This year's Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival is scheduled to be held on the 23rd of this month and has thus far drawn the interest of 20,000 swimmers from around the world.
The registration deadline for the event was set for Friday, but the applicant limit has already been reached.
In addition to Taiwanese participants, 230 swimmers from the US, Japan, China, Hong Kong and European countries have signed up for the race.
Meanwhile, 193 physically challenged Taiwanese swimmers have also registered.
Chen Guei-san (
Chen said that the total number of participants had been limited to 20,000 this year.
"The fact that so many swimmers come and take part in the challenge will only encourage more international participants to come," Chen told the Taipei Times.
The association said that the oldest applicant this year is 76 years old and the youngest is just 10.
Hung Wei-hsin (
To accommodate the transportation needs of tourists, the Nantou County Government has arranged hourly shuttle buses to take travelers from the lake area to the high speed rail station.
The Puli Swimming Association has been hosting the event for the past two decades.
Participants are required to swim 3km across Sun Moon Lake.
Several county-level officials and overseas guests will also join the participants in the swim, including Nantou County Commissioner Lee Chao-ching (
Following the event, the Nantou County Government will also arrange races at Hohuanshan on Sept. 30.
Runners can participate in a 24km race or a 11.6m race.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
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Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped