Overwhelming grief for train derailment victims’ families on Saturday, the seventh day after their deaths

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/10/28
By George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Reporter

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The anguish was overpowering for some of the grieving families of the 18 people who died as a result of the Oct. 21 train derailment in Yilan, on Saturday, the seventh day after their deaths.

A seventh day memorial ceremony is customarily held after a person’s death, for religious reasons in Taiwanese culture.

The oldest daughter of Chu Yung-chao (朱永照), a tour guide who lost his life in the Oct. 21 train accident, chose Saturday as the date of her engagement ceremony with her fiancé, a report of Chinese-language China Times said on Sunday.

Chu Yu-Hsuan (朱育萱) exchanged rings with her partner in front of her father’s memorial hall in hopes of bringing her deceased father peace of mind, according to the report.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/28
By: Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Oct. 28 (CNA) Germany recognizes the role Taiwan plays in international affairs

and supports its participation in global forums, such as the World Health Assembly (WHA) and Interpol, Germany’s new top envoy to Taiwan told CNA during a recent interview.

On Wednesday, Thomas Prinz, the new director general of the German Institute Taipei, told CNA that his country recognizes “the constructive role Taiwan plays in international affairs.”

Therefore, Germany is supporting Taiwan wherever it can in the framework of its “One China” policy, he said.

“Of course we would like to see Taiwan contributing and cooperating in the international forum,” said Prinz, naming forums such as WHA and Interpol, both of which Taiwan is eager to join but has been blocked due to Chinese pressure.    [FULL  STORY]

EXCESSIVE SAVING: Policy frameworks and infrastructure investment must keep up with innovation efforts, which are gaining speed, former president Lee Teng-hui said

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 29, 2018
By: Chen Yu-fu  /  Staff reporter

Insufficient domestic investment has led to considerable talent outflows, former president

Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said on Saturday, adding that greater financial innovation and additional fiscal reforms are needed amid the escalating US-China trade dispute.

Lee made the remarks in a speech transcript delivered by Taiwan Research Institute founder Liu Tai-ying (劉泰英) at the opening of a two-day economic forum in Taipei.

Lee had planned to attend the forum, but canceled on doctors’ advice given the cool weather.

The forum, titled “Investment, innovation and a vigorous Taiwan,” was organized by the Taiwan Association of University Professors and the Lee Teng-hui Foundation.
[FULL  STORY]

Hundreds of thousands marched through Taiwan’s capital on Saturday to press the government to deliver on its promise of marriage equality amid an increasingly heated debate over whether civil laws should recognize same-sex marriage.

Channel News Asia
Date: 27 Oct 2018

TAIPEI: Hundreds of thousands marched through Taiwan’s capital on Saturday to press the government to deliver on its promise of marriage equality amid an increasingly heated debate over whether civil laws should recognise same-sex marriage.

In Asia’s first such ruling, Taiwan’s constitutional court declared in May last year that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry, and set a two-year deadline for legalisation.

But the self-ruled island will hold a series of public votes on same-sex marriage on November 24, after its election authority approved separate referendum petitions from both conservative and rights groups.

The move has revived a debate over a possible separate law for civil unions between gay couples and presents a challenge to President Tsai Ing-wen, who rights activists say has made little progress on the issue despite campaigning on a promise of marriage equality in the run-up to elections in 2016.    [FULL  STORY]

Catch up with the authors of a seminal book introducing the surprisingly diverse culinary history of Taipei and Taiwan to a global audience.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/10/27
By: Cat Thomas

In recent years Taipei been hailed as a gastronomic paradise, and residents both present and former have been looking forward to cementing that reputation via the publication of the Big City Food Biography series’ Taipei issue.

The book – “A Culinary History of Taipei: Beyond Pork and Ponlai” – is a truly fascinating read. Despite the city-focused title, the book is a wealth of information on foodways and the cuisine of Taiwan as a whole, from its Austronesian roots up to the present day. Even people who grew up in Taiwan are sure to uncover some surprises.

The co-authors, veteran writer on Taiwan Steven Crook and newcomer Katy Hui-wen Hung (洪惠文), have poured two years of research and interviews into the project. The book uncovers the historic roots of iconic dishes, discusses food and drink supply chains (including Taiwan’s vital contributions to the worldwide agricultural industry), the impact of U.S. aid on the food enjoyed today in Taiwan, the place of food in religion, and reveals secrets on everything from the roadside banquet (Bando) to landmark restaurants with in-depth interviews with some of the most celebrated chefs in the country.    [FULL  STORY]

 

Electricity problems within Leofoo Village responsible for blackout: Taipower

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/10/27
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – During a Halloween event Saturday evening, Leofoo Village (六福村) amusement park plunged into darkness, fooling visitors into believing it was all part of the show.

The park, located in the Hsinchu County township of Guanxi, is one of the country’s most popular entertainment destinations.

At 5:40 p.m., not only did the lights suddenly fall out, but a miniature ferris wheel grinded to a halt, leaving several children stuck in the air, according to the Apple Daily. The kids were easily freed with the help of a ladder and nobody was injured in the incident.

At the time, a Halloween event was also in progress, leading the public to believe that the total darkness was part of the show. Only when the lights failed to come back on did they realize there was a problem, but the darkness contributed to the Halloween mood, according to spectators quoted by the Apple Daily.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/27
By: Hao Hsueh-chin and Ko Lin 

Taipei, Oct. 27 (CNA) Residents of Taichung’s Houli District on Saturday were invited to go on an early tour of the Houli Horse Ranch and Forest Park Area, one of the sites set to host the 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition in November.

Exposition spokesperson Huang Yi-han (黃意涵) said the tour gave Houli residents an early glimpse of activities that will be featured during the official show.

The horse-riding activity was especially popular as were the street art performances, Huang said.

According to Chen Yu-cheng (陳育正), Houli Park Area manager, the event had welcomed about 15,000 people as of noon.    [FULL  STORY]

REPORTERS WOOED: Professor Shih Cheng-feng said that media manipulation was crucial to Beijing, but intimidation tactics could backfire in elections next month

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 28, 2018
By: Chung Li-hua and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Academics yesterday said that China has renewed its propaganda campaign against

Taiwan after China’s Taiwan Affairs Office invited Internet-based Taiwanese journalists to attend military demonstrations by a unit of the Beijing Military Region on Sunday last week.

A media exchange program from Oct. 18 to Nov. 12 was to showcase the accomplishments of Chinese reforms, with Taiwanese and Chinese Web-based news outlets invited, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) said prior to the event.

However, Chinese media reported that it was the first time members of the Taiwanese media were invited to a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) demonstration.

The PLA took photographs of its troops alongside Taiwanese reporters, while the commander of the unnamed Chinese battalion, identified as Liang Huaikun (梁懷琨), made a speech about the unit’s history, Chinese media reports said.    [FULL  STORY]