■TOURISM
Amphibious tours to begin
Kaohsiung City will begin offering amphibious vehicle tours on a trial basis next month to prepare for an official launch of the service in January, a city official said yesterday. An imported duck boat is being painted and will be ready for test rides next month, said Ou Hsiu-ching (歐秀卿), a city official in charge of transportation affairs. Free tickets for the duck boat test rides will be offered to people who book a stay at the city’s hotels and take its ferry tours, Ou said. When the service officially begins, daily capacity will be 180 passengers, Ou said. Ticket prices will be NT$300 per person, with tours available from 12 noon to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday, Ou said. The tours will cover 20 minutes of sightseeing on land and 40 minutes on water, Ou said.
■CULTURE
Malaysian food fair opens
A Malaysian food and cultural fair organized by the Taipei-based Malaysian Friendship and Trade Center (MFTC) opened yesterday in Taipei, showcasing the multicultural traditions and cuisine of Malaysia. The Malaysian food and cultural fair will run through Nov. 10 at Taipei’s Grand Hotel. Visitors will have a chance to enter a lottery for a trip to Kuala Lumpur and a home stay in Malaysia, the MFTC said. Abdullah Mohd Salleh, president of the MFTC and Malaysia’s top envoy to Taiwan, said the event gave Taiwanese an opportunity to sample Malaysia’s fusion cuisine of Malay, Chinese and Indian influences that represent the country’s unique culture. Three chefs flown in from Malaysia for the festival will cook traditional Malaysian food such as Nyonya dishes, chili crabs, Malaysian curry Laksa noodles, satay and Penang prawn noodles, Abdullah said, adding that a cultural performance troupe from Malaysia will perform daily.
RSS