An article on the CNN Web site that labels Taipei as a city of “gluttony” has angered some legislators and prompted Government Information Office Minister Philip Yang (楊永明) to say that the government would have to fill CNN in on the nation’s cuisine and culture.
Answering questions yesterday from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers at the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee on concerns over the CNN report, Yang said it had “damaged” the nation’s image.
CNNGo, CNN’s culture and travel Web site, on April 20 used Catholicism’s seven deadly sins to describe the seven best Asian cities for indulgence, with Taipei named as the best city for gluttony.
“We understand the media’s need for interesting and provocative articles, but gluttony, the word … is indecent and it has a negative connotation,” Yang told KMT Legislator Chen Shu-huey (陳淑慧).
The CNN report was an issue of interest among several KMT lawmakers at the committee.
“I can’t stand the idea that we are described as gluttonous. Saying that Taipei is a city of gluttony is definitely not praise for its delicacies,” KMT Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said.
KMT Legislator Chiang Nai-shin (蔣乃辛) also said the incident had hurt the nation’s image.
KMT Chiang Yi-hsiung (江義雄) said the CNN report suggested that people in Taiwan are “fond of eating and averse to work.”
“What’s wrong with eating?” Chiang asked.
CNN showed a lack of courtesy by attaching such a vulgar label to Taipei, Chiang said.
In response, Yang said Taipei is a city where visitors can enjoy gourmet food.
CNNGo said visitors can find cheap meals everywhere, day and night, in a city that sports 18 streets dedicated to nothing but food.
“Where you might usually expect a bus shelter, instead you’ll find a barbecue. Sidewalks become snack stalls. The pungent smell of stinky tofu fills the air. Night markets in Taipei have become famous for their snack selections, or xiaochi, literally meaning ‘small eats,’” the article says.
“The dishes may be little, but so are the prices, running [at] about US$1 or US$2,” it said, adding: “A fat gut never came so easily.”
Speaking to reporters later yesterday, Yang said he had asked the Department of International Information to communicate its concerns to CNN.
“I also feel that [gluttony] is a strong word to use. We don’t need to be too angry over this, because this is the bantering style of the report,” he said. “Nonetheless, it has affected the nation’s image to some extent and some people do care about this.”
On the bright side, Yang said, the government would use the incident to boost international recognition of Taiwanese gourmet and culinary culture.
The Tourism Bureau said “gluttony” was an interesting way to promote Taiwan when compared with the other words used by CNNGo to describe other Asian cities, including “sloth” for Seoul and “wrath” for Pyongyang.
The Discovery channel once introduced Taiwan in a program titled Glutton For Punishment, it said.
Cheng Ying-hui (鄭瑛慧), an official at the Tourism Bureau, said gluttony does not always have to be interpreted as meaning something negative.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
‘NATO-PLUS’: ‘Our strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific are facing increasing aggression by the Chinese Communist Party,’ US Representative Rob Wittman said The US House of Representatives on Monday released its version of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes US$1.15 billion to support security cooperation with Taiwan. The omnibus act, covering US$1.2 trillion of spending, allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, as well as US$150 million for the replacement of defense articles and reimbursement of defense services provided to Taiwan. The fund allocations were based on the US National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026 that was passed by the US Congress last month and authorized up to US$1 billion to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency in support of the
PAPERS, PLEASE: The gang exploited the high value of the passports, selling them at inflated prices to Chinese buyers, who would treat them as ‘invisibility cloaks’ The Yilan District Court has handed four members of a syndicate prison terms ranging from one year and two months to two years and two months for their involvement in a scheme to purchase Taiwanese passports and resell them abroad at a massive markup. A Chinese human smuggling syndicate purchased Taiwanese passports through local criminal networks, exploiting the passports’ visa-free travel privileges to turn a profit of more than 20 times the original price, the court said. Such criminal organizations enable people to impersonate Taiwanese when entering and exiting Taiwan and other countries, undermining social order and the credibility of the nation’s
RSS