Across the Chinese diaspora, racing in dragon boats has been a tradition reaching back thousands of years. But change is afoot, most recently in central Taiwan where the races were switched to the evening to take advantage of cooler temperatures, a refreshing breeze and the sight of the boats lit up with LED lights running the length of the low-lying watercraft. A drummer pounds out a rhythm behind the elaborately carved dragon head in the bow, while a navigator sits in the stern, where a tail rises to complete the look of the mythical animal, a traditional Chinese harbinger of prosperity and good luck. Amateur athletes competed in dragon boat race at Tongzhou on the outskirts of Beijing to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival on Monday, June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) It is...
Read MoreTag: Taiwan
About 120,000 people, many carrying rainbow flags, marched through Taiwan's capital Taipei on Saturday to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality in east Asia's largest Pride march. Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019 in a first for Asia, and is proud of its reputation as a bastion of LGBTQ+ rights and liberalism. People wave rainbow flags during the annual pride parade in Taipei, Taiwan, October 29, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang The rainy streets of central Taipei were packed for the annual parade, the 20th since it began and including go-go dancers and drag queens on the back of colourfully decorated trucks, joined by several senior members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). "I'm very proud that Taiwan has Pride," said social worker Chang Chi, 28, who took part with her gir...
Read MoreTaiwan began welcoming back visitors on Thursday after finally ending mandatory quarantines to control the spread of COVID-19, with gifts of cuddly toy black bears for the first tour group that stepped off the plane shortly after midnight. Taiwan had kept some of its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia relaxed or lifted them completely, although in June it cut the number of days required in isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously. Travellers from Thailand on the first quarantine-free flight to Taiwan, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, receive a welcome by officials and the media at the airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan, October 13, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang While Taiwan has reported almost seven million domestic cases since t...
Read MoreTaiwan will end its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for arrivals from Oct. 13 and welcome tourists back, the government said on Thursday, completing a major step on its plan to re-open to the outside world. Taiwan had kept some of its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia relaxed or lifted them completely, although in June it cut the number of days required in isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously. FILE PHOTO: A person gets a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test in Taipei, Taiwan, May 24, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang Taiwan has reported 6.3 million domestic cases since the beginning of the year, driven by the more infectious Omicron variant. With more than 99% of those showing no or only mild symptoms, the government has relaxed restriction...
Read MoreTaiwan will resume visa free entry for visitors from countries including the United States and Canada from next week, the government said on Monday, as it continues to ease controls put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19. Taiwan had kept its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely, though in June it cut the number of days spent in isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously. FILE PHOTO: Travelers arrive at the Taoyuan International airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan. REUTERS/Ann Wang Taiwan has reported more than 5.3 million domestic cases since the beginning of the year, driven by the more infectious Omicron variant. But with more than 99% of those exhibiting no or mild symptoms, the government has r...
Read MoreSome mountains can move in the blink of a geological eye. A new study finds evidence of surprisingly rapid upward movement of earth’s crust on the island of Taiwan. Over roughly half a million years, the Coastal Range of east Taiwan was rising at a rate of 9 to 14 millimeters per year, the research shows. While this seems imperceptibly slow by human standards, it’s quite fast for mountains. Much of the dramatic topography on the surface of the planet is formed by vertical movements of less than a millimeter per year. “The earth's surface can act extremely fast, way faster than most people imagine,” said Larry Syu-Heng Lai, a UO doctoral student who led the work alongside researchers at the UO and a team of collaborators in Taiwan. “These measurements of extreme rates are u...
Read MoreThe streets and night skies of Kaohsiung will be bathed in light as the city stages the 2022 Taiwan Lantern Festival, with this year’s event drawing on both tradition and modern innovation to mesmerise visitors to the city. The festival, which will run for 28 days from February 1, will for the first time provide a model for collaboration between artisans who use time-honoured methods to construct traditional lanterns and cutting-edge artists from around the world. Spread throughout the National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts at Weiwuying and the city’s Love River Bay district, the festival will provide interactive experiences for visitors to learn about how traditional lantern art can be passed down to modern generations at the same time as harnessing advanced exhibition technology, ...
Read MoreWhile 2020 will be remembered by many as a year of travel bans and cancelled vacations, the indigenous Tao people of Orchid Island will remember it as the year unprecedented numbers of visitors descended on their once tranquil home. The small island, 90 km (56 miles) off Taiwan’s southeast coast, is home to approximately 4,700 ethnic Austronesian Tao or Yami people, and has in recent years become a popular holiday destination for both Taiwanese and foreigners alike. Traditional tatala boats Orchid Island (Lanyu) is a volcanic island that was formed of magma erupting from the ocean floor. Because the peaks of the mountains at the north-western corner of the island resemble red human heads in the crimson rays of the setting sun, it was formerly known as "Redhead Island." The presen...
Read More
You must be logged in to post a comment.