Page Two

Air Pollution Control Act a DPP priority for new legislative session

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-02-19

The Air Pollution Control Act is a top priority for the ruling Democratic Progressive

Six air quality monitoring stations have issued red alerts covering much of western Taiwan. (Photo courtesy of EPA)

Party (DPP) when the new legislative session opens on February 27.

In light of worsening air quality, DPP lawmaker Ho Hsin-chun said on Sunday that the revision to the bill is of vital importance.

The Cabinet has already submitted a revision of air pollution laws to the legislature, though more time is needed to review the proposed amendment. The revision has also been endorsed by the opposition Kuomintang and the DPP’s ally, the New Power Party.
[FULL  STORY]

Photo of the day: beautiful sunset at Taipei’s Dadaocheng Wharf

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/02/19
By: Teng Pei-ju, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Apart from rows of buildings that can be dated back to three

The view from Dadaocheng Wharf (By Taiwan News)

centuries ago with businesses of dried goods and Chinese herbal treatments that have been operated for many generations, Dadaocheng, as one of the earliest developed districts in Taipei City, has something else to offer: a spectacular sunset view at the nearby wharf.

The district of Dadaocheng (now Datong District) began prospering as Bangka (now Wanhua District) gradually came to a decline due to sediment accumulation around its shipping port in the mid-19th century. In the end, Dadaocheng replaced Bangka to become one of the most important port areas in northern Taiwan.

Since the port has been transformed by the city government into Dadaocheng Wharf, people can now take a ferry from the wharf, cruising along the Tamsui River to the pier where the famous Tamsui Old Street is located nearby.    [FULL STORY]

Chinese New Year Encyclopedia: Mahjong

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-02-19

Mahjong is essentially a game that involves lots of tiles. The objective of the game is to get a series of special tile combinations and you win. The game can be played anytime, anywhere, but it’s particularly popular during the Chinese New Year holiday. During this time, members of the extended family would traditionally convene at the grandparents’ place. While some people chat away on the living room couch, others would be sitting in another corner of the room at a square table. The players would take turn drawing Mahjong tiles as they touch base with one other, and conversations like these are likely to go down: So I heard you got a new job. How’s that working out for you? Or, your sister told me that you are moving to a new apartment. What’s the new place like?

Mahjong is as much a form of gambling as it is a form of social activity. While you could win/lose money from playing the game, that’s not the sole purpose of the game. Quite commonly, the players see it as an alternative to, say, watching TV or whatever they do to kill time. So you see, money doesn’t always have to be involved in this game, for playing Mahjong is really just… some quality bonding.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese Graffiti Art: a Form of Cultural Resistance

In Taiwan, graffiti art isn’t about class or race — it’s a way to rebel against mundane societal expectations.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/02/19
By: Dylan Pendray

In the late 1980s, New York-style graffiti started appearing in Taiwan, spread through works of popular culture such as the hip-hop documentary “Style Wars” (1983) and the movie “Wild Style” (1983) — but the graffiti that began appearing in Taiwan grew out of a very different social context to that of New York.

Credit: DEBE

Taiwanese graffiti isn’t about resistance

According to the 2008 academic article “Street Graffiti Culture in Taiwan,” most graffiti writers “come from middle class families, have received formal arts training and a university education. For them, graffiti is an extracurricular activity they’re engaged in; it’s absolutely not a means for them to resolve class or racial issues.”

The article continues, “They’re simply naughty youth who get carried away, like showing off their abilities, enjoy making adults angry, and who don’t want to behave in accordance with adult standards.”

If there is any shared ground between the cultures in the U.S. and Taiwan, it stems from a dissatisfaction with the urban environment and the roles artists who are obliged to play within it, particularly the implicit understanding that citizens should abide by rules and uphold social order.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan artist John Yuyi to open New York solo show

Artist gained fame with temporary tattoos of logos and Internet symbols

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/02/19
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwanese artist John Yuyi (江宥儀), famous for her temporary

John Yuyi wishes her friends a happy Lunar New Year (photo from John Yuyi’s Facebook)

tattoo collaborations with Gucci and with the New York Times, will open her first solo show in New York this week.

John, 26, has been noted for sticking name brand logos and Internet symbols on parts of her body as easily removable tattoos.

Last year, Italian fashion brand Gucci invited her to design a “meme” campaign consisting of images of snakes and watches drawn in the company’s colors of red and green.

She also contributed the images for a special New York Times report about the social media titled “Welcome to the Post-Text Future.”

“Using iconography of mass culture by projecting images onto the human body, Yuyi has managed to create a playful and unexpected aesthetic that has become widely recognized,” fashion site Hypebae wrote.    [FULL  STORY]

Car liability insurance premiums to rise for drunk drivers

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/02/19
By: Tsai Yi-chu and Romulo Huang

Taipei, Feb. 19 (CNA) Premiums for compulsory auto liability insurance will be increased by NT$3,600 (US$123.5) for every time a motorist is caught driving under the influence of alcohol, starting from March 1, according to Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC).

The commission said it has decided to increase premiums for drunk driving again given that the latest hike of NT$2,100 per year for each drunk driving offense in March 2014 was not effective in reducing the number of casualties caused by the behavior.

Citing statistics compiled by the National Police Agency, the FSC said about 200 people were killed and more than 10,000 people injured a year on average in car accidents caused by drunk drivers from 2009 to 2017, bringing incalculable losses to society.    [FULL  STORY]

Lunar New Year treats not fit for dogs, vet says

SWEET, BUT DEADLY: Many dishes, snacks and treats contain ingredients harmful to dogs, and as a general rule, dogs must never be given sugary foods or fruits

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 20, 2018
By: Lin Yan-tung and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

People should not feed their dogs traditional Lunar New Year dishes, as they contain ingredients that might cause illness or event death in dogs, a Taitung-based veterinarian said.

Various nuts and legumes that are usually offered to guests during the Lunar New Year holiday, such as Brazil nuts, peanuts and walnuts, can cause serious allergic reactions in dogs, said Liu Cheng-chi (劉正吉), a veterinarian at Taitung’s Hsin Yu animal hospital.

The reactions mostly occur in a dog’s immune system or white blood cells and do not have visible symptoms, Liu said, adding that peanuts in particular are dangerous to dogs, as they might contain aflatoxin.

While aflatoxin affects humans as well, its effects are much worse in dogs and cats due to their smaller size, he said, adding that it might cause organ failure or even death.
[FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Graduates Association marks CNY festivities

Borneo Bulletin
Date: February 18, 2018
By: Achong Tanjong

MEMBERS of the Executive Committee of the Taiwan Graduates Association of Brunei

President of Taiwan Graduates Association of Brunei Darussalam Han Pau Ting, and spouse with the association members at the open house. – ACHONG TANJONG

Darussalam visited the residence of Han Pau Ting, President of the Taiwan Graduates Association of Brunei Darussalam on the first day of the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration.

According to a committee member, the association will host the World Federation of Taiwan Alumni Associations Congress in June.

The congress will gather about 500 to 700 association members from around the world to the Sultanate.

The association in Brunei Darussalam earned their right to host the World Federation of Taiwan Alumni Associations Congress after delivering a successful presentation in Hong Kong last year.    [FULL  STORY]

Chinese New Year Encyclopedia: Red envelopes

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-02-18

Red envelopes or hong bao are a type of gift given in Chinese-speaking communities and other parts of East Asia. The envelope itself has little intrinsic value; it’s the money stuffed inside that constitutes the gift. Red envelopes can be gifted during special occasions, such as weddings, and holidays, such as Chinese New Year.

The amount of money in a red envelope depends on the occasion and who is receiving it. During Chinese New Year, small cash gifts are given among relatives and close friends. They are typically given by older family members who have established incomes to younger relatives and children.

When accepting a red envelope, children are supposed to give their blessings for a new year. Parents often receive red envelopes on behalf of very young children, insisting they will “deposit it for them.” But whether or not the children will ever see that money again is up to the parents’ discretion.    [FULL  STORY]

Here’s how Chinese welcomed the Year of the Dog around the world

In Indonesia, ethnic Chinese release birds to bring good luck

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/02/18
By: Juvina Lai, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival (春節) in

Lunar New Year celebrations in China (By Associated Press)

Chinese, is the time when the world witnesses the largest migration on Earth when millions of Chinese travel around the world to go back to their homeland and celebrate the beginning of a new year together with reunion dinners, visiting friends and relatives, exchanging red packets (紅包) or gifts in a celebration which goes on for as long as a month.

As the Chinese community around the world welcomes the Year of the Dog, here are some pictures showing how the Chinese community celebrated this year’s lunar holidays across the globe.
[FULL  STORY]