-
Mount Hehuan traffic controls set for April to June
Authorities will enforce traffic controls on Mount Hehuan from April 12 to June 15 due to rhododendron blooms. High-occupancy rules aim to ease congestion.
2025/03/27 20:00
-
Flu emergency visits decline amidst high vaccination rates
This year’s flu season during the Lunar New Year has been relatively mild, potentially due to higher flu vaccination rates and continued mask-wearing, according to Philip Lo, the Deputy Director-General and spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Typically, flu cases surge before and after the Lunar New Year, with the second day of the new year being the busiest for emergency rooms. Despite higher numbers in recent years, this year’s figures are considered mild compared to the pre-pandemic period. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, 6,787 individuals sought emergency care for flu-like symptoms. In previous years, the corresponding numbers were 4,313 in 2023, 1,564 in 2022, 2,458 in 2021, 9,240 in 2020, and 7,983 in 2019. Lo emphasized the need to monitor the potential impact of large gatherings as schools reopen and the travel season begins. In terms of vaccine stock, there are still 82,000 doses of the flu vaccine available, along with 226,000 doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine and 4.38 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Lo urged eligible individuals to get vaccinated promptly to enhance their protection.
2024/02/15 17:26
-
Taiwan High Speed Rail boosts services for Lunar New Year
The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) will add eight more trains during the Lunar New Year transport season from Feb. 6 to 15. These additional services include five southbound and three northbound trains. Tickets for these services will be available starting midnight on Saturday, Jan. 27. During the passenger peak period, THSRC will also expand unreserved seating across eight carriages on trains running between Nangang and Taichung. THSRC will provide a total of 461 additional train services over the Lunar New Year period, with 246 southbound and 215 northbound trains. Passengers are advised to plan in advance by checking the corporation’s website for transport season sales information and avoiding peak times. Real-time updates on passenger numbers at different stations will be available on the THSRC website. Stations implementing crowd control for unreserved seating will display a yellow or red light, indicating expected queue times of over 30 minutes or over 60 minutes, respectively. Passengers can also receive crowd control information and manage their travel plans via the T-EX mobile ticketing app.
2024/01/25 11:12
-
Yilan’s Lanyang Hot Spring Season draws festive crowd
The 2023 Winter Lanyang Hot Spring Season in Jiaoxi Township, Yilan kicked off with a festive street parade carnival. The week-long celebration includes a hot spring gourmet fair, smaller street parades, and a gourmet travel expo. Nearly 50 groups from local industries, communities, schools, and organizations participated in the opening event, creating a lively atmosphere. The carnival parade featured creative costumes and was led by a themed float, the Bloco Força Brazil Percussion band, the Lanyang Samba Dance troupe, and large robots. The Guohua Junior High School Aboriginal Dance Group, comprised of vibrant indigenous students, also performed. The hot spring gourmet fair and more street parades will continue until Dec. 10. Tangweigou Hot Spring Park has installed a towering 6.5-meter ’Hot Spring Giant’ illuminated decoration and a 12-meter-wide floral tunnel, which are lit every evening until Feb. 25, 2024, adding to the winter celebration’s appeal.
2023/12/04 20:27
-
Taiwan’s domestic flight prices rise amid oil price surge
Taiwan faces a 4.5% increase in domestic flight ticket prices due to a surge in global oil prices, resulting in an average additional cost of NT$95 per ticket. Kinmen residents, who frequently travel to and from Taiwan, are particularly affected, with Mandarin Airlines’ Taipei to Kinmen route experiencing a one-way fare increase of 7.4%, equivalent to NT$182. This price rise will also impact tourists planning to fly domestically during the New Year’s holiday, making air travel more expensive. As a result, authorities expect a significant increase in road traffic during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. To alleviate transportation challenges during the festive season, Taiwan will implement toll-free periods on freeways from midnight to 5 a.m. The Taiwan Railways Administration and Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) will also increase service frequencies to accommodate the expected passenger volume. THSR has added 105 services and will continue to offer discounts for college students and early bird promotions. Taiwan Railways has scheduled 116 extra trains, anticipating a potential peak of over 800,000 passengers in a single day. However, ticket sales for child-friendly carriages have been temporarily suspended. Additional train services during the New Year transportation period will be available for purchase starting from midnight on December 1, aiming to alleviate travel congestion during the holidays.
2023/11/30 22:41
-
Taiwanese major airlines report record revenues in October
Taiwanese airlines, including China Airlines, EVA Air, Tigerair Taiwan, and Starlux Airlines, have reported record revenues in October and for the first ten months of the year. Starlux Airlines achieved a monthly operating income of NT$2.087 billion in October, the third highest in its history. China Airlines saw a 7.85% monthly increase and a 28.56% annual increase in October, with total revenue reaching NT$16.076 billion. EVA Air’s October revenue increased by 6.8% monthly and 46.57% annually to NT$17.525 billion. Tigerair Taiwan experienced the most significant growth, with October revenue increasing by 13.7% from September and skyrocketing 1040% from last year to NT$1.22 billion. The industry expects this revenue trend to continue as flight operations resume, driven by the northeast Asia leaf-viewing and skiing season, as well as peak travel periods such as Christmas markets and New Year’s Eve in Europe, America, New Zealand, and Australia.
2023/11/13 12:50