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.

With a final chapter dedicated to recipes from culinary professionals and home cooks this is essential reading for those who have an interest in Taiwan’s incredibly diverse culinary history. The News Lenscaught up with the co-authors to find out more about their experiences along the way.    [FULL  STORY]

200 bills drafted by the forum enter into law each year

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/10/26
By: Ryan Drillsma, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — At an annual meeting on Oct. 23, The American Legislative

Exchange Council (ALEC) passed a resolution in support of the Taiwan Travel Act, calling on the U.S. executive branch to strengthen ties with Taiwan.

The resolution is to be distributed to U.S. governors, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to amass support for its contents. It will also be delivered to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the U.S.

ALEC is an organization of state legislators and private sector representatives wherein collaborative model bills are drafted on a wide range of issues.

The forum is influential, but it does not produce bills that automatically bind the executive branch. Due to this, diplomats have recommended caution in moving forward, with consideration that the Taiwan Travel Act might not pass.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/26
By: Miao Zong-han and Flor Wang

Taipei, Oct. 26 (CNA) The fate of a Taiwanese human rights advocate jailed in China

remains unknown after he was transferred to another prison, despite Taiwan’s request for an explanation of the move that prevented a planned visit by the jailed man’s family.

China has yet to respond to Taiwan’s questions as to why and when Lee Ming-che (李明哲) was transferred from Chisan Prison in Hunan Province to Yancheng Prison in Hebei Province — the only prison administered by its Ministry of Justice, a Taiwanese official said Friday.

“But we now know that the Taiwan Affairs Office of Beijing Municipality can help arrange and coordinate a visit if the family of Lee hopes to visit him in China,” Kuan An-lu (管安露), a spokesperson of the Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), told CNA.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) asked China on Thursday to provide an explanation of why Lee was transferred to another prison at a time when Lee’s family was about to visit him on Oct. 22.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 27, 2018
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

Prosecutors yesterday ordered local police to step up their monitoring of eight Chinese

Nationalist Party (KMT) councilors in Pingtung County to prevent them from fleeing, after their conviction for taking bribes was upheld.

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction against eight KMT councilors involved in a case from 2014.

The court heard that, before the Pingtung County Council’s internal election for speaker, which was won by the KMT’s Chou Tien-lu (周典論), Chou had handed out bribes of up to NT$20,000 each to fellow councilors to secure their vote. He had also treated them to hotel stays, nightclub and massage parlor visits, and had given tailored suits to the men.

The councillors were found guilty in the first and second trials in 2016 and last year. At the time, nine KMT councilors were convicted: Wang Chih-feng (王志豐), Chen Mei-chiung (陳美瓊), Pan Yu-lung (潘裕隆), Lee Chi-hsiang (李冀香), Yen Chin-cheng (顏金成), Chen Chao-chung (陳昭忠), Pan Cheng-chih (潘政治), Kui Hsiao-hui (歸曉惠) and Hsu Tien-shih (許天賜).    [FULL  STORY]

A chat with Catta Chou, curator of the 2018 Taiwan International Labor Film Festival – which is now underway in Taipei.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/10/24
By: By Alex Chuang, 破土 New Bloom

Catta Chou (pictured in cover photo) is the curator of the Taiwan International Labor Film Festival. She was interviewed ahead of the Taiwan International Labor Film Festival, which is being held from October 20th to October 28th.

Alex Chuang: Could you talk about how you were introduced to social movement organizing? Did you begin in college or before that?

Catta Chou: Well, I would have to say that I was very normal in high school, but after I entered into university, I joined the student club – the Black Ditch. We call it a yixing shetuan (異議性社團), meaning that people who talk about issues that are not normal or mainstream.

With the student club, they focused on things like property rights, they talk about Marxism, they talk about evictions by the government, they talk about environmental issues, they talk about labor issues, and etc. So these kinds of clubs are very different from the regular student clubs in which people just play guitar, have fun, have events. It’s more like an abnormal student club.    [FULL  STORY]

Traffic control will be in effect on Taipingshan on every Saturday and Sunday from now until Nov. 11 

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/10/24
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Traffic control will be in effect on Taipingshan on every Saturday and Sunday from now until Nov. 11 as nature enthusiasts flock to the mountains to watch the Taiwan beech trees whose leaves have turned yellowish gold, according to a recent press release on the website of Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area Administration.

Taipingshan is located in Datong Township, Yilan County.

In order to avoid car jam on the mountains, the weekend traffic control is enforced at the entrance to the Cueifong Scenic Road (翠峰景觀道路), also called Pingyuan Forest Road (平元林道), which is the last 16.5 km stretch of the main mountain road leading up to Cueifong Lake and Cueifong Villa.

Traffic control will be activated after 200 vehicles enter the Cueifong Scenic Road, according to the national forest area administration. During the control period, no vehicles except for 9-seat minibuses and official vehicles will be allowed to enter the Cueifong Scenic Road.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/24
By: Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) Prototypes of an armored vehicle produced in Taiwan have recently

passed the required tests and will soon enter mass production, a military official said Wednesday.

Four prototypes of the indigenous CM-34 “Clouded Leopard” eight-wheeled armored vehicle passed tests on Oct. 19 that were required for it to enter mass production, Army Lt. Gen. Fang Mao-hung (房茂宏), head of the military’s Armaments Bureau, told lawmakers during a legislative session.

The vehicles, officially called the Taiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle (TIFV), have passed all 62 categories in the primary pre-mass production tests while failing only two categories in the secondary pre-mass production tests, Fang said.

Because the test results have met the required standards, the military has initiated mass production of the vehicle model equipped with a 30mm chain gun, he said.
[FULL  STORY]

CAUTION: The Cabinet task force investigating the fatal accident said it is still going through evidence and has not yet made a conclusion that it was due to human error

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 25, 2018
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

While the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday attributed Sunday’s deadly

train derailment to the driver, the Executive Yuan said that an investigation has not turned up evidence that the accident was due to human error.

The driver operating the Puyuma Express train that derailed in Yilan County turned off the automatic train protection (ATP) system without informing the dispatch and distribution office, the TRA said.

TRA operations were under scrutiny yesterday at the legislature’s Transportation Committee in the wake of the accident that killed 18 passengers and injured 190 people.

Lawmakers were particularly concerned about why the ATP system, which should be activated when a driver exceeds the speed limit, was turned off by the driver, surnamed You (尤).    [FULL  STORY]