The oldest daughter of veteran entertainer Yu Tian(
The youngest contestant in the first ever "world series" tournament for mahjong, Yu Shiao-ping (
"I can't even remember when I learned how to play mahjong," Yu Shiao-ping, 29, was quoted as saying in the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper).
"When I was a baby, my granny would play it while holding me," she said. "Somewhere along the way, I just picked it up."
Held in Macau, the tournament attracted players from China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan, and lasted until the wee hours yesterday.
Despite her youth and lack of experience playing with 13 tiles -- the format for the Macau tournament -- Yu Shiao-ping was the only one out of six Taiwanese players to make it to the final match. The others had all been eliminated earlier.
Up against three Hong Kong finalists, Yu Shiao-ping beat out one of her competitors in a tense, prolonged game, taking home US$80,000 as the third-place winner.
The entry fee for playing in the contest was US$5,000, the tournament's Web site showed.
Asked how she would spend her prize, Yu Shiao-ping said her mother had lost NT$1 million (US$30,400) playing Baccarat in Macau casinos.
"I'll use my winnings to help Mom pay off [her debts], after which I'll donate a portion to charities in Taiwan," she said.
Taiwanese players in Chinese games of chance and strategy typically win big in international contests.
Chinese "go" champion Chou Chun-hsun (周俊勳), 27, took home nearly US$270,000 in prize money after winning the world "go" title in Seoul in March.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS