Taiwan hopes to turn its location on the Tropic of Cancer into a magnet that draws tourists with diverse interests, the Tourism Bureau said. Taiwan can offer tourists the chance to follow the invisible Tropic of Cancer at latitude 23o 26 minutes north — on which only 16 countries in the world lie — to stay close to the sun on the summer solstice, tourism official Chou Shih-pi said.
The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, which occurs on June 21, refers to when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer.
Though the celestial phenomenon represents a mere moment in time, the bureau plans to showcase the sun and the fun it symbolizes as the centerpiece of its summer travel campaign, which is targeted specifically at tourists from colder countries, Chou said.
“We want to capitalize on the unique tropical ambiance created by that exact latitude to promote Taiwan as a great summer travel destination,” he said.
The bureau has been working with Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi and Penghu counties — through which the Tropic of Cancer crosses — to design tourist travel packages.
For example, tours could take in different parks in Hualien County featuring Tropic of Cancer markers or include a Chiayi elementary school named after the famed circle of latitude, he said.
Other tours will have food themes, giving visitors the chance to sample tastes such as smoked flying fish in eastern Taiwan’s Rift Valley or cactus ice-lollipops in outlying Penghu County.
The bureau is also considering holding special events, such as concerts, canoeing and triathlons, in a number of tourist spots along the Tropic of Cancer the tourism official said.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS