Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) yesterday touted the ministry’s plans to develop ultra-broadband and “revisit historic scenes” as “very forward-looking” in her explanation of its request for NT$21.46 billion (US$711.6 million) in funds earmarked for the Cabinet’s Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program.
The ministry has submitted subsidy requests of NT$5.66 billion and NT$15.8 billion respectively for its “revisiting historic scenes” and “digital infrastructure construction” projects, Cheng said at a meeting of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee.
The projects would be carried out from this year to 2020, with some work set to continue until 2021, she said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“Revisiting historic scenes,” which was listed as an urban and rural construction project under the Cabinet’s plan, would maintain and reinvent historic sites.
It is to incorporate technology into historic sites’ introductions to provide visitors with a better understanding of their historical context, she said.
The project is the first in the nation’s history to incorporate the concept of “cultural governance,” which represents a major step forward, the minister said.
Cultural sites should be added through maintaining and revitalizing existing ones rather than building new ones, which would benefit urban and rural development, Cheng said, adding that future projects proposed by the ministry would be reviewed according to this principle.
The “digital infrastructure construction” project includes plans to develop ultra-broadband services, produce high-resolution television shows, and create TV programs and movies that focus on Taiwanese culture, she said.
The project is to include the establishment of a national cultural database, the creation of TV shows with 4K resolution and the development of over-the-top content — or content distributed online without subscribing to a traditional service — in response to the rise of new media, she said.
Underlining the importance of Taiwanese culture in the broadcasting and film industries, Cheng said that even if bandwidth is upgraded, it would only be “serving other nations’ cultures” if there are no programs that promote Taiwanese culture.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President