man’s” food.

This simple dish is prepared in a flash, as YouTuber HowHow shows how to heat up this easy microwave meal. But the unassuming rice underneath holds a secret.

HowHow
YouTuber
If you lose water or power, eating only crackers or instant noodles could get old. It would be nice to have rice as well.

Peel back the plastic film, put it in the microwave for 90 seconds, and you have some piping hot rice, ready to eat. A convenience store teamed up with a Japanese brand to offer two kinds of emergency prep rice options: freeze-dried rice that rehydrates after soaking in hot water for 15 minutes, and cooked rice that remains shelf-stable at room temperature for a full year. In an emergency situation where there’s no power or microwave, handwarmers can be used to heat it up instead. But are people willing to try it?

Member of public
Wouldn’t try it
No. Normal rice, if you leave it out for too long, gets weevils and stuff. So I think it’s a bit weird, and I wouldn’t want to eat it.

Member of public
Would try it
I’d give it a try. Since it can last out of the fridge for a year, I’d give it a shot, since you can keep it at home and whenever you want, you can just pull out a pack and heat it up.

The company said that they use a low-temperature process to maintain a sterile environment below 15 degrees Celsius through transport, storage, and milling. Beyond retaining nutrients and freshness, it preserves the natural sweetness and original flavor of the rice.

Yamamoto Sho
Company general manager
Our process, straight from the start of production, ensures that no bacteria can form. You can technically eat it cold if you don’t have a handwarmer to heat it, but as the manufacturer, we don’t really recommend that approach, as cold, hard rice is difficult to digest.

The company hopes to encourage people to create “rolling emergency stockpiles” to prepare for disaster while going about their daily shopping routines.

#gobag #disasterprep #rice #conveniencestore #HowHow #Japan #microwavemeal

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2026-09-22

‘Demon Slayer’ mural draws tourists to rural Penghu township

Wall murals featuring classic series like Demon Slayer and Slam Dunk have become big tourist draws for the small Huxi Township in Penghu. They were all created by artist Pan Hui-chih, a former chief petty officer in the Marine Corps. He returned to his hometown after retiring from the military and began painting again in his free time to add some color to his community while also bringing in more tourists.

Characters from the popular Japanese series Demon Slayer are depicted in vivid color on this mural, attracting visitors from far and wide.

Tourist
Likes the mural
It’s Demon Slayer! It’s pretty special. You can come here to take pictures and post on social media.

There are even katanas for people to take photos with. On another wall, scenes from Slam Dunk are depicted in classic manga style, different from your typical mural. Other walls depict Ultraman and even the artist’s dog.

Tourist
Came to see murals
It’s popular online, so I came to see it for myself.

These murals in Penghu’s Huxi Township are all by Pan Hui-chih, a native of Chenggong Village. Since his mother loves Buddhist art, years ago while serving in the military, he found someone to teach him painting. Then after retiring from service and returning home, he picked it back up. He became inspired by the popularity of anime and taught himself to paint in the style through the internet. He paints the murals in his free time, starting with this Demon Slayer one, which took 150 hours to complete.

Pan Hui-chih
Artist
Painting stories or scenes gives more life to the wall, and brings the residents here closer together.

The murals have become popular spots to post online, drawing scores of curious tourists. The neighbors have even offered to donate their own walls for him to paint.

Hsiao Wen-jui
Chenggong Village Warden
The response has been enormous. Such a talent with such wonderful artwork. We hope he can keep showcasing his skills here in the Chenggong community.

By picking up his brushes again after a long time away from home, this veteran is bringing color back to his community while showing visitors another facet of Penghu’s beauty.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#Penghu #artwork #DemonSlayer #SlamDunk #anime #artist #viral #selftaught

2026-09-22