A group of relatives of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers who fell in the 1949 battle of Gunningtou on Kinmen are to visit the outlying island on Dec. 3 to commemorate their dead for the first time.
They are to travel by ferry from Xiamen in Chinese-controlled Fujian Province.
The participants plan to attend a ceremony at a temple in Jinning Township (金寧) on Kinmen to honor the war dead and pay homage to loved ones who were killed in the battle 65 years ago.
The gathering is the brainchild of Song Jiejun (宋杰軍) and Song Xiaofeng (宋曉峰), the son and daughter of a senior PLA officer who took part in the battle.
They have also created a Chinese-language Web site dedicated to the support of PLA soldiers.
The Songs visited Kinmen in 2009 and 2011, touring the sites of six battlefields where PLA soldiers and Republic of China (ROC) troops fought fiercely in 1949.
The brother and sister took back soil to lay on the foundation of a monument in Jinan, Shandong Province, built in 2012 to commemorate PLA soldiers killed in the battle.
The battle began on Oct. 24, 1949, when tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers in Fujian Province invaded Kinmen, which was controlled by the ROC.
A three-day battle commenced in which about 6,000 PLA soldiers died and were buried on Kinmen. About 3,900 were taken prisoner.
The ROC recorded about 3,000 deaths of its soldiers.
The battle gave a boost to the ROC government, which fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War with the Chinese Communist Party.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
RSS