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Taiwan biggest winner at Hong Kong invention competition

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/05
By: Chen Chih-chung and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) Taiwan’s delegation grabbed 39 gold, 25 silver and two bronze medals

Gold medal-winners and the toaster they developed. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Innovation and Invention Society)

and 12 special awards at this year’s Hong Kong International Invention and Design Competition (IIDC), making it the biggest winner at the event.

Among the award-winning works by Taiwanese inventors was a toaster designed by a two-member team from Chung Hua University in Hsinchu City. Shaped like an instant camera, it won a gold medal and a special award for its beautiful design and practicality.

Another winning team was from National Yunlin University of Science and Technology. Helped by pediatricians to collect information and analyze the meaning of different sounds of babies’ cries, the three-member team came up with “a translating machine for baby language.”

The design won a gold medal and a special award, and the team also signed letters of intent with Hong Kong and Chinese companies.

Also earning a gold medal and special award was a design by Hsu Chun-liang (徐椿樑), a professor at St. John’s University’s Department of Electrical Engineering in New Taipei, and his students. [FULL STORY]

Students abandon curriculum meeting

UNANIMOUS WITHDRAWAL:The ministry’s reluctance to improve data transparency shows that it is not serious about addressing students’ concerns, one student said

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 06, 2015
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Students who participated in a so-called “expert consultation meeting” yesterday to review

Students who participated in an “expert consultation meeting” at National Taiwan Normal University yesterday protest outside the venue after withdrawing from the meeting in protest of what they said was the Ministry of Education’s attempt to downplay controversy. Photo: Wu Po-hsuen, Taipei Times

issues surrounding controversial history curriculum changes unanimously withdrew from the meeting venue in protest of what they said was the Ministry of Education’s attempt to downplay the controversy.

The meeting, held at the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, was arranged at the order of the Executive Yuan in compliance with an agreement reached among lawmakers during cross-caucus negotiations in early August in the wake of student-led protests against what they called China-centric history curriculum guidelines.

The meeting was attended by six students, who unanimously withdrew from the scene shortly after proceedings began.

Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science student Yu Teng-chieh (游騰傑) said the ministry delayed publishing the minutes taken during previous meetings to design and review the curriculum guidelines. [FULL STORY]

Opinion: KMT farce reaches next level

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-04
By: Sterling Hsiao, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu on Thursday paid a visit to Deputy

Opinion: KMT farce reaches next level. Central News Agency (2015-12-04 17:16:11)

Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu’s residence for an hour-long closed-door meeting, before they appeared hand-in-hand, awkwardly, in front of the cameras.

It’s all about Chu’s political calculation. And it turned the whole thing into ridicule.

The Kuomintang revoked the nomination of its presidential candidate, Hung Hsiu-chu, and replaced Hung with Chu at a party congress held on October 17, just three months before the presidential election of January 16, 2016. The reason for the change is the party’s worries about Hung’s unpopular China policy and her worst poll performance.

She rejected the accusations that she had veered too far from the party’s stance on cross-straits relations, but reiterated her support for a peace accord with China. [FULL STORY]

Taipei Original Festival highlights artistic creativity

Taiwan Today
Date: December 4, 2015

The 2015 Taipei Original Festival kicked off Dec. 4 at Songshan Cultural

A photograph from the series” Portrait of Nature—Myriads of Gods” by Japan’s Nobuyuki Kobayashi is on display at the 2015 Taipei Original Festival Dec. 4-20 at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei City. (Courtesy of SCCP)

and Creative Park in Taipei City, showcasing participating artists’ plentiful creative energy and the metropolis’s vibrant culture and art scene.

Comprising 20 groups of artists and performers from home and abroad, the fourth edition of the eclectic event features an array of works in genres such as drama, documentary, illustration, installation, photography, and concert and dance performance.

Themed “Creator: Story,” this year’s festival comprises four exhibitions—“Dream,” “Mission,” “Persistence” and “Value”—to signify the four steps of the creative process.

“Through their works, participating artists share stories of their creative inspirations and struggles,” a park staffer said. “This is likely to arouse the creative instincts of showgoers, and they may discover their own artistic potential.” [FULL STORY]

Restaurant Review: Burger Ray

Taipei Times
Date: , Dec 05, 2015
By: Han Cheung / Staff Reporter

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I walked into a restaurant featuring a

The Heart Attack Burger features candied pineapple, foie gras and truffles. Photo: Han Cheung, Taipei Times

“Heart Attack Burger” — but my stomach still let out a small cry of pain when a stream of meat grease literally poured out of the sandwich upon first bite.

Burger Ray (個性漢堡) has generated much hype since it opened in the heart of Taipei’s east district in July. As expected, there was a crowd of people waiting for seats in front of the restaurant, though there is a standing table for the less patient. It’s a bit claustrophobic in the front with a cluster of tables, but opens to a more comfortable seating area in the back.

This place is a no-frills burger joint. You order at the counter next to the door off a basic menu that only contains burgers, shakes and drinks. No appetizers, no desserts. There’s a 50-minute eating limit, but with the basic menu and reasonably fast service, I doubt you will need longer than that. And come on, it’s Taiwan. They won’t kick you out. [FULL STORY]

Taipei Railway, JR Osaka become sister stations

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/04
By: Chen Wei-ting and Christie Chen

Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) The Taipei Railway Station and JR (Japan Railways) Osaka Station became sister stations on Friday, with Taipei-Osaka commemorative tickets selling out shortly after going on sale.

Taiwan Railways Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said the Taipei station handles over 500,000 passengers a day and is a transportation hub like the Osaka station.

Becoming sister stations will allow the two entities to affirm their friendship, Chou said, adding that the two stations will also introduce mutually beneficial measures in the future. [FULL STORY]

KMT candidate Chu visits predecessor Hung

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-03
By: Matthew Strong,m Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang Chairman Eric Liluan Chu visited Hung Hsiu-chu, the

KMT candidate Chu visits predecessor Hung. Central News Agency

woman he replaced as the party’s presidential candidate, Thursday evening in an effort to mend fences, reports said.

A KMT congress withdrew Hung’s nomination in October after she faltered in the opinion polls and nominated Chu instead, with relations between the two growing cold, according to media reports. Hung was reportedly not invited or did not want to attend the official opening of Chu’s presidential campaign headquarters scheduled for Saturday.

Chu visited Hung at her residence of vice speaker of the Legislative Yuan at 7 p.m. Thursday and told her he would appoint her as head of his campaign headquarters’ group of advisers. He also officially invited her to Saturday’s event, reports said. After the meeting, the two appeared outside holding hands, with Hung accepting her appointment, which would be officially announced on Friday, reports said.

At the presentation of a book about her aborted presidential bid earlier in the week, Hung had hinted she was more interested in stumping for legislative candidates than for the KMT’s new presidential contender. [FULL STORY]

Awarded cinematographer assumes post of Taipei Film Festival chair

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/03
By: Cheng Jing-wen and Lee Mei-yu

Taipei, Dec. 3 (CNA) Golden Horse Award-winning cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bing (李

Mark Lee Ping-bing (李屏賓, left), photo courtesy of Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival

屏賓) has taken over as head of the Taipei Film Festival following the recent resignation of film producer Lee Lieh (李烈).

In a statement released on Thursday, the new chairperson said he will defend the independence of the annual film festival from a filmmaker’s stance.

Lee has worked for a long time with Taiwan’s well-known director Hou Hsiao-hsien, including on his latest film “The Assassin.” The film won a number of awards at Taiwan’s recent Golden Horse Film Festival, including for best cinematography.

Lee said he will stop doing some of his filming jobs so he can throw himself into the Taipei Film Festival. [FULL STORY]

Film festival raises environmental awareness

Taiwan Today
Date: December 3, 2015

A film festival designed to enhance public awareness of environmental protection and

Six films will be screened to enhance public awareness of the importance of environmental protection and encourage urban farming during a festival Dec. 1-5 at the Image Museum of Hsinchu City. (Courtesy of Wutong Foundation)

encourage urban farming is underway at the Image Museum of Hsinchu City.

Organized by the Hsinchu County-based Wutong Foundation, the Dec. 1-5 event includes five documentaries and a feature film from the U.S., with two professors and the founder of a popular farmers’ market attending post-screening discussions.

“Themed ‘food forest’ this year, the festival aims to inspire audiences to ponder the relationship among people, food and the environment, as well as how to balance the needs of development with the sustainability of Mother Nature,” a foundation staffer said.

The six screened pieces are “Paldang” of South Korea, which describes the efforts of Korean farmers to thrive despite the construction of a dam, as well as Hollywood film “Elysium” and American documentaries “Growing Cities,” “Microtopia,” “Plant This Movie” and “Save the Farm.”

Audience members gave rave reviews about the festival’s opening film “Plant This Movie” by Karney Hatch, who has produced and directed independent projects for former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and a number of nongovernmental organizations in Latin America, Africa and Europe. [FULL STORY]

Protest laws unreasonable: groups

‘UNDEMOCRATIC’:Civic groups called for changes, such as replacing ‘applications’ to hold rallies with ‘notifications,’ and limiting police’s discretionary power

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 04, 2015
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

Protest regulations should be revised to remove unreasonable restrictions and reduce police discretion, civic groups said yesterday.

“The Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) was fundamentally passed in hopes of preventing people from taking to the streets,” said Assembly and Parade Act Amendment Alliance member Chou Yu-hsiu (周宇修), a lawyer.

“The law was originally titled the ‘Assembly and Parade Act for the Period of the Suppression of the Communist Rebellion’ when it was passed, and the title was changed only after martial law was lifted,” he said.

While provisions of the law had been struck down as unconstitutional by the Judicial Yuan last year, the legislature has yet to pass revisions, he said, calling for requirements that demonstrators “apply” to protest be amended to only require “notification.”

While large demonstrations rarely run into difficulties because of the weight of public opinion, small protests on less well-known issues face many restrictions under the act, along with related portions of the Social Order Maintenance Act (SOMA, 社會秩序維護法) and the Criminal Code, he said. [FULL STORY]

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