Fugang Rail Art Festival offers smorgasbord of cultural experiences

2022-07-26

Fans of art and railways come together. When’’s that? It’’s Fugang Rail Art Festival, the rural Taoyuan festival brings train buffs and artists together for a summer celebration. This year dozens of sculptures are installed on the streets of the town, inspired by local history and culture. And lots of performances and interactive events will get visitors of all ages excited about Taiwan’s railways.

Short legs, looooong body. This 300-kilo sausage dog really has a twinkle in its eye. You might never guess it’s made from recycled train parts.

Yeh Shih-chin
Installation artist
The forehead is made of the latch from a train carriage. It took me more than a month to conceive of this and put it together.

The Fugang Rail Art Festival launches on July 28. Anyone who’s into unusual art will enjoy the exhibits. Twenty-seven pieces of art will take the stage along with various events inspired by Hakka culture and the railways.

Kuo Yi-chen
Installation artist
I researched some Fugang history. It used to be a distribution center with a rice granary. So I used a topographic map of the plateau with contour lines, to study the human geography of Fugang.

Chang Hui-lan
Installation artist
Based on this, I found lots of old imagery and local flavors, and then I translated these things.

The festival radiates from Fugang Train Station to the surrounding streets, encompassing physical installations as well as six performance art pieces and 11 public events. Visitors will enjoy a smorgasbord of experiences.

Chuang Hsiu-mei
Taoyuan Bureau of Cultural Affairs
From July 28 to August 18, come and jump into our experiences and events! Take part in our performance art! Bring a bicycle and explore this little town at your leisure.

There are lots of little alleyways to get lost down here. With such an array of different attractions to choose from, you could enjoy weeks in Fugang this summer.

富岡鐵道藝術節7/28登場 "300公斤臘腸狗"吸睛

2022-07-26

2022桃園富岡鐵道藝術節，將在7月28號登場。活動邀請17位藝術家，創作27件精彩的裝置藝術作品，其中有個利用報廢火車零件，組成的300公斤臘腸狗超吸睛。除此之外，還有6場表演音樂演出、11場主題活動體驗，邀請民眾盡情享受在地風情。

短短的腿，配上長長身體，這隻重達300公斤臘腸狗，活靈活現。而更讓人想不到的是，這充滿童趣的裝置藝術，是用報廢的火車零件所組成。

[[裝置藝術家葉時進]]
“這個額頭是火車的門扣。構思、拼湊，大概花了一個多月的時間。”

喜愛裝置藝術，和鐵道迷朋友有福了，桃園楊梅富岡鐵道藝術節，將在本月28號登場，邀來藝術家創作27件裝置藝術，並舉辦各式鐵道、以及客家元素活動。

[[裝置藝術家郭奕臣]]
“調查了一些富岡的歷史，它以前是一個米倉的集散地，所以用了一個地質上，台地的等高線地形圖，去丈量富岡的人文地理。”

[[裝置藝術家張惠蘭]]
“依據這裡面找到很多的老的意象，在地的風情，透過這個再把它轉譯。”

活動從富岡火車站，延伸至周邊街區，除了藝術作品，還規劃了6場表演音樂演出、11場主題活動，讓遊客盡情體驗在地人文風情。

[[桃園文化局長莊秀美]]
“7/28到8/18期間，(歡迎民眾)踴躍來報名參加我們的體驗活動，也來參加我們的表演藝術活動，也來騎著腳踏車，好好的漫遊這個小鎮。”

民眾可漫遊巷弄小鎮，並透過一系列精采活動，深入了解在地故事，讓這座充滿底蘊的小鎮，變得熱鬧活絡。

Cantonese fusion cuisine brings in influences from Japan and Europe

2022-07-26

Kanner Foundation struggles with plummet in sales and donations since COVID

The pandemic has hit charities around the world. In Taiwan, the Kanner Foundation saw donations and product sales plummet. The Kanner Foundation provides a home, fulfilling work and lifelong care for adults with Kanner’s Syndrome, a kind of autism. The foundation’s cakes are famous nationwide. But now the organization says it needs help to plug the gap created by COVID.

With guidance from the teacher, this student carefully removes stones from these dates. Other students are on packing. The weight of each package is checked. The sweets are all made by hand in the Kanner Foundation of Taiwan. But the pandemic cut deep into Mid-Autumn Festival sales this year. The students have less work to do.

Chang Su-mei
Kanner Foundation of Taiwan
Our sales volume is drastically reduced. Our donations from the general public have fallen by half as well. Our kids learn while working, and then their emotions are more stable. So now we notice that with less chance for them to work, they have more emotional turbulence. And that makes more work for our teachers.

Normally, Mid-Autumn Festival orders are piling up by July. But this year, they’re just 10% of pre-COVID levels. And with lots of weddings canceled due to the pandemic, wedding pastry sales are down 90% too.

Students show off their creations with pride. The foundation is hoping more people will step up to help. All their profits go to support the students and run their “village” in Taoyuan’s Longtan District.

Chang Su-mei
Kanner Foundation of Taiwan
We have a lot of diverse services. Although the buildings aren’t finished yet, we have many other facilities, such as the farm garden. There are kids living there already. They get to know the place very fast, and have great interactions with people in wider society.

The village has space to house 60 foundation members. Some people with autism age early, and when their parents are elderly, they may need specialist care. Members of the foundation also take care of each other. But with the pandemic causing trouble, everyone is working harder.

2022-07-26

Badminton player Tai Tzu-ying firmly at world No. 2, Hsu Wen-chi rises to No. 38

2022-07-26

Exhibition allows visitors to travel through time thanks to 4K technology

With the Metaverse and 5G gaining popularity, a new immersive exhibition aiming to bring the audience to different time periods has kicked off in Taipei. Through 4K technology, Taiwanese designers have created eight different time periods. Visitors can take a trip to the early 2000s and get a glimpse of what the future in the year 3148 could be like. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the details.

One second you are in 2010, when vaporwave was popular.

Then, a few minutes later, teleport to the year 3148 and get a glimpse of what the future could be like. Another scene allows visitors to experience life in space and walk on the moon.

Member of public
The images of Hong Kong stood out to me because it was very colorful. The other scene that stood out to me was outer space. I think it is great. The exhibition can achieve an educational effect, and is especially suitable for children. There are places we don’’t have easy access to, but through this exhibition we can see things that we don’’t see often.

Member of Public
This is an innovative experience. It is not just a performance space but also a multifunctional space. Immersive performances are very innovative.

Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
If you find four keys, you’’ll get a chance to win a prize.

This is an immersive exhibition held by Taiwan’’s first 5G immersive stadium. Taiwanese designers have jointly created eight different scenes through 4K imaging technology.

Chao Chuan-ling
AMBI SPACE ONE
This time, it is all made by the Taiwanese production team. Every picture and every piece of music is made by a Taiwanese team. It’s the summer vacation, everyone is probably sick of being locked up at home. And since we can’t can’’t go abroad, there are many peculiar places you can go virtually. Since the Metaverse is popular now, people want to know how they’d see themselves outside the Metaverse? Here, we take you to eight different fantasy scenes. Can you imagine what the year 3148 will look like? What about visiting a magical castle in the Middle Ages? You can experience it all here.

Organizers hope that through the exhibition, visitors can expand their imagination and travel through time.

2022-07-26

Air Force and Navy conduct joint drills off Yilan to simulate a Chinese attack

2022-07-26

Electric usage on Monday peaks to second-highest figure recorded

Electricity usage continues to hit new highs as the summer heat continues. Taiwan on Monday saw a peak usage of 40.67 million kilowatts, the second highest figure ever recorded. But with localized blackouts in the evening and the operating reserve dropping under 10% on Tuesday, concerns are floating about the stability of Taiwan’’s power supply.

It’s hot out. Pedestrians brave the scorching sun with umbrellas and sunglasses. At home, the air con is on at least 12 hour a day. On Monday, Taiwan’s electricity usage peaked at 40.67 million kilowatts, the second highest figure ever recorded. But in the evening, blackouts took over areas of Xinzhuang in New Taipei and Wanhua in Taipei, leaving about 4,000 households in each district without electricity. Economics minister Wang Mei-hua addressed the issue on Tuesday.

Wang Mei-hua
Minister of economic affairs
The causes for the recent blackouts fall under three types, more or less. One is device malfunction. Another one is animals that cause faults in the system. And the other is accidents in which equipment is hit by an external force. It’s very hot lately, and everyone has the air con on at home. So whenever there is a blackout at night, everyone feels it more.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs says the exceptionally hot weather has caused a surge in air con usage. Last Friday alone, low-voltage electricity users used 694,000 kilowatts of electricity more than the day with highest usage in 2021. On Tuesday, the operating reserve went down to 9.36%, causing the power supply alert to flash yellow.

Wang Mei-hua
Minister of economic affairs
International fuel prices are very high. And private cogeneration is down. On top of that, we have to purchase electricity from Taipower. That has caused electric usage to grow. Taipower is negotiating contracts with the relevant cogeneration companies

The minister says that during the day, solar power can help meet demand, and at night, hydropower can offer a boost to the grid, to ensure a stable supply.

2022-07-26

Deluge of post-pandemic passport renewals hits Bureau of Consular Affairs

A trickle of passport applications is growing into a deluge. As borders open, and it gets easier to travel abroad, more and more people want their passports renewed. There’’s a backlog of people who let their passport expire in the pandemic. In the first half of this year, the same number was renewed as in all of 2021.

The ultimate travel essential is a passport. In the last two years, almost 2.6 million Taiwanese passports expired. With borders closed, their owners didn’t bother to renew them. Now as the end of COVID looms on the horizon, the Bureau of Consular Affairs is getting a growing stream of renewal applications.

Member of public
I’m getting my mother-in-law’s passport renewed. I did my own in May or June. I think there are many more people here today.

Member of public
I wanted to get mine done in advance, to save trouble later. There’s still two years until it expires.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says 1.74 million people renewed their passport in 2019, before the pandemic began. In 2020, just 310,000 passports were renewed – in 2021, just 230,000. In the first seven months of this year, about the same number of people already got their passport renewed. This July, there were 180% more renewals than in July 2021.

Member of public
I couldn’t come back before, because of the pandemic. Then my passport expired. So now I’m back and getting my passport done again.

Member of public
I was preparing to buy plane tickets when I realized it had expired, so I came straight here to get an extension.

And getting a new passport requires supporting documents. Some photo studio owners say their business has mushroomed 20%, with many customers needing a rush service.

Chiang Yu-tsan
Photo studio
Some people are in a rush because they want to go on vacation this summer. Mostly it’s people going to Korea, or Thailand. Some have come back from Canada or the U.S. and need supporting documentation.

Many countries are opening their borders again and travel is booming. If you’re planning a getaway, make sure your passport won’t be a stumbling block.

2022-07-26

Premier Su and CECC head Wang say COVID measures will be lifted gradually

Premier Su Tseng-chang and CECC head Victor Wang on Tuesday attended a ceremony to celebrate 50 years of Taipei Hospital. The officials were asked questions about Taiwan’’s approach to easing COVID measures. Su said the lifting of COVID rules would be gradual and cautious, as COVID is still raging around the world. Meanwhile, Wang said he had been meeting with experts from many fields to find the best way forward.

Premier Su Tseng-chang attended a ceremony celebrating 50 years of Taipei Hospital. With him, was the new health minister Hsueh Jui-yuan and the new CECC head Victor Wang. Su thanked medical professionals for being at the front line of Taiwan’s defenses against COVID. He said that, moving forward, easing Taiwan’s COVID measures will require plenty of caution.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
Taiwan’s COVID situation is indeed easing. Everyone has complied very well with the measures. But abroad, COVID is raging. We still must be cautious when assessing how to open our borders.

Victor Wang
CECC
About 60% percent of the infected children with severe COVID are young children. Their protection is extremely important for us. So we are making that an important indicator. We hope that vaccine coverage among young children can be a bit higher before we ease measures further.

Officials say there is no plan yet to completely do away with arrival quarantines. Especially since vaccines only recently rolled out for young children, who are at higher risk of severe symptoms. Since taking on the reins as CECC head, Wang has consulted health experts about Taiwan’s COVID measures.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Wang shared two pictures, one with National Taiwan University College of Public Health Professor Chen Hsiu-hsi and another with Academia Sinica Institute of Biomedical Sciences researcher Ho Mei-shang. In the caption, Wang said that, as CECC commander, learning and exchanging views with all sorts of experts was the way to devise good policies.

Victor Wang
CECC head
I asked them for advice in person, and talked about other relevant issues more deeply. For example, I discussed the higher-than expected death rate and relevant issues with Professor Chen Hsiu-hsi, as that’s his expertise. So I asked him questions in person. It was the same with Dr. Ho Mei-shang. She offered some great guidance on analyzing vulnerable groups, on Taiwan’s domestically developed vaccines and on the future development of COVID.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
Let’s unite and work together against COVID and for economic recovery. We’ll continue working for the good of the people.

Premier Su said the government would work to ensure the economy recovers in the last stretch against COVID. That is, with caution at every step.

2022-07-26

Four more contacts of patient with BA.5 subvariant test positive

2022-07-26

Japan officials at Ketagalan Forum stress importance of peace in Taiwan Strait

The annual dialogue on Asia-Pacific security, the Ketagalan Forum kicked off on Tuesday. President Tsai Ing-wen took the opportunity to thank former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his contributions to the region. She also emphasized Taiwan’’s commitment to its defense and self-reliance. The forum was attended by scholars and politicians from several countries who discussed regional security, and Taiwan’’s key role as a regional democratic partner.

Through a prerecorded video, President Tsai Ing-wen spoke at this year’s Ketagalan Forum on the topic of security in the Indo-Pacific. Tsai thanked former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his contributions on the matter.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
The former prime minister laid the foundation for stronger regional partnership. Thanks to him, we are better able to uphold the democratic, rules-based order.

In her address to academics from the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia, Tsai underscored the indispensible nature of Taiwan as a regional partner on democracy. She said Taiwan would continue to strive toward progress on defense self-reliance, and the strengthening of its national defense.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
We have set up new facilities to advance domestic development of naval vessels. We have also taken steps to bolster our reserve forces, and we have made substantial investments to enhance our asymmetric warfare capabilities. Together, these efforts are accelerating our progress toward self-sufficiency in national defense.

Kono Taro
Former Japanese minister of defense
How the United States, together with like-minded countries can defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression is the question we need to answer now. If China uses forces against Taiwan, whether we choose or not, Japan will be affected.

Unable to travel to Taiwan due to a COVID infection, former Japanese Defense Minister Kono Taro addressed the forum via video conference, saying that Chinese use of force against Taiwan would impact Japan. Meanwhile, Japanese MP Suzuki Keisuke made his ninth trip to Taiwan to attend the forum in person. In a tweet made the day before, Suzuki said he had experienced his first Wanan air defense drill. Unable to be outside for 30 minutes during the drill was a somber reminder of the threat Taiwan faces, he wrote.

Su Tzu-yun
Institute for National Defense and Security Research
Japan’s latest defense white paper contains 10 pages on Taiwan. This is unprecedented in Japanese history. That is, Japan putting this opposition to China’s use of force to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait into its defense policy. It’s a clear signal.

Japan’s participation at the Ketagalan Forum, and its emphasis on Taiwan in its defense policy reflect a clear development in Japanese policy, and reflect the solid state of Taiwan-Japan relations.

2022-07-26