Taiwan Today
Date: January 6, 2016

The winners of two video clip competitions organized by the ROC Ministry of

Foreign Affairs were honored at a ceremony Jan. 5 in Taipei City, underscoring the government’s commitment to raising the profile of Taiwan abroad.

During the event, MOFA Vice Minister Vanessa Shih praised the winning submissions for their ingenuity in capturing some of the most alluring aspects of Taiwan’s culture, environment and heritage for presentation via social media platforms.

“These are the first initiatives by the ministry and it is pleasing to see such a strong response from Taiwan’s most creative minds,” Shih said. “We will continue engaging all members of society to showcase Taiwan’s soft power.”

In the Trending Taiwan competition, top prize and NT$200,000 (US$6,011) went to a Yacool Studio clip showcasing Taiwan’s distinctive lifestyles and world-renowned warmth through interactions between shoppers and vendors at traditional markets.      [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 06, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫)

yesterday urged the Chinese and Hong Kong governments to make an unequivocal statement over the reported disappearances of several people working for a Hong Kong publishing house and a related bookstore.

“Democracy has become the inevitable trend of all nations. In light of the incidents [of missing people] in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong or Chinese governments must give the public a clear answer,” Chu said during street canvassing in Yunlin County yesterday morning.

Asked whether the missing persons case could set democratic alarm bells ringing in Taiwan, Chu said that the ideals of democracy and freedom are widely held among the international community.

Democracy and freedom are particularly valued by Taiwanese, Chu added.

Chu’s remarks came one day after Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (梁振英) dismissed allegations that outside agents could have been involved in the disappearance of five booksellers specializing in publications critical of China.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/05

What are some of the historical sites associated with Bangka (also known as

Monga, 艋舺)? Longshan Temple, Herb Alley, Bopiliao, and the food stalls in Xinfu Market (新富市場) are some examples.

Bangka is the former name of Wanhua, and due to its favorable position near the mouth of the Tamsui River, it was the third largest city in Taiwan during the Qing dynasty (清代), following Tainan and Lukang. It was also the starting point for the development of Taipei.

Today, it is a place where traces remain of its former glamour and glory, such as ancient temples, streets, markets, and shops. Its many historical and cultural features, which have existed for hundreds of years, make it easy to spend a whole day here.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: January 5, 2016

A scientific team from Taiwan recently discovered that long-term exposure to

fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) may promote liver cancer through chronic inflammation, according to Academia Sinica Jan. 5.

Conducted by researchers from AS, National Cheng Kung University, National Health Research Institutes, National Taiwan University and National Yang-Ming University, the study was published online Nov. 11, 2015, in Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

“This is the first paper in the world to establish the association between liver cancer incidence and tiny particles in the air that are 2.5 microns or less,” said Yang Hwai-i, the paper’s corresponding author and an associate research fellow at AS Genomics Research Center.

“While it is widely known that PM 2.5 contributes to heart and lung diseases, our findings provide more evidence to the health hazards of such pollutants.”     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-04
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

People planning to take the license test for 50cc scooters must now pass

practical test as well as the written test, the Directorate-General of Highways said Monday.

The policy was supposed to be enacted in June 1, but the highway authority decided to implement it six months earlier than the previously announced date because all the preparatory work has been completed.

“The new rule has gone into effect beginning January 1,” it said, citing that the announcement was made during the last week of December.

In the past, no road test was required for 50cc scooters, and people holding a license to drive a small passenger car were automatically qualified to ride a light scooter without having to get a separate license.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: January 4, 2016

The National Museum of Prehistory branch in Tainan City illustrates the

commitment of the government to preserving southern Taiwan’s invaluable prehistoric relics and sites, Minister of Culture Hung Meng-chi said during a recent visit to the soon-to-be-completed facility.

Situated at Southern Taiwan Science Park, the new museum is set to store more than 8.5 million artifacts, as well as 2,513 skeletons discovered since 1996 by Academia Sinica’s Institute of History and Philology. Dated at between 300 to 5,000 years, the relics were excavated from 32 sites around STSP in Xinshi District.

“Such rich findings prompted the birth of the facility,” Hung said Dec. 30, 2015. “We believe the museum will also serve as a repository for safeguarding unearthed cultural and historical heritage in the area.

“It is reassuring to see close cross-sector collaboration among Academia Sinica’s archaeological team, the local government, Taitung-City based NMP and STSP Administration,” Hung said, adding that this lays the foundation for a large-scale research project pooling the nation’s related talents.     [FULL  STORY]