Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Taipei Pictorial: Yangmingshan Spring Flowers
The February 2009 issue of the Taipei Pictorial is now available. Published by the Department of Information and Tourism (TPEDOIT), the latest issue features flowers and springtime events in Taipei.
The topics in this issue include Yangminshan Flower Festival, locations to observe blooming flowers, as well as tips and information on buying flowers at local flower markets.
In addition to a feature article on the annual flower season in Yangminshan, the issue also offers three “insider spots” for flower watchers to enjoy specific types of flowers, including:
- cherry blossoms along Fuxing 3rd Rd. at Beitou District
- calliopsis at Dajia Riverside Park
- roses at Shilin Presidential Residence
Taking into account the possible rise of demand for floriculture products during Valentines’ Day, Taipei Pictorial also introduces readers to four major flower bazaars in Taipei.
These markets include Jianguo Holiday Flower Market, Taipei Flowers Auction Corporation, Taipei Pot Plant Auction, and Shezi Flower Market. Readers will also find many tips on selecting flowers in this issue.
Readers can pick up a free copy of the magazine at the following locations: - Taipei City Hall (information counter on the first floor) - Taipei Visitor Information Center (all branches) - MRT stations - Offices of city-affiliated agencies
Residents can also read the online version at the website of TPEDOIT (http://www.tpedoit.taipei.gov.tw). For more information, please call 1999, ext. 7564 or 7570.
Source : Taipei City Gov.
2009 Taipei Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival, also known as "Yuan Xiao Festival" or "Shang Yuan Festival", is a long-standing traditional festival originating in ancient times. From its earliest conception, the Lantern Festival has meant a time for families to gather and invoke the blessings of the Gods for peace and harmony in the coming year. Falling on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival is the climactic conclusion to the Lunar New Year period. Due to the widespread popularity of this festival, it is sometimes dubbed the mini-New Year celebration. In order to meet the public’s high expectations of the Lantern Festival, Taipei City Government meticulously plans and executes uniquely themed festivities every spring, which not only offer a chance to celebrate this occasion, but also to uphold the long-standing tradition of Chinese culture, while simultaneously promoting Chinese folk festivals on the international stage. The Taipei Lantern Festival, which has been held annually since 1997, has won acclaim both domestically and internationally. The city's residents, young and old, have been very impressed by the gorgeous fireworks and wondrous lantern installations. Both local and international visitors will not want to miss the annual Lantern Festival. The 2009 Taipei Lantern Festival will combine the theme of this year’s zodiac animal, the Ox, with the 2009 Deaflympic Games in Taipei. Viewers will be treated to a feast of creative visual arts utilizing lights and sounds. The modern technological design and innovation will be integrated into the traditional Chinese festivities. "Lantern holding, drama appreciation, festival celebration" — in the 2009 Taipei Lantern Festival, all the exhibits and performances are delicately linked together. Drawing upon the four main forms of artistic expression (song, dance, music and drama), this year’s festival promises a revival of ancient traditions.
Source : Taipei City Gov.
Taipei Easy Go
Taipei City Government's Department of Information Tourism (DOIT) introduces five themed routes to experience Taipei for potential visitors from Singapore and Malaysia. DOIT Commissioner Yang Hsiao-tung, Malaysian singer Fish Leong, the spokeswoman, attended the tourism campaign named "Taipei Easy Go" on February 10th.
The routes represent different aspects of Taipei city. The hot spring route is excellent for visitors who are looking for a relaxing vacation. Nature and plant lovers could consider the Yangmingshan route, while fashion enthusiasts go shopping in the metropolitan areas such as Chung Hsiao and Hsin Yi districts.
Yang remarked on the nostalgic route which features artistic and historical sites such as Spot Taipei and Astoria coffee shop for visitors who have interests in Taipei in the olden days.
Leong has been living in Taipei for more than a decade. She recommended shopping in the small shops located in the alleys of Chung Hsiao East Road, snacks from Tonghua night market, beef noodle and shaved ice with mango on Yong Kang street. Besides food and shopping, she added that the establishment of 24-hour bookstore shows Taipei a city that never sleeps.
Over a dozen of travel agents from Singapore and Malaysia gathered in the press conference to meet local representatives from travel agencies and airlines and discuss tourism promotion on both sides. China Airline announced that the company will introduce travel packages with discounts later this month.
DOIT expects "Taipei Easy Go" campaign to attract 12,000 tourists from Singapore and Malaysia.
Pictured are DOIT Commissioner Yang Hsiao-tung, center, and Malaysian singer Fish Leong, right, introducing the promotion.
The routes represent different aspects of Taipei city. The hot spring route is excellent for visitors who are looking for a relaxing vacation. Nature and plant lovers could consider the Yangmingshan route, while fashion enthusiasts go shopping in the metropolitan areas such as Chung Hsiao and Hsin Yi districts.
Yang remarked on the nostalgic route which features artistic and historical sites such as Spot Taipei and Astoria coffee shop for visitors who have interests in Taipei in the olden days.
Leong has been living in Taipei for more than a decade. She recommended shopping in the small shops located in the alleys of Chung Hsiao East Road, snacks from Tonghua night market, beef noodle and shaved ice with mango on Yong Kang street. Besides food and shopping, she added that the establishment of 24-hour bookstore shows Taipei a city that never sleeps.
Over a dozen of travel agents from Singapore and Malaysia gathered in the press conference to meet local representatives from travel agencies and airlines and discuss tourism promotion on both sides. China Airline announced that the company will introduce travel packages with discounts later this month.
DOIT expects "Taipei Easy Go" campaign to attract 12,000 tourists from Singapore and Malaysia.
Pictured are DOIT Commissioner Yang Hsiao-tung, center, and Malaysian singer Fish Leong, right, introducing the promotion.
Source : Taiwan News
Flu In Taiwan
Health officials in Taipei County urged the public yesterday to take precautionary measures to avoid serious illness as the influenza season hits its peak.
The officials said, in one of the more severe cases, a 30-year-old nurse living in Banciao (板橋) died on Saturday after developing a fever and other flu symptoms a week earlier.On Jan. 30, the nurse brought her two sons, aged three and five, to see a doctor because both children had runny noses and other flu symptoms. She later also developed a runny nose and a cough but did not pay attention to the symptoms. She went to see a doctor on Feb. 3 after the illness sapped her strength, but her condition deteriorated and she died of viral myocarditis four days later.The officials warned that the peak flu season is not over yet, and said that those who develop flu-like symptoms should avoid going to public places, or wear face masks if they must go out.To prevent the flu outbreak from spreading to schoolchildren, who are more vulnerable than other age groups, the Taipei County government has begun to distribute 86,800 facemasks to pupils in 217 public and private elementary schools in the county.The officials said most cases of the flu this season are the swine H1N1 virus strain, which is resistant to Tamiflu, the mainstay antiviral drug.Given that young children are at high risk for influenza complications, such as pneumococcal lung infection, county officials urged that children aged two to five who have not been vaccinated be immediately taken to health centers and medical institutions for free flu shots.People who have flu symptoms, such as a fever, cough and sore throat, are also advised to immediately seek medical treatment and get plenty of rest to avoid developing serious, life-threatening complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.
The officials said, in one of the more severe cases, a 30-year-old nurse living in Banciao (板橋) died on Saturday after developing a fever and other flu symptoms a week earlier.On Jan. 30, the nurse brought her two sons, aged three and five, to see a doctor because both children had runny noses and other flu symptoms. She later also developed a runny nose and a cough but did not pay attention to the symptoms. She went to see a doctor on Feb. 3 after the illness sapped her strength, but her condition deteriorated and she died of viral myocarditis four days later.The officials warned that the peak flu season is not over yet, and said that those who develop flu-like symptoms should avoid going to public places, or wear face masks if they must go out.To prevent the flu outbreak from spreading to schoolchildren, who are more vulnerable than other age groups, the Taipei County government has begun to distribute 86,800 facemasks to pupils in 217 public and private elementary schools in the county.The officials said most cases of the flu this season are the swine H1N1 virus strain, which is resistant to Tamiflu, the mainstay antiviral drug.Given that young children are at high risk for influenza complications, such as pneumococcal lung infection, county officials urged that children aged two to five who have not been vaccinated be immediately taken to health centers and medical institutions for free flu shots.People who have flu symptoms, such as a fever, cough and sore throat, are also advised to immediately seek medical treatment and get plenty of rest to avoid developing serious, life-threatening complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.
MOE freezes college tuition hikes
To reduce the burden college students face amid the economic downturn, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday it had frozen a planned tuition hike for this academic year.
“College tuition for the 2009 academic year should increase by 1.8 percent in accordance with the formula the ministry introduced last year. However, we are facing a very special situation this year, with the poor economy and high unemployment rate,” Vice Minister of Education Lu Mu-lin (呂木琳) told a press conference.“After discussing it with the ministry, the chairmen of the three associations agreed unanimously that all the nation’s universities and colleges would not increase their tuition,” Lu said, referring to the Association of National Universities and Colleges (ANUC), the Association of Private Universities and Colleges (APUC) and the Association of Private Universities and Colleges of Technology (APUCT).Average tuition at the nation’s public universities and colleges ranges from NT$30,000 (US$880) to NT$40,000 per semester, while the average tuition at private universities and colleges averages between NT$45,000 and NT$50,000.Lu said that as of Monday, the ministry’s hotline for students in need had received 1,792 calls since it was launched last month.“We all recognize the need for us to stick together in the face of economic difficulty, but in the meantime, we should retain our faith in knowledge. With more advanced knowledge, we will be able to prepare for our development in the future,” APUC chairman Lee Tien-rein (李天任) said. ANUC Chairman Lee Si-chen (李嗣涔) said that tuition at the nation’s universities and colleges might also be lowered next year if the economic downturn continued.The ministry had also proposed a number of projects to the Executive Yuan to allow universities and colleges to recruit more research assistants and professional teaching staff, Lu said.If approved by the Executive Yuan during its weekly meeting today and the Legislative Yuan afterwards, the projects could create a total of 46,000 job openings at a cost of NT$19.3 billion, Lu said.“Our universities and colleges have been suffering from a lack of funding and staffers, excessive burden on teachers and the inability to improve the standard of teaching and research,” Lu said.He said these projects could not only help solve the nation’s unemployment problem but also improve the schools’ teaching and research capability.
“College tuition for the 2009 academic year should increase by 1.8 percent in accordance with the formula the ministry introduced last year. However, we are facing a very special situation this year, with the poor economy and high unemployment rate,” Vice Minister of Education Lu Mu-lin (呂木琳) told a press conference.“After discussing it with the ministry, the chairmen of the three associations agreed unanimously that all the nation’s universities and colleges would not increase their tuition,” Lu said, referring to the Association of National Universities and Colleges (ANUC), the Association of Private Universities and Colleges (APUC) and the Association of Private Universities and Colleges of Technology (APUCT).Average tuition at the nation’s public universities and colleges ranges from NT$30,000 (US$880) to NT$40,000 per semester, while the average tuition at private universities and colleges averages between NT$45,000 and NT$50,000.Lu said that as of Monday, the ministry’s hotline for students in need had received 1,792 calls since it was launched last month.“We all recognize the need for us to stick together in the face of economic difficulty, but in the meantime, we should retain our faith in knowledge. With more advanced knowledge, we will be able to prepare for our development in the future,” APUC chairman Lee Tien-rein (李天任) said. ANUC Chairman Lee Si-chen (李嗣涔) said that tuition at the nation’s universities and colleges might also be lowered next year if the economic downturn continued.The ministry had also proposed a number of projects to the Executive Yuan to allow universities and colleges to recruit more research assistants and professional teaching staff, Lu said.If approved by the Executive Yuan during its weekly meeting today and the Legislative Yuan afterwards, the projects could create a total of 46,000 job openings at a cost of NT$19.3 billion, Lu said.“Our universities and colleges have been suffering from a lack of funding and staffers, excessive burden on teachers and the inability to improve the standard of teaching and research,” Lu said.He said these projects could not only help solve the nation’s unemployment problem but also improve the schools’ teaching and research capability.
Source : Taipei Times
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