Taiwan culture 結果共96筆

Join American students on a unique culinary journey as they compare popular fast-food chains like Burger King, McDonald’s, KFC, Starbucks, and 7/11 in Taiwan to their US counterparts. Discover how these familiar brands adapt to Taiwan’s diverse food culture.

Explore the transformation of Taipei’s Huashan 1914 Creative Park from a Japanese sake facility to a vibrant hub of art and creativity. Discover unique installations, traditional crafts at the Suho Paper Memorial Museum, intricate miniatures, and end the journey with delicious vegetarian cuisine.

The 2024 Taiwan Lantern Festival is returning to Tainan for the first time since 2008, taking place from Feb. 24 to March 10. The main lantern, ＂Dragon Comes to Taiwan,＂ was unveiled by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Tourism Administration. Inspired by the dragons on the stone columns at the Tainan Grand Mazu Temple, the 18-meter-tall dragon lantern is accompanied by a 22-meter main lantern. This year’s lantern design transforms the dragon into a small round lantern with the same pronunciation as the Taiwanese snack ＂xiaolongbao,＂ adding a touch of tradition and children’s anticipation. The festival will illuminate the ＂High-Speed Rail Lantern Area＂ and ＂Anping Lantern Area＂ in Tainan. In celebration of Tainan’s 400th anniversary, the city government will light up the ＂Anping Lantern Area＂ in advance on Feb. 3, allowing residents and tourists to enjoy the spectacle during the Lunar New Year holiday. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che expressed high hopes for the festival, praising the main lantern design for its unique representation of Tainan and Taiwan’s lantern festival through a blend of culture, nostalgia, and playful creativity.

Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu accuses the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of smearing and attacking the presidential election through nationwide advertising campaigns. The KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih and vice-presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong are losing swing voters, according to a public opinion poll published by the United Daily News. Chu criticizes the DPP for targeting Hou by drawing attention to the dormitory at Taipei’s Chinese Culture University (CCU), owned by Hou’s wife. He warns that if such smear tactics go unchecked, Taiwan risks becoming a society dominated by smear campaigns. Internal party polls show that the KMT’s support rates are within the margin of error compared to the DPP’s, leading by one percentage point in landline-based surveys. Taiwan’s 2024 presidential and legislative elections are due to take place next Saturday, and Chu emphasizes that the KMT will work harder despite alleged underhanded tactics and continuous smearing efforts by the DPP.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture (MOC) has announced that the eligibility for its ＂culture points＂ system will be expanded starting in 2024. The age range will be widened to include individuals aged 16 to 22, compared to the current range of 18 to 21. These points can be redeemed for cultural activities and goods and will be distributed from January 20, 2024. Each person will be able to claim the points seven times in their lifetime, starting at age 16, and the points will remain valid until December 31, 2024. The culture points can be utilized for various cultural activities such as watching local films, performances, buying books, visiting museums, and engaging in other forms of creative cultural consumption. The uptake rate for the culture points in 2023 was 80%, and it is expected to become a regular policy incorporated into the MOC’s annual budget from 2024 onwards. The number of recipients for culture points is projected to increase significantly from one million to 1.5 million in 2024.

Taipei’s renowned Eslite bookstore in Xinyi District, a symbol of Taiwan’s literary and cultural scene, prepares to close its doors this Sunday. The anticipated successor, Songyan store, opens Jan. 20, promising to continue Eslite’s legacy in a new, expansive setting.

Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate, began a four-day campaign trip in Yilan County, emphasizing Taiwan’s commitment to democracy and opposition to authoritarianism. Lai highlighted the significance of Yilan as the birthplace of Hokkien opera, a traditional drama that has helped promote Taiwan globally. He promised increased support for local culture and discussed his policies aimed at balancing Taiwan’s national development plans and restoring pride to Yilan residents.

Ukrainian students at Tzu Chi University have formed a volunteer team to teach English and music as a way to give back to Taiwan for its support during the Russia-Ukraine War. The group, consisting of nine Master’s students studying media and communications, will be conducting classes at a local elementary school two to three times per week. The initiative was prompted by a desire expressed by several students last semester, and TCU facilitated school partnerships to make it happen. The Ukrainian student-teachers offer a fresh perspective that inspires their pupils and makes learning a language more dynamic and engaging.

Presidential candidate Lai Ching-te emphasizes the importance of culture in advancing Taiwan’s international identity, stating that without cultural recognition, the world would remain unaware of Taiwan’s existence. Lai urges voters to choose the right path for Taiwan’s future, highlighting that the island cannot afford to backtrack. The rally to support DPP legislator Wu Szu-yao saw more than 150 cultural figures in attendance, showcasing broad support for her exceptional qualities. Wu emphasizes that culture could serve as Taiwan’s strongest form of national defense and foreign relations, drawing a parallel with Ukraine’s use of cultural heritage to garner international protection. She expresses confidence in Lai’s future leadership to enhance Taiwan’s cultural ties globally.

The newly appointed Chairperson of the New Media Entertainment Association (NMEA), Daphne Lee, emphasizes the importance of funding, talent, and global integration for Taiwan’s content industry to succeed. At the 2023 Asiahub New Media Summit in Taipei, Lee highlights the need for cross-sector collaboration and industry chain integration in the AI era. The summit features six main themes, 19 keynote speeches, panel discussions, and 7 workshops with 60 speakers. Participants, such as LINE Taiwan Managing Director Roger Chen, discuss Taiwan’s soft power, industry upgrade, transformation, and global outreach. Videoland Television Network Chairman Lee Chung-pei suggests creating quality content to ensure profitability and establish funding recovery mechanisms. Lin Chien-han, Chairman of Taiwan Secom, shares the company’s dual strategy of investment and production, moving from DVD rental services to investing in Taiwanese films. Lin also discusses how Taiwanese creative content is breaking into the international market by integrating local culture and socio-political issues, citing successful films like ＂The Candidate＂ and ＂The Bridge Curse.＂

Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan has passed amendments to the Sports Industry Development Act to combat ticket scalping. The revised law imposes fines on scalpers ranging from 10 to 50 times the ticket’s face value. The amendments also target the resale of complimentary and promotional tickets, with penalties reaching up to NT＄18,000. The use of ticket-buying bots will be met with up to three years’ imprisonment and/or fines up to NT＄3 million. These measures aim to crack down on the practice of reselling tickets at inflated prices, known locally as ＂huangniu＂ or Yellow Cow. The amended law ensures the anonymity of whistleblowers and potentially rewards them for reporting scalping activities. The updates to the legislation were led by the Legislative Yuan Education and Culture Committee, reflecting the legislature’s commitment to fair access to entertainment and sports for fans in Taiwan.

The Yomiuri Giants, a Japanese professional baseball team, will be playing two exhibition games in Taiwan next March. They will face off against two Taiwanese teams, the CTBC Brothers on March 2 and the Rakuten Monkeys on March 3, at the Taipei Dome. Tsukasa Imamura, the president of the Giants, emphasized the importance of promoting baseball culture in Asia and expressed his hope for more Taiwanese players to join the team in the future. He mentioned that the Giants’ scouts have a high regard for Taiwanese high school players but have noticed a perceived stagnation in their skills after reaching college. Imamura hopes that Taiwan can produce more legendary players like Kuo Tai-yuan and Kuo Yuen-chih, who have already made a name for themselves in Japanese baseball. Throughout the years, 10 Taiwanese players, excluding the iconic Sadaharu Oh, have played for the Giants in Japan’s professional leagues, highlighting the ongoing baseball exchange between the two neighboring countries.

Taiwan/Ireland Poetry Translation Competition announces Li Lo from Taiwan and Michael Sharkey from Northern Ireland as winners in the Hakka poetry category. The competition focused on translating Hakka poetry, with a piece titled ＂Daylight＂ by Taiwanese poet Tseng Gui-hai. Tseng expressed delight over the exceptional English translations, emphasizing their ability to connect people worldwide to Hakka culture and draw parallels between Taiwan and Ireland’s histories. Director James Hadley commended the winning entries for their creative interpretation and capturing the musicality of English while resonating with Hakka’s phonetic variations and cultural sentiments. Taiwan’s representative to Ireland, Yang Tzu-pao, highlighted the importance of understanding Hakka culture in comprehending Taiwan as a whole.

Taiwan People’s Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je opposes the removal of Chinese culture from Taiwanese society, expressing concern that future generations may not be able to differentiate between historical figures like Zhang Fei and Yue Fei. During a press conference on transportation policy, Ko emphasized the inappropriateness of completely separating contemporary society from Chinese culture. He specifically mentioned revered figures in religious beliefs, such as Mazu, Guan Gong, Baosheng Emperor, and The Third Prince, who primarily originate from China. Ko also responded to a statement by DPP former legislative speaker You Si-kun, defending the concept of a ＂sense of honor＂ with a history spanning over two millennia.

Kuomintang presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih and running mate Chao Shao-kang reaffirmed that Beijing has not renounced the use of force against Taiwan, emphasizing the importance of Taiwan’s democracy in countering Chinese pressure. In an interview with NBC, Hou stated that Taiwan’s future should be determined by its 23 million inhabitants, asserting that Taiwan is an independent sovereign country. Hou advocated for preparedness without provocation and maintaining a deterrence capability amid growing tensions. Chao stressed the necessity of peace for cross-strait development, with strength as a crucial support. He emphasized the importance of U.S. support for Taiwan’s defense measures. Hou also highlighted the critical role of the U.S. in Taiwan’s self-defense efforts and expressed confidence in the deepening of the Taiwan-U.S. relationship. Chao argued that Taiwan’s democracy will inevitably influence mainland China, challenging the Chinese government to explain why democracy cannot thrive in a place with a shared heritage and culture across the Strait.

Kuomintang (KMT) legislator-at-large candidate Han Kuo-yu challenges the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to dismantle the Tainan Confucius Temple, which has been established since the Ming dynasty, if they intend to sever the roots of Chinese culture. Han expresses solidarity with a teacher involved in the ＂108 Curriculum＂ dispute and highlights the 2,500-year influence of Confucius, emphasizing the importance of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in Taiwan. He raises concerns about the future of education and the ideological direction for the next generation if the classics of Chinese literature were removed from the national curriculum.

The Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School marching band, known as the ＂Orange Devils,＂ arrived in Taiwan to a warm welcome at Taoyuan International Airport. Their visit is a testament to the strong ties between Taiwan and Japan, which were first sparked during their performance at the 2022 Taiwan National Day celebration. The band’s invitation this year, alongside Taipei First Girls High School, is an effort to further strengthen cultural bonds, as they are set to participate in the upcoming celebration of TGH’s 120th Anniversary. The visit has been made possible through corporate support, including an invitation from the Kaohsiung City Government for school exchanges and performances. Over the next five days, the Tachibana SHS band will showcase their talent at prestigious venues such as Kaohsiung’s Time Avenue, TAI Urban Resort, New Taipei’s Fuji Grand Hotel, Ximending, and the National Theater & Concert Hall.

Jaw Shau-kong, the Kuomintang (KMT) vice-presidential candidate, criticized the lack of access to university campuses for his campaign activities, claiming that this privilege was given to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) before his candidacy. He was previously invited to speak at National Tsing Hua University, National Chiao Tung University, and Chinese Culture University, but these engagements were later canceled by the universities. Jaw believes that nurturing university students’ interest in democracy is important and plans to speak at various higher education institutions, aiming to facilitate exchanges with students from at least five schools. His first campus speech will take place at his alma mater, Taichung First Senior High School. KMT presidential nominee Hou Yu-ih and DPP rival Lai Ching-te have also engaged with the student electorate, participating in youth forums and delivering speeches at various universities. People First Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je has also been invited to speak at universities, highlighting the trend of presidential and vice-presidential hopefuls engaging with students across Taiwan.

Experience the authentic taste of Taiwanese douhua (tofu pudding) at a douhua shop in Dubai, reminiscent of Taipei’s Yongkang Street. Imported ingredients and decor from Taiwan ensure an authentic experience. The shop, founded by Taiwanese national Dennis Chang, aims to showcase Taiwan’s culture and cuisine while providing a taste of home for Taiwanese residents in Dubai. The shop’s ambiance, adorned with Taiwanese elements, adds to the authenticity. Patrons, especially from the Chinese community, appreciate the desserts and find comfort in this unique Taiwanese dessert establishment in Dubai.

The ＂Taiwan 2023 Character of the Year＂ poll announced that the character ＂缺＂ (lack) received the most votes, representing the multifaceted social issues faced by Taiwan. The character symbolizes challenges such as shortages of water, electricity, masks, vaccines, rapid test kits, labor, and notably, eggs. ＂蛋＂ (egg) secured the second position, forming the term ＂缺蛋＂ (lack eggs), highlighting the egg scarcity in Taiwan. ＂詐＂ (fraud) came in third place, reflecting the persistent fraud cases in Taiwanese society. The nominations for these characters were made by Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang, former Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien, and Taiwan Mobile President Jamie Lin, who emphasized growing insecurity, political quality, and fraud issues, respectively. The ＂Taiwan 2023 Character of the Year＂ election, organized by the CTBC Foundation for Arts and Culture and the United Daily News, received a total of 65,043 votes from the public over a 25-day period. This annual character selection has been conducted for 16 consecutive years, reflecting the pulse of Taiwanese society and its people’s thoughts.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te welcomed the 2023 Taiwan Centers from North America delegation at the Presidential Office. They expressed gratitude for the expatriates’ support of Taiwan, particularly in its efforts to join international organizations and promote Taiwanese culture abroad. The delegation has played a vital role in fostering exchanges between Taiwan and countries like the United States and Canada. Despite challenges from the pandemic and international tensions, Tsai remarked that Taiwan’s steady policies have fortified its strength, with the island ranking sixth in global competitiveness and third for its entrepreneurial environment. The government remains committed to propelling industrial transformation and pursuing a net-zero transition. The visiting group’s agenda includes tours in Taipei, Changhua, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, with hopes that they will share Taiwan’s progress and achievements with their communities overseas. Notable invitees include Simon Lin, President of the Taiwan Center Foundation/Greater Los Angeles, Su Chun-hwai, President of the Taiwan Center NY, and Huang Mei-hsing, chief of staff of the Taiwanese American Center of Northern California.

Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan reveals his oversight of the planning and construction of 23 libraries during his tenure as Taoyuan mayor, with 15 libraries costing approximately NT＄8 billion. The announcement comes ahead of the Taiwan Reading Festival, seen as a symbol of civilization and a mark of a nation’s progress. Education Ministry reports show a rise in library visits, card applications, and book borrowing by Taiwanese residents. The festival, now in its 11th year, has gained international recognition and is expected to further promote Taiwan’s literary and cultural richness.

＂Invisible Nation,＂ a documentary portraying Taiwan’s path to democracy and featuring President Tsai Ing-wen, premiered at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, drawing acclaim for its unbiased and unique perspective.

Presidential candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has proposed several cultural initiatives to strengthen the rights of various ethnic groups in Taiwan. He emphasized that Taiwan’s composition is primarily a result of self-identification among different groups, with 67% identifying as Fujianese, 19% as Hakka, 5% from various Chinese provinces, 2% indigenous Taiwanese, and 8% as ＂new residents＂ including migrant workers, professionals, new immigrants, second-generation immigrants, and foreign university students. Ko advocated for Taiwan to become a melting pot for diverse ethnic groups and proposed a law against ethnic discrimination. Specifically addressing the Hakka community, he unveiled proposals to preserve Hakka culture and position Taiwan as a global hub for Hakka society. Ko also presented policies to support Taiwan’s indigenous populations, including granting more rights and establishing tribal self-governance councils.

The number of Japanese tourists visiting Taiwan has only recovered to 33% of pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2023. One reason for this is the depreciation of the Japanese yen, but the major concern is the growing cross-strait tensions. The instability in the Taiwan Strait has created unease among Japanese tourists. Maintaining stability and peace in the Taiwan Strait is a key task for the new line-up of top government leaders. Another contributing factor to Japan’s decreased tourism in Taiwan is the rising interest in South Korea, including its Korean pop culture, local delicacies, casinos, and cosmetic surgery services, despite its more expensive cost to visit after the pandemic.