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.
Sept.16 to Sept. 22 The “anti-communist train” with then-president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) face plastered on the engine puffed along the “sugar railway” (糖業鐵路) in May 1955, drawing enthusiastic crowds at 103 stops covering nearly 1,200km. An estimated 1.58 million spectators were treated to propaganda films, plays and received free sugar products. By this time, the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corporation (台糖, Taisugar) had managed to connect the previously separate east-west lines established by Japanese-era sugar factories, allowing the anti-communist train to travel easily from Taichung to Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港). Last Sunday’s feature (Taiwan in Time: The sugar express) covered the inauguration of the
The corruption cases surrounding former Taipei Mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) head Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) are just one item in the endless cycle of noise and fuss obscuring Taiwan’s deep and urgent structural and social problems. Even the case itself, as James Baron observed in an excellent piece at the Diplomat last week, is only one manifestation of the greater problem of deep-rooted corruption in land development. Last week the government announced a program to permit 25,000 foreign university students, primarily from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, to work in Taiwan after graduation for 2-4 years. That number is a
In a stark demonstration of how award-winning breakthroughs can come from the most unlikely directions, researchers have won an Ig Nobel prize for discovering that mammals can breathe through their anuses. After a series of tests on mice, rats and pigs, Japanese scientists found the animals absorb oxygen delivered through the rectum, work that underpins a clinical trial to see whether the procedure can treat respiratory failure. The team is among 10 recognized in this year’s Ig Nobel awards (see below for more), the irreverent accolades given for achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think.” They are not
This Qing Dynasty trail takes hikers from renowned hot springs in the East Rift Valley, up to the top of the Coastal Mountain Range, and down to the Pacific Short vacations to eastern Taiwan often require choosing between the Rift Valley with its pineapple fields, rice paddies and broader range of amenities, or the less populated coastal route for its ocean scenery. For those who can’t decide, why not try both? The Antong Traversing Trail (安通越嶺道) provides just such an opportunity. Built 149 years ago, the trail linked up these two formerly isolated parts of the island by crossing over the Coastal Mountain Range. After decades of serving as a convenient path for local Amis, Han settlers, missionaries and smugglers, the trail fell into disuse once modern roadways were built