The water in the river running through Nuandong Gorge Forest Recreation Area in Keelung is crystal clear and it lies in natural and untouched forest. However, after many years of insufficient maintenance, the facilities in the area have become old and worn down. Two years ago, the park was closed for repairs, including repairs to pavilions and foot paths around the mountain and beautification of the abandoned restroom areas. In order to maintain the original look of the area, ecological engineering methods were adopted: machinery and tools were not allowed and all transport was carried out using manual labor. The project is now in its final stages, and the final inspection will take place no later than late next month. The park may be re-opened as soon as May, and entry will be free.
Nuandong Gorge and the city’s scout activity center are connected, and the road between Keelung and Fulong passes by the park entrance. On March 4, Keelung Deputy Mayor Lin Yung-fa joined staff from the city’s Department of Transportation and Tourism, Urban Development Bureau and Cultural Affairs Bureau as well as from local district offices on an inspection of the area. Lin and the others felt that the forest in Nuandong Gorge looked perfect and that the scout activity center would be able to offer the very best of camping areas. They therefore felt that the two should be jointly, rather than separately, managed, and that a comprehensive program should be created that includes the remaining mining community ruins in the Laoliaokeng mining area and the Danlan Old Trail, which are both unique. They also said that even the old and quaint Nuannuan Old Street could be included.
(Liberty Times, translated by Perry Svensson)
基隆暖東峽谷森林遊樂區,溪水清澈、山林環繞,原始自然,但長年欠缺維護,園內設施老舊破損,兩年前封園整修園區,包括修建涼亭、環山步道、廢棄公廁空間美化等,為了保持原本地貌,採自然工法,不准機具進場,只能用人工搬運,工程已近尾聲,預計在四月底前驗收,最快五月就可以重新開放,免費入園。
Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Liberty Times
記者盧賢秀攝
暖東峽谷和童軍活動中心毗連,基福公路從門前過,基隆副市長林永發前天偕交旅處、都發處、文化局和區公所人員勘查,林永發等人認為,暖東峽谷林相完整,童軍活動中心可提供時下最夯的露營區,不應各自為政,將整體規劃,包括荖寮坑礦業園區保留有早年採礦聚落遺址、淡蘭古道,都各具特色,甚至古樸的暖暖老街也可以相串連。
(自由時報記者盧賢秀)
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years killed at least 16 people and damaged dozens of buildings, but the destruction was largely contained thanks to decades of preparedness work. Taiwan sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity along the Pacific Rim, and — much like neighboring Japan — has a long history of catastrophic quakes. How does April 3 compare with other recent quakes? The April 3 earthquake, which measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, was felt across Taiwan. It was the most severe since a 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 killed
A: Artificial intelligence technology has been causing controversy lately: a student was caught cheating with AI to win the grand prize in an art contest. B: That’s so absurd. Does this mean that AI paints better than humans? A: Maybe. Luckily, the student was later disqualified. B: And more absurdly, it’s becoming more and more popular to use AI technology to “resurrect” people. A: Yeah, some netizens even posted videos featuring the late singer CoCo Lee, who was “resurrected” by them with AI software. A: 人工智慧的爭議不斷,有學生違規使用AI參加美術展,甚至贏得首獎。 B: 真誇張,這是不是代表AI比人類還強大? A: 或許吧,幸好得獎資格被取消。 B: 還有更誇張的︰讓死者重現的「AI復活」技術越來越熱門。 A: 對啊,還有網友製作已故歌后李玟「復活」的影片呢! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival in June, the streets of Taiwan are filled with the delightful aroma of zongzi, a traditional snack made of sticky rice wrapped in leaves. The leaves are folded into a cone and then filled with sticky rice and other ingredients such as braised pork belly, peanuts and salted duck egg yolks. The filled leaves are then tightly tied with kitchen twine and ready for cooking. 每到六月端午時節,街頭巷尾就會飄出粽子的香氣。粽子是將糯米包進粽葉的傳統美食,先將粽葉折成圓錐狀塞入糯米,以及紅燒肉、花生、鹹鴨蛋黃等配料,用棉線綁緊後即可烹煮。 Dragon Boat Festival (n. phr.) 端午節 aroma
Everyone has seen a piece of fruit turn brown after being cut. Have you ever wondered why that happens? It is a common phenomenon that occurs due to a chemical reaction called enzymatic browning. The appearance, flavor and nutritional value of the fruit are all affected by this reaction. Some fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, avocados and peaches, are more prone to enzymatic browning than others. These fruits contain high levels of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO for short. __1__ This causes a chain of chemical reactions that ultimately transforms the phenolic compounds into