An abandoned Japanese-era theater has a curious connection to the global film industry.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/03/04
By: James Baron

By Taiwanese standards, the small town of Xiluo (西螺) in Yunlin County (雲林縣) is brimful of attractions.

Bestriding the Zhuoshui River (濁水溪), Taiwan’s longest waterway, there’s the Xiluo Bridge, which was second only to the Golden Gate Bridge in length when completed in 1953.

Then there’s the soy sauce. Towns across Taiwan lay feeble claims to being the center of some bog-standard foodstuff, and foodstuffs in Taiwan don’t come much more bog-standard than soy sauce. Yet, Xiluo has a genuine claim to being the preeminent soy town. Interestingly, while the history of the condiment dates back millennia in China, it wasn’t really a thing in Taiwan until Koxinga brought it over when he sent the Dutch packing in 1662 – or so the story goes.    [FULL  STORY]

This year the committee made it happen again in the most colorful way at Luguanghe’an Park (綠光河岸公園) near Dingxi MRT Station, the same venue as last year’s

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/03/04
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–The India Culture Committee of Taipei (ICCT) has organized the

Indian spring festival HOLI consecutively in Taipei since last year like an International cultural exchange festival for all.

This year the committee made it happen again in the most colorful way at Luguanghe’an Park (綠光河岸公園) near Dingxi MRT Station, the same venue as last year’s, on March 3.

Attractions of the event included colors, dance, entertainment, DJ, performances and lots of Indian food.

For NT$400 per person, the ticket included entrance, colors to play, and full course Indian food.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/04
By: Wu Hsin-yun and William Yen

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) Assistance will be given to vegetable farmers to reduce a stockpile

of vegetables left over from repeated holidays and closures of Taipei’s fruits & vegetables wholesale markets within the past few weeks, an Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) official said Sunday.

Following Taipei’s fruits & vegetables wholesale markets closure for five days during the Luna New Year festivities from Feb. 16-20, the markets closed again from Feb. 24-26.

When the markets re-opened Feb. 27, there were more than 150,000 batches of agricultural products in stock totaling a trading volume of 2,108 tons, causing prices to collapse amidst the groans of farmers.

Thomas Peng (彭錦鵬), a professor at National Taiwan University, said on his Facebook page Sunday that he was very surprised as he only spent NT$30 (US$1.02) to purchase a large pack of spoon cabbage and three broccoli at his local traditional markets.
[FULL  STORY]

Hot Air
Date: March 3, 2018
By: Jazz Shaw

Thanks to a rare bit of legislation unanimously passed earlier this week in both the House and Senate (which received almost zero MSM attention), President Trump has a new bill on his desk awaiting his signature. It represents a subtle, but still inflammatory shift in our relationship with Taiwan. The measure immediately drew condemnation from China as one would expect, but word from inside the White House is that Trump is planning on signing it. (Free Beacon)

President Donald Trump is expected to sign into law new legislation opposed by China that calls for increasing high-level visits with Taiwan, according to administration officials.

The president could sign the measure into law in the coming days, said officials familiar with the issue.

The action has set off a vigorous internal debate between White House advisers who favor conciliatory policies toward China and others pushing for tougher trade and security policies toward Beijing.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-03-03

Former President Ma Ying-jeou has traveled to Hualien County in eastern Taiwan to

encourage tourism to the area.

Hualien is popular with tourists for its scenic beauty and its variety of indigenous cultures. However, tourism has slumped since a deadly 6.0 earthquake struck the county on February 6.

Ma’s tour included stops in the famous Taroko Gorge, the highlight of eastern Taiwan’s Taroko National Park, as well as a local night market.
[FULL STORY]

Azalea season begins following cherry blossom season

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/03/03
By:  Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A pink Azalea Fairy can already be seen on Zhonghua road

during the 2018 Taipei Lantern festival. The lantern was specially put up by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau to promote the upcoming Taipei Azalea Festival, which will run from March 14 through April 15.

According to the Tourist Department,  160,000 Azaleas will be planted this year, with up to 8 kinds of Azalea flowers. The flowers are predicted to bloom around late March, later than usual ,due to cooler weather this winter.

The festival will be held in several places including Da’an Forest Park, Zhongshan Hall, Yang Ming mountain and National Taiwan University (NTU) campus area. Events will include a large-scale picnic, music, as well as student exhibitions held by NTU .
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/03
By: Liu Chien-pang and Ko Lin

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) issued a statement

Saturday, warning the public against the use of a trading site called Ethvinex, which it said has come under the spotlight for fraud-related complaints.

Since late February, Taiwan authorities have been receiving at least 50 complaints per day about fraudulent activities on the Ethvinex site, the CIB said.

The people who filed the complaints all said that they had not received any responses after carrying out transactions on the trading platform, the bureau said.

Citing the complainants, the CIB said Ethvinex claims to guarantee a 20 percent safe return on capital investments and a drawdown of profits after a week of placement.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 04, 2018
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

Former Tainan county commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智) yesterday said he would leave

the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and run in the Nov. 24 Taipei mayoral election.

“I hereby officially announce that I will run for Taipei mayor,” Su said at a news conference in Taipei. “Taiwan cannot wait any more and the people cannot wait any longer.”

“I solemnly announce that I am leaving the DPP, of which I have been a member for 27 years,” he said. “I am leaving the DPP, but will not leave Taiwan’s democratic movement, but rather push forward and deepen Taiwan’s democracy.”

Taipei is Taiwan’s window to the world, a place where unlimited creativity, talented people and abundant resources come together, Su said, adding that it is also the engine of the nation’s development, but it needs thorough change.

“If the problem of low birth rates can be solved in Taipei, it can be solved elsewhere,” Su said. “I want to join the election to speed up solutions for our low birth rate.”    [FULL  STORY]