After local media reported that a Nantou County bikini contest would be held on the grounds of a Buddhist temple, County Commis-sioner Lee Chao-ching (李朝卿) yesterday clarified that a final decision had not been made on the venue for the event.
The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) and CTI-TV, among other media outlets, reported yesterday that the Miss Bikini World 2006 finals were going to be held on the grounds of the Chung Tai Chan Monastery, with the hope of promoting the county's local culture and luring tourists.
Lee said in a press conference on Tuesday that the contest should be held at the monastery because the temple there was a "marvel" that contestants -- who will arrive from many countries for the swimwear spectacular -- should see. He said holding the event at the monastery would help put Nantou County on the map, according to yesterday's reports.
Lee contacted the temple last week and gave them three days to mull over the idea, the reports said. Later he visited Master Weijue (
But Lee said yesterday during a press conference that although Weijue had agreed to host the bikini competition, the nation's Miss Bikini World 2006 Committee had not made a decision on where the event will be held.
Chen Chi-han (
The committee won't officially announce its final decision until Aug. 12, Chen said.
Lee said that he hoped to promote tourism in the area, and that the pageant could be held at Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) and Puli Township in addition to the monastery.
"If bikinis are not appropriate for the monastery, then the category in which contestants wear traditional outfits from their countries can be held at the temple, while the bikini segment can be held at Sun Moon Lake," Lee said.
At first Weijue did not think it was a good idea to host a beauty pageant, since the Buddhist faith preaches against vanity, the Liberty Times reported.
But he then agreed that the contest could be held at the Pu Tai Elementary and Junior High School grounds, situated next to the monastery.
Master Chienyun (
Chienyun acknowledged that some might be scandalized at the monastery's decision to allow a bikini contest on the temple grounds, but he stressed that the school where the contest would be held is separate from the dojo -- a hall where Buddhists practice meditation, the report said.
Also, the school was built with public contributions, so lending the ground to the county for activities was a way for the monastery to give back to the public, he said.
FIREPOWER: On top of the torpedoes, the military would procure Kestrel II anti-tank weapons systems to replace aging license-produced M72 LAW launchers Taiwan is to receive US-made Mark 48 torpedoes and training simulators over the next three years, following delays that hampered the navy’s operational readiness, the Ministry of National Defense’s latest budget proposal showed. The navy next year would acquire four training simulator systems for the torpedoes and take receipt of 14 torpedoes in 2027 and 10 torpedoes in 2028, the ministry said in its budget for the next fiscal year. The torpedoes would almost certainly be utilized in the navy’s two upgraded Chien Lung-class submarines and the indigenously developed Hai Kun, should the attack sub successfully reach operational status. US President Donald Trump
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to start construction of its 1.4-nanometer chip manufacturing facilities at the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP, 中部科學園區) as early as October, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported yesterday, citing the park administration. TSMC acquired land for the second phase of the park’s expansion in Taichung in June. Large cement, construction and facility engineering companies in central Taiwan have reportedly been receiving bids for TSMC-related projects, the report said. Supply-chain firms estimated that the business opportunities for engineering, equipment and materials supply, and back-end packaging and testing could reach as high as
ALL QUIET: The Philippine foreign secretary told senators she would not respond to questions about whether Lin Chia-lung was in the country The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that a business delegation is visiting the Philippines, but declined to say whether Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is part of the group, as Philippine lawmakers raised questions over Lin’s reported visit. The group is being led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Huang Chao-chin (黃昭欽), Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) chairman Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠) and US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) vice president Lotta Danielsson, the ministry said in a statement. However, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said that Lin is leading the delegation of 70 people. Filinvest New Clark City Innovation Park
DEFENSIVE EDGE: The liaison officer would work with Taiwan on drones and military applications for other civilian-developed technologies, a source said A Pentagon unit tasked with facilitating the US military’s adoption of new technology is soon to deploy officials to dozens of friendly nations, including Taiwan, the Financial Times reported yesterday. The US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is to send a representative to collaborate with Taiwan on drones and military applications from the semiconductor industry by the end of the year, the British daily reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “Drones will certainly be a focus, but they will also be looking at connecting to the broader civilian and dual-use ecosystem, including the tech sector,” one source was
RSS