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Category：Offbeat

Pingtung candidate’s burger-focused election platform sparks debate

Campaigns are heating up for the nine-in-one local elections in November. The mayor of YanpuTownship in Pingtung, Lu Chia-hsuan, can’t run again after serving in office for eight years, leaving four candidates vying for the position. Former ShirongVillage Warden Huang Chih-lin has put forward a proposal to bring a famous southern fast-food chain to Yanpu to boost tourism. As soon as the platform was announced, it sparked heated debate.

Burgers, fried chicken, thick noodle soup, congee… This fast-food restaurant boasts a wide-ranging menu that has long been a favorite in the south.

Chen Shan-shan
FTV reporter
This fast-food brand, a must-visit for many who come to southern Taiwan, unexpectedly became part of a candidate’s campaign platform.

Huang Chih-lin, who formerly served as warden of Shirong Village in Yanpu, is now running for mayor of the Pingtung township. In a Facebook group, he posted a promise that if elected, he will use his connections to convince the company to open a branch in Yanpu.

Hsieh Te-hsien
Yannan Village Warden
If we had a branch here, we wouldn’t need to go to Pingtung City to get it.

- If we want it, we have to go to Pingtung City.

- Sounds good!

Some people approved of the proposal, while others thought it would be better to help local shops instead. This chain restaurant currently has two locations in the county, both in Pingtung City. The candidate’s proposal to bring one to Yanpu has certainly generated buzz.

Huang Chin-lin
Yanpu Township mayoral candidate
We’re serious about this. We generally understand their franchising model. We will use our connections to bring this famous southern burger chain to Yanpu.

The incumbent mayor, Lu Chia-hsuan, won’t be able to run again after serving two consecutive terms, creating a four-way battle for the seat. With everyone eager to win over voters, Huang’s burger-based promise has created quite a stir. But ultimately, it remains to be seen whether voters buy into the idea.

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

#elections #localelections #YanpuTownship #Pingtung #fastfood #electionpromise #campaign

2026-07-30

Pony spotted running down major road in Taipei for third time

During the morning rush hour, drivers heading down Daye Road in Taipei’s Beitou District spotted a pony trotting along the inner lane, as passing cars slowed down to avoid hitting it. Sharp-eyed netizens noticed that it was the same one that got loose back in May, making this the third time the pony been spotted on Taipei’s streets.

A black pony trots down the road as passing cars slow down to avoid it, either afraid of causing an accident or just to confirm what they’re seeing.

Commuters on their way to work captured footage of the pony, which appeared to go all the way from Daye Road to the seventh section of Chengde Road. Sharp-eyed netizens noticed it was the same pony that escaped back in May, and its leg appeared to be injured. Reporters went to find the owner.

Mr. Huang
Farm owner
During the typhoon a few days ago, a tree fell on the electric fence and he escaped all the way to Chengde Road. He has horseshoes. I thought it was the shoe, but it was actually this can. He was just standing innocently by the road as the police looked after him. I brought him home.

Sporting a handsome mane, the runaway known as Fuqi for Good Fortune is now quietly eating grass back at the farm. He was brought up to Beitou from Taitung at the beginning of May. The owner said he escaped twice before out of curiosity. This time, it was because of an unexpected accident.

Mr. Huang
Farm owner
Our priority for now is to fix the fence. If possible, I won’t rule out sending him back to his original farm.

With the help of bystanders who were able to soothe him, the pony calmed down and was led back to the farm by his owner. But after three escapes, the Taipei Animal Protection Office hit the owner with the maximum fine of NT$15,000 under the Animal Protection Act. The little pony’s unexpected stroll down the road gave himself, his owner, and commuters quite a scare!

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

#pony #runaway #Taipei #oddity #equestrianfarm #caughtonvideo #viral

2026-07-30

Brekkie shop owner waiting for Shaolin call after headbutting door

2026-07-29

Half a zebra crossing leaves Taipei pedestrians stranded

Imagine stepping onto a zebra crossing, only for it to disappear halfway across the road. That’s exactly what happened at a busy intersection in Taipei’s Shilin District, where partially erased road markings left pedestrians stranded in the middle of traffic. The bizarre sight sparked confusion and safety concerns, especially because it’s right next to a popular children’s amusement park. City officials now admit the contractor made a mistake and say they’ll add signs to explain the new traffic layout.

- The zebra crossing is gone!

The zebra crossing marks disappears bang in the middle of the road. In deep disbelief, the local borough warden posted a video about it on social media. But the markings have yet to reappear.

Lee Shih-chen
FTV reporter
I’m at the site of the video 12 hours later. The markings are nowhere to be seen, but in the distance, you can see the zebra crossing starts out of nowhere. So can you cross? Or not?

Parent
Stumped at crossing
It’s so dangerous. If I get there, I’d wonder whether it’s OK to cross or not.

Parent
Stumped at crossing
If there’s road work, they should put up a sign saying you should cross somewhere else. The markings only reach halfway across.

The dark areas show that there used to be a zebra crossing that was removed at some point. Pedestrians crossing from the painted side are left stuck right in the middle of the road. What’s worse, this crossing is right next to the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park, meaning there’s lots of parents with kids here.

Chi Chien-han
Hougang Borough Warden
They park there and they have to cross the road to get to the amusement park, or to the Shuangxi wetland park, which is also a popular spot. The government should be paying more attention to safety during road work, and put up signs.

Voice Hsu Chuan-lun
Taipei Traffic Engineering Office
We’re really sorry for this incident. We will be adding signage this afternoon to let the public know that the traffic management measures in this area will be a bit different.

The Taipei City Government says the contractors made a mistake, saying that the zebra crossing should have been completely erased, as the road markings have changed. But with no signs to explain the change, the new layout has caused plenty of confusion.

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

#zebracrossing #road #traffic #lanemanagement #urbanplanning #cityplanning

2026-07-28

Shifen trip to set off sky lanterns almost ends in hospital trip

A fun trip to set off sky lanterns almost ended with a hospital visit in the town of Shifen in New Taipei. The town is famous around the world, with tourists flocking to the area to take picturesque photos and videos of lanterns being released into the sky from the railway tracks. But this past weekend, one of the lanterns floating away turned into a fiery projectile. The bundle of burning paper used as fuel detached itself from the lantern and came crashing down on the crowd, right next to a visitor’s feet. The lantern itself then crashed against an electrical transformer box, which could have started a fire. Let’s hear more.

Visitor
Shifen
It’s quite dangerous if it falls on someone.

Visitor
Shifen
Maybe it’s the design, or maybe they should’ve secured it better.

Visitor
Shifen
It’s really dangerous, and it could start a fire! I’ll only be buying stickers here. I haven’t set off any lanterns and I don’t plan to.

Lantern shop owner
Unrelated to incident
Usually, you only have seven, eight or nine sheets. If you put too many it will likely fly further. But if the wind blows it down, it could fall.

Lantern shop owner
Unrelated to incident
If you don’t hook the fuel paper properly, it could fall off when the lantern rises to the sky. When we turn the lantern around, we check that it’s caught on tightly. Otherwise, it’s dangerous.

Sky lanterns have a long tradition in Shifen, where they were originally used as a tool for communication. Releasing a lantern to the sky symbolized safety for all to see. But now the tradition has morphed into a way for people to make wishes. There have been many incidents over the years, as fire and paper are the perfect recipe for a spectacular blaze. In one recent incident caught on camera, a lantern drifted into a local resident’s balcony, where clothes were hanging up to dry. The lantern crashed against the stand, causing a fire that burned the garments.

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

#shifen #taiwantourism #skylantern #magical #wishes

2026-07-27

Staff at all-you-can-eat buffet go on mad chase after rat

2026-07-27

Hong Kongers come to Taiwan to see golden retriever, leave money for treats

A golden retriever named Cola who lives at a scooter repair shop in New Taipei’s Banqiao District went viral thanks to a video of him hopping onto a police scooter. The owner regularly posts videos of Cola interacting with people, building a loyal online fan base. Recently, a pair of tourists from Hong Kong came especially to see their favorite celebrity dog. They tried to give cash to the owner to buy treats, but he refused, so the couple shoved the money into his hand and bolted before he had a chance to return it.

Tourists with backpacks walk into a scooter repair shop and shove some bills into the mechanic’s hand before running away. He tries to chase after them to return the money, but they start running faster. The couple traveled from Hong Kong specifically to give him money for dog treats.

The owner of this shop in New Taipei’s Banqiao District keeps a golden retriever named Cola. The dog became an overnight celebrity after he was caught on camera blocking a police scooter and jumping on for a ride. Thanks to his friendly antics, Cola already has over 36,000 followers on social media.

Hung Chiao-hsuan
FTV reporter
This is Cola, the golden retriever who drew tourists all the way from Hong Kong just to see him. He’s super friendly and will run right up to anyone who comes by.

Cola’s owner
Some tourists from Hong Kong came after seeing him online. They shoved money in my hand to buy treats for him. But I figured, since they’re visitors, it wouldn’t be right to take their money. So I donated it to stray dogs in need.

From a tiny three-month-old puppy, to a three-year-old giant weighing in at 43kg, Cola may be older, but he hasn’t lost his energy. As soon as he sees someone, his tail starts wagging uncontrollably.

Cola’s owner
When we’re busy with work, we can’t pay attention to him every second. So when people come by and play with him, it actually makes things easier on us.

- I came to fix my bike, but the mechanic said it isn’t necessary.
- It doesn’t need fixing yet.
- So you stayed to play with the dog?
- Yeah.

The owner shared the donation receipt to show that all the money from the tourists went toward an organization that helps strays, helping even more dogs receive good care.

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

#dog #goldenretriever #mechanic #viralpet #charity #Colathedog #Banqiao

2026-07-28

Residents hand paint their own traffic signage in alley, causing crash

Some residents living in a small alley in Banqiao have taken both their creativity and the law into their own hands. They’ve painted their own traffic signage in the alley with garish colors and an obvious home-made feel. This has already caused a motorcyclist to have an accident by slipping on one of their hand-painted markings. And, unsurprisingly, the police say this is all illegal. Let’s find out more.

A motorcyclist rode into an alley and ran over a patch of paint on the ground. The vehicle then got out of control and the rider crashed. On closer inspection, the motorcyclist realized that the asphalt road here looked a little, well, unusual.

The entire area is covered in garish paint, complete with crooked yellow dotted lines and traffic signs never seen anywhere else—it’s like stepping into another world.

Hung Chiao-hsuan
FTV reporter
Returning to the scene of the accident, we can actually see that the traffic markings on the asphalt road are extremely sloppy and even include simplified Chinese characters.

This mysterious alley is located near Songbai Street in Banqiao District, New Taipei City. The yellow area means no littering, the red circle means no cigarette butts, and the yellow dotted line means be careful of uneven road surfaces. These are not official traffic signs, but rather signage painted by the residents themselves.

Resident
Painted the traffic directions
We painted these ourselves. The Transportation Department didn’t paint these lines. Like that slow sign, I spray painted that myself too. That corner is very dangerous, often downhill and a blind spot. We spray painted this all ourselves.

This alley only leads to one household. People are questioning if they are treating a public road as their private property. However, those involved say they have good intentions. They want to beautify the environment, improve traffic and make the place even more vibrant.

Resident
Painted the traffic directions
My wife just does what she feels like. She wanted to paint blue colors and green in the back. It’s just to keep this place clean and look nice.

However, private individuals are strictly prohibited from drawing markings on public roads—especially using regular paint, which has already caused a motorcyclist to slip and fall.

Cheng Yu-wen
Traffic police officer
The Transportation Department and Banqiao District Office have been notified to restore the road. For the unauthorized installation or alteration of traffic signs and markings, and the arbitrary placement of obstacles, our precinct will issue a citation for this violation in accordance with Article 82 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act.

Road markers can’t be painted by individuals on a whim, nor can the public invent their own traffic rules, or they’ll end up being ticketed and fined.

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

#Taiwantraffic #Taiwancreatives #Roadsafety #crazycreatives #creatives

2026-07-24

Austrian student who swam in Love River could be fined NT$25,000

A late night stroll alongside Kaohsiung’s Love River is free, a river cruise sets you back NT$150, but a late night dip is the most expensive experience of all, as the maximum fine for swimming in the river is NT$25,000. Two exchange students from Austria were sipping on cold adult beverages when the boyfriend decided the best way to cool off would be jumping in, an innocent mistake that could have costly consequences.

- You can’t swim here
- Sorry sorry

Fearing someone had accidentally fallen into Kaohsiung’s Love River, police rushed over to the shore, where they saw a foreign exchange student enjoying a late night swim.

-This is a river, not a swimming pool. We’re here at the scene, It was a foreigner imming;
no one fell into the river

The male student quickly got out of the water and put on his shirt. His girlfriend, who is also a student from Austria, looked nervous as she stood on the riverside walkway. At 1 am this morning, the couple realized that not even cold adult beverages could cool them down in the heat of the Kaohsiung night, so the 22-year-old boyfriend took a late night dip, which he later realized could be a costly error.

- You need to go to the police station
- This might be a finable offense

Apparently, the Love River is for lovers, not swimmers. The police later notified Kaohsiung’s Tourism Bureau, who will fine the Austrian national anywhere between NT$5,000 and NT$25,000.

Chien Chun-cheng
Kaohsiung Police Department
This case will be handled according to Article 13 of the Kaohsiung City Self-Government Ordinance for the Management of Love River.

Despite the city government’s recent policy of “returning the river to the people,” currently only a few areas allow people into the water, providing that they use non-motorized floating devices. People are not allowed to swim wherever and whenever they please.

Riverside exerciser
Proponent of swimming safety
You can’t swim in Love River. People drowned in it before. It’s dangerous.

Member of public
Advised against swimming in river
The river’s gotten a lot cleaner ever since the government started regulating it. But still it’s not a good place to swim like that, because there’s dangerous aspects involved.

Visitors from other countries might not be familiar with local laws, but even a fine of NT$25,000 will hurt much less than a swimming experience that ends in tragedy.

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

#intheheatofthenight #LoveRiver #Kaohsiung #Austria #swimming #latenightswim

2026-07-24

Construction site workers caught harness-free on 3rd floor beams

2026-07-24