Travel
The Pingtung Black Marlin Festival Celebrates Mother’s Day with 10% Discounts at Donggang Fish Market Restaurants
With Mother’s Day just two days away, renowned TV weather anchor Wang Shuli visited Donggang today (the 9th) to recommend the area’s fresh local catches, delicious food, and souvenirs—perfect for treating mom to a special day out. The Pingtung County Government’s Tourism and Communications Department announced that a series of Black Marlin Festival events will be held at the Overseas Chinese Market on May 10th, including a vendor shouting event. Visitors are encouraged to bring their moms to Donggang for a trip and even join the bidding to take home their favorite seafood.
Tired of popular tourist itineraries? 5 new destinations worth visiting in 2014
Sometimes people just stop getting excited about the world’s famous attractions because they’ve often been overdeveloped and overrun with tourists. But there are indeed some new spots well worth your anticipation. Here’s a curated list of 5 fresh hidden gems you should actually visit in 2014, compiled based on Huffington Post.
Preserving the vintage charm of the old house — He Sheng 36 Homestay in Yilan
Retro-style chandeliers, uniquely designed floral floor tiles, and the long benches used for grinding herbs in traditional Chinese medicine shops... Time always reminds us of the preciousness of fleeting moments through these aged objects. Staying here not only offers relaxation but also teaches you to cherish the present.
Japanese Grassroots House Café: Vast Garden & CLUB HARIE's Annual Ring Cake
With the change of seasons, this café takes on different hues. Located in Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, the "La Collina" café boasts a vast expanse of countryside, with a two-story cottage nestled amid the fields. This cottage serves refined castella and annual ring cakes as afternoon tea desserts.
Taste the heartfelt flavors of military dependents’ village home-style cooking – generous portions that ensure no guest leaves hungry!
I think many people might be as puzzled as I was about what exactly military dependents’ village cuisine tastes like. As I understand it, it includes noodles, soups, braised dishes (which are the highlight), and some home-style fare. It’s not about refined gourmet dishes, but you can definitely taste the deep affection in them. Moreover, the strong sense of community in these villages is also one of their defining features. For instance, the warm smiles of the veterans and elders always give you a feeling of being home, both visually and in terms of taste.
Is the world’s most beautiful bay turning into a construction site? Tourism Bureau: Destruction of Penghu’s scenery will never be allowed
The sandy beaches of Penghu, which recently received membership certification from the “Organization for the World’s Most Beautiful Bays,” have recently seen reports that a consortium is preparing to build the “Penghu Bay Marine Resort & Spa Hotel” on Liyu Beach, erecting a 7,200-square-meter fence on the beach for grouting work—estimated to occupy 20% of Liyu Beach’s area. This has drawn serious concern from local residents and environmental groups, and the development project has now been ordered to halt construction.
Second May Children's Day Festival Launches at De Yuan Pi Dutch Village on the 17th
The 2014 De Yuan Pi Dutch Village Joyful Children's Festival will kick off in a grand opening on May 17. In addition to inviting clowns to the park to bring laughter to visitors, the event also features activities such as face painting, traditional toys, and an inflatable kingdom. Among these, the De Yuan Pi Face Painting activity has specially designed super cute, child-friendly patterns for participants to use. Everyone who completes their painting will have a chance to win limited-edition souvenirs.
Le Méridien Taipei launches an ultimate Cantonese-Guangdong double feast featuring lobster, grouper, starting from NT$4,200
Le Méridien Taipei this year has invited "Yuluxuan," which was awarded one Michelin star in 2014, to Taiwan. Executive Chef Tan Guofeng of Yuluxuan and Executive Chinese Chef Xu Wenguang of Le Méridien Taipei have jointly launched the “Ultimate Dual Cantonese Feast” at Le Méridien Recipes starting today. The set menu is available for lunch and dinner daily.
The understated elegance of Kyoto’s Ginkaku-ji Temple Visitors also come for its famed karesansui (dry landscape garden)
Ginkaku-ji’s original name is Jishō-ji, belonging to the Rinzai sect’s Kennin-ji branch, which represents Higashiyama culture. Both Ginkaku-ji and Kinkaku-ji belong to a branch of Kennin-ji, and their official websites are even combined. However, Kennin-ji isn’t well-known among tourists, whereas the two "Golden and Silver Temples" attract countless visitors.
Multiple cruise ships operating at the port in May — Keelung Port: Actively promoting itself internationally
Cruises are seen as the future of tourism by countries around the
A paradise in the desert: Peru's Huacachina oasis is gradually disappearing
Known as the "oasis in the Americas," it is now vanishing. This small town of only about 100 residents—Huacachina—is the heart of a captivating surrounding oasis, yet this oasis is now drying up. Moreover, Peruvian authorities are facing difficulties in diverting nearby springs to the area.
Get ready to hit the gym—7 insanely sweet Brazilian "devilish desserts"
Do you always crave something sweet after a meal? Brazil has 7 desserts so sweet they’ll drive you crazy—loved for their delicious taste yet hated for the insane workout needed to burn off the calories. But when faced with such devilishly tempting sweets, who can resist? Let’s take a look at what these demonic desserts are really like—and why their fatal allure is simply irresistible. We can’t help but wonder: just how much do Brazilians love their sweets?
Even at triple the price, no young people want to grow it: Taiwan’s mung beans could face extinction in 10 years
Taiwan’s domestically produced mung beans may face the risk of disappearing within the next 10–20 years due to the opening of bean imports and a shortage of labor. In just ten years, annual production has dropped to one-fifth of what it once was. Wu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, said, “Now, locally grown mung beans in Taiwan are more than three times the price of imported ones, yet farmers in the Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan regions still have little interest in growing them.”
"The islands may be isolated, but the people are not!" Kinmen's Dadan and Erdan Islands to open for tourism next July
Long regarded as Taiwan's "most remote outlying islands and the frontline of the frontline," Kinmen's Dadan and Erdan Islands have traditionally been considered military zones. After June 30, they will be handed over to the Kinmen County Government and the Coast Guard Administration. According to plans by the Executive Yuan, trial tourism operations are expected to begin in July (2015), with official public access opening in September. This will allow citizens to experience the islands' frontline charm and even catch sight of the famous "psychological warfare wall" as well as mainland tour boats that come specifically to view it and shuttle back and forth.
“If you’re asked for the way to the police station, you’ll be thrown in jail” — the Green Island Human Rights Art Festival revisits historical traces
To commemorate the day the first group of political prisoners were sent to serve their sentences on Green Island, the National Human Rights Museum invited relevant individuals to return to the island and, through a series of events, bear witness to this history once again.
Osaka’s Dotonbori landmark “Glico Running Man” to temporarily go dark on 8/17
The iconic local billboard “Glico Running Man” (Glico), which has been running along the Dotonbori Canal in Osaka since 1935 and has been passed down through five generations, will be temporarily taken down after August 17 this year (2014) due to the aging signage and plans for a redesign. The brand-new sixth-generation version is expected to make its comeback in autumn.
The taste is super weird—Viagra, sheep offal, and shrimp can all be made into ice cream
As summer approaches, more and more people are starting to eat ice cream, and even many convenience stores have begun selling it. But do you think ice cream only comes in flavors like matcha, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry? Have you ever tried ice cream mixed with Viagra or shrimp? Even if you haven’t, come take a look and see what other bizarre flavors of ice cream exist around the world, ready to challenge everyone’s taste buds!
Taichung–Yichang Direct Charter Flights Launched, Making Trips to the Three Gorges Easier for Central Taiwan Travelers
Yichang is the second-largest city in Hubei Province and the site of the Three Gorges Dam, home to numerous 5A and 4A-level scenic spots. Starting May 10, the first tourist charter flight from Yichang on the mainland to Taichung will be operated by Taiwan’s TransAsia Airways, which is expected to boost tourism. Yichang Vice Mayor Liu Jianxin also led a municipal government delegation to Taiwan, demonstrating the city’s emphasis on Taiwan.
Great success！Kaohsiung’s iPASS free bus rides to be extended through year-end
Kaohsiung’s plan allowing iPASS cardholders to ride city buses for free saw a 27% increase in bus ridership in the first quarter of this year (2014) compared to the same period last year. Today (12th), Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu announced that the free bus service will continue until the end of the year. She also stated that the city has received approximately NT$160 million in central government subsidies and is now striving to further boost bus ridership in order to secure additional central funding. Citizens are encouraged to use public transportation actively and support the green city initiative.
Returning the "World's Most Beautiful Bay" to residents: The fences at Qimei Beach in Penghu have been removed
Penghu’s beauty is renowned both domestically and internationally. It was recently awarded membership certification by the "Most Beautiful Bays in the World" organization, yet reports emerged that a consortium planned to build a resort hotel on Qimei Beach, erecting a 7,200-square-meter fence, which caused an uproar. The Penghu County Government recently ordered a halt to construction and demanded the removal of the fence. Earlier today (the 12th), the work was completed, restoring the beautiful bay to its pristine state.