Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/11
By: Hung Chien-lun and Joseph Yeh, CNA staff reporter and writer

A French filmmaker who has documented Taiwanese culture over the past two decades has received approval of his naturalization request for his contributions to the promotion of local culture overseas.

Speaking to CNA during a recent interview in fluent Mandarin, Jean-Robert Thomann, who won the 2018 Taiwan-France Cultural Awards, thanked Taiwan's government for approving his application after receiving notification of the approval on Oct. 30.

The 48-year-old Thomann's first encounter with Taiwan was in March 1996 when he came here due to his love for movies, accompanied by his then Taiwanese girlfriend whom he met in France.
[FULL  STORY]

OVERLOAD: Doctors are now using the term ‘hikikomori’ to describe people who withdraw from society for months or years at a time, often due to Internet addiction

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 12, 2019
By: Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff writer, with CNA

Lack of knowledge about hikikomori — a Japanese term describing an individual who withdraws

from society — is impeding treatment, a child psychologist said on Sunday.

Ko Chih-hung (柯志鴻), head of the psychiatry department at Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, made the remarks at a discussion titled “Smartphone/Internet Addiction and Hikikomori” that was cohosted by the Formosan Medical Association and the Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry as a part of an annual conference called Taiwan Medical Week.

Playing video games are often seen as the “simplest and fastest way to achieve happiness,” Ko said, adding that not only are the games challenging, but they also contain clear and fair rules.

As long as players put in a little effort, they can derive a sense of accomplishment and happiness from playing games, he said, but added that when an individual spends an excessive amount of time gaming, they might lose interest in or the ability to complete their studies or hold a job.
[FULL  STORY]

• About one million Taiwanese businesspeople live and work in mainland China and traditionally vote ‘blue’
• With some wavering and falling numbers they may have less influence than before on the next presidential poll

South China Morning Post
Date: 10 Nov, 2019
By: Sarah Zheng  and  Kinling Lo  

As Taiwan’s 2020 presidential race approaches, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party will be counting on the support of one of its most loyal constituencies – the Taiwanese business community living and working on the mainland. But some analysts believe their influence is a diminishing force in the self-ruled island’s politics.

One of these businessmen, surnamed Lin, who has lived in mainland China for more than a decade, identifies politically as someone who leans blue – the colour associated with the Beijing-friendly KMT – rather than green, which is linked to the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

But Lin, who declined to be identified by his full name so he could speak freely, said he was thinking of sitting out next year’s election after his preferred candidate, Taiwanese billionaire tycoon Terry Gou Tai-min, lost out on the KMT nomination in favour of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu

Han will be facing off against current President Tsai Ing-wen who will be seeking a second term on the strength of her stance against pressure from Beijing which claims self-governed Taiwan as its own, to be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary.    [FULL  STORY]

Sichongxi Hot Springs Area known for its carbonated water

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/10
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hot spring season has kicked off at Sichongxi Hot Springs Park in Pingtung County's Checheng Township and will last from now until Feb. 9, 2020.

The Pingtung County Government, which organized the event, has decorated Sichongxi Hot Springs Park with red maple leaves and maple leaf-shaped lights, CNA reported on Saturday. Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said that the park boasts a Japanese atmosphere, with popular traditional Japanese ballads being played on the PA system.

The commissioner added that the park is situated in a mountainous area, while Syuhai Hot Springs Area in Manzhou Township on the other side of County Route 199 is located near the sea. He recommended that visitors to Sichongxi, which is known for its carbonated water, also visit Syuhai to enjoy hot springs in two different geological settings, the news agency reported.

Chang Zheng-sheng (張正昇), an official of a local tourism development association, told CNA that there are Japanese-style bathrobes for rent at the Sichongxi venue for visitors to wear for photoshoots.    [FULL  STORY]

Focuas Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/10
By: Wu Che-hao and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) Norwegian triathlete Gustav Iden, who sparked a "lucky cap" trend in Taiwan,

said after the Changhua County marathon on Sunday that he was most surprised to see lobsters being offered at the supply stations along the route.

The 23-year-old Iden, who is in Taiwan at the invitation of Changhua Magistrate Wang Hui-mei (王惠美), fired the starting gun with Wang at the Tianzhong Marathon and they both ran the last 3.5 kilometers of the race.

Along the route, many bystanders were waving at him, Iden said after the race, adding that he was deeply impressed with the hospitality of the Taiwanese people.

The Norwegian athlete said he was very surprised to see lobsters being offered at the marathon supply stations, which normally provide only snacks and water.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 11, 2019
By: Staff writer, with CNA

A documentary featuring Taiwanese master of hand puppetry Chen Hsi-huang (陳錫煌) premiered in

Tokyo on Friday, ahead of its nationwide release in Japan later this month.

Red Box (紅盒子), by Taiwanese director Yang Li-chou (楊力州), tells the story of 88-year-old Chen, a descendent of a famous Taiwanese theater family, who has become a national treasure because of his mastery of the traditional art.

On a promotional tour in Japan this week, Yang said the documentary was a kind of sequel to Hou Hsiao-hsien’s (侯孝賢) 1993 film The Puppetmaster (戲夢人生), which profiled Chen’s father, Li Tien-lu (李天祿).

According to Yang, Red Box delves into the complicated father-son relationship between the two artists — including the circumstances that led to them using different surnames — and explores the uncertain future of traditional arts in the modern world.    [FULL  STORY]

Sighting in 1865 was never officially confirmed

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/09
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Birdwatchers near the resort town of Kenting have spotted a western marsh harrier, a bird of prey never officially seen in Taiwan before, reports said Saturday (November 9).

A significant number of migratory birds have been moving across Pingtung County on Taiwan’s southern tip, an area on their route to warmer climes ahead of winter.

A birdwatcher posted two pictures on Facebook of birds he had seen near a lake in the area. While one of the animals was a relatively common eastern marsh harrier, a netizen identified the other bird as a western marsh harrier or Circus aeruginosus, more common in Europe, West Asia and Africa, but officially never seen in Taiwan before, the Central News Agency reported.

As far back as 1865, it had been reportedly spotted in Kaohsiung, but since there was no photographic or other evidence, the sighting was never officially accepted.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/09 
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) The train service in eastern Taiwan was experiencing delays Saturday due to broken overhead power lines, Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said.

Trains traveling between Hanben Station in Yilan County and Heping Station in Hualien County have been running at least 20 minutes behind schedule since midnight Friday and the delays are expected to continue until around 9 p.m. Saturday, according to the TRA.

The problem occurred around 11:51 p.m. Friday, when a pantograph atop a Tze-chiang l

imited express train, traveling from New Taipei to Hualien, fell and broke the power lines, the TRA said.

The pantograph, a diamond-shaped apparatus on the roof of an electric train that connects to the overhead power lines, also broke the window of the driver's cab and caused damage to some carriages, the TRA said.    [FULL  STORY]

THREE DEMANDS: People who benefit from high prices say that prices increase due to high demand, but in reality, many homes remain vacant, an academic said

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 10, 2019
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

Hundreds of residents yesterday gathered at a forum in downtown Taipei, where housing prices are the

highest in the nation, to demand housing justice.

The forum, held by the Housing Right Reform Union, took place at a plaza near the intersection of Zhongxiao E Road and Dunhua S Road, where the Snails Without Shells movement was launched 30 years ago.

The forum called on the government to implement a “List Real Price 2.0” policy, levy taxes on people who hoard properties and step up efforts to build social housing.

Participants chanted slogans, vowing to realize housing justice by beating plutocracy.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 08 November, 2019
By: Paula Chao

President Tsai Ing-wen says that Taiwan’s medical care system has won global recognition. Tsai was speaking Friday while meeting with the president of the American Medical Association, Patrice Harris.

Tsai thanked the association for supporting for Taiwan’s bid to join the World Health Organization. Taiwan has been barred from participating in the global health body for several years due to pressure from China.    [FULL  STORY]