It may be the 21st century, but feminist ideas have yet to penetrate the sequined tower of the Mando-pop glitterati. Vivian Hsu (徐若瑄), for example, has had to resort to divine intervention to provide her with a man in her life, after breaking up with F4’s Vanness Wu (吳建豪) three years ago. A visit to Taipei’s Xingtian Temple (行天宮) this March seems to have paid off: rumors are swirling of a blooming romance with Stephen Fung (馮德倫), who achieved prominence in the gossip press through his one-time association with Karen Mok (莫文蔚) and Shu Qi (舒淇).
Next magazine reports that Hsu prayed at every one of the temple’s many shrines, paying special attention to that of “the man in the moon” (月下老人), who is responsible for romance, and the goddess of childbirth (註生娘娘), whose cosmological function is self-explanatory. There is a good chance that we will be hearing more of Hsu’s romantic tribulations, as Fung definitely has something of an eye for the ladies.
In other news about celebrities looking for love, male model Jerry Huang (黃志瑋) has further damaged his chances of getting back with former girlfriend and high-society belle Terri Kwan (關穎) after being caught putting the moves on — shock, horror — an older woman. Huang has been playing the wronged lover now for nearly six months and clearly this role is not satisfying all his urges.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Although the font of much showbiz insider knowledge, Next does not have things all its own way. The mag has been clobbered with NT$400,000 in damages after it went too far in reporting on the sexual shenanigans of TV host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲), according to a report in the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper).
It is possible to believe almost anything in relation to Wu’s association with the fairer sex, but when Next reported that he had fessed up to having sex with a fan called Linda, the notorious womanizer decided to put the record straight. This makes it all the more interesting to read about suggestions published in Next that Jaycee Chan (房祖名), son of martial arts superstar Jackie Chan (成龍) and friend of the recently disgraced Edison Chen (陳冠希), is reported to have been caught with his pants down on the Internet. Little evidence seems to have been produced in this initial report, but, as they say, watch this space: either for Jaycee facing the same kind of hypocritical public outrage directed at Chen, or Next magazine getting it in the neck once again — an altogether more cheering prospect.
Contestants in CTV’s One Million Star (超級星光大道) talent contest continue to grab headlines, as yet another of the “reality” TV show’s alumni has been censured for being arrogant. Aska Yang (楊宗緯), one of the most successful celebrity wannabes to emerge from the first season, has repeatedly come in for a basting. Caught in the crosshairs this time is season two second-place winner Liang Wen-ying (梁文英). Next worked itself into a frenzy over her lack of professionalism at a concert given for high-ranking staffers of the Shin Kong financial group, turning up to perform in a cardigan and jeans instead of the halter top and tutu that had been agreed on. Third-place winner Yeh Wei-ting (葉瑋庭), who dutifully donned hot pants and a low cut V-neck for her performance, was lauded for doing the right thing. Liang, many of whose fans believe she should have won the second season and who has received numerous endorsement contracts since appearing in the show, may now face a media lockout for what is regarded as unacceptable behavior.
The cherry on the cake for this week’s celebrity goings on is the revelation by sohu.com, an Internet celebrity gossip site, still unsubstantiated, that Andy Lau (劉德華), one of Hong Kong’s biggest stars, and long time girlfriend Carol Chu (朱麗倩), who had announced their forthcoming marriage, have actually been married for 18 years and already have a 15-year-old son.
Wooden houses wedged between concrete, crumbling brick facades with roofs gaping to the sky, and tiled art deco buildings down narrow alleyways: Taichung Central District’s (中區) aging architecture reveals both the allure and reality of the old downtown. From Indigenous settlement to capital under Qing Dynasty rule through to Japanese colonization, Taichung’s Central District holds a long and layered history. The bygone beauty of its streets once earned it the nickname “Little Kyoto.” Since the late eighties, however, the shifting of economic and government centers westward signaled a gradual decline in the area’s evolving fortunes. With the regeneration of the once
Even by the standards of Ukraine’s International Legion, which comprises volunteers from over 55 countries, Han has an unusual backstory. Born in Taichung, he grew up in Costa Rica — then one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — where a relative worked for the embassy. After attending an American international high school in San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, Han — who prefers to use only his given name for OPSEC (operations security) reasons — moved to the US in his teens. He attended Penn State University before returning to Taiwan to work in the semiconductor industry in Kaohsiung, where he
On May 2, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), at a meeting in support of Taipei city councilors at party headquarters, compared President William Lai (賴清德) to Hitler. Chu claimed that unlike any other democracy worldwide in history, no other leader was rooting out opposing parties like Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). That his statements are wildly inaccurate was not the point. It was a rallying cry, not a history lesson. This was intentional to provoke the international diplomatic community into a response, which was promptly provided. Both the German and Israeli offices issued statements on Facebook
Perched on Thailand’s border with Myanmar, Arunothai is a dusty crossroads town, a nowheresville that could be the setting of some Southeast Asian spaghetti Western. Its main street is the final, dead-end section of the two-lane highway from Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second largest city 120kms south, and the heart of the kingdom’s mountainous north. At the town boundary, a Chinese-style arch capped with dragons also bears Thai script declaring fealty to Bangkok’s royal family: “Long live the King!” Further on, Chinese lanterns line the main street, and on the hillsides, courtyard homes sit among warrens of narrow, winding alleyways and
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