Taiwan’s way of advertising itself and attracting tourists from abroad almost always involves using night markets and snacks as promotional material. Even when Japanese idol Takuya Kimura was invited to Taiwan to shoot a promotional film, it hardly introduced anything other than Taiwanese food and drinks. This kind of promotion, which can be summed up as “spending big money to invite big shots to promote little snacks,” is such a waste. Surely food is not Taiwan’s only selling point.
A recent Taiwan tour activity hosted by Richmond International Travel and Tour Co and arranged by a Japanese kimono association emphasized genteel cultural interchange. The Japanese kimono association summoned 140 of its members from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and other places, and the high point of their Taiwan tour came on Wednesday evening, when they booked up the National Palace Museum. All 140 group members, clad in gorgeous and elegant traditional Japanese costumes, gathered for a group photo in the museum. After the photo session, the tour group members had the museum to themselves, allowing them to appreciate the exhibits in detail for a full two hours in a quiet atmosphere, without the usual clamor. Finally, the organizers held a banquet for the visitors in the Silks Palace restaurant.
(Liberty Times, translated by Julian Clegg)
台灣對外宣傳招攬旅客的方式,幾乎千篇一律用夜市和小吃當作吹噓內容,連日本偶像明星木村拓哉應邀來台拍製宣傳影片,也幾乎只介紹台灣的飲食而已。「付高價,請大牌,吹小吃」的宣傳何等浪費。其實台灣的賣點何止「吃」而已?
Photo: Hsieh Chia-chun, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者謝佳君
由「三富旅行社」主辦,日本和服協會統籌的台灣觀光活動,講究精緻的文化交流。日本和服協會在東京、大阪、名古屋、福岡等地召集共計一百四十名會員,旅台遊覽的重頭戲是週三傍晚「包下」故宮博物院,全體團員一百四十名身穿傳統華麗而高雅的和服,在故宮拍攝團體照,拍照後團員獨擁整個故宮,在全無喧嘩的安靜氛圍下,仔細欣賞故宮文物長達兩小時,最後並在故宮晶華舉行晚宴。
(自由時報記者謝佳君)
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but