Zhang Ziyi (章子怡) was among the first to congratulate Ang Lee (李安) on his recent record-breaking achievement after winning his second Golden Lion trophy in three years. And, according to the Chinese-language media, the Asian megastar expressed keen interest in working with Lee again.
Propelled to international stardom by Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龍) in 2000, Zhang's desire is understandable since she lined herself up for a role in Lee's latest movie, Lust, Caution (色戒), but lost out to up-and-coming Chinese star Tang Wei (湯唯).
How did Lee respond to Zhang's charming solicitation? The genteel director promised the star he would give her a "better" role next time.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Aboriginal diva A-mei (張惠妹) consolidated her reign over the Mando-pop music firmament with a concert last Saturday that reportedly attracted 30,000 fans. That figure should put her rumored erstwhile lover, Wang Lee-hom (王力宏), to shame as his concert on the same day managed to muster only 5,000 concertgoers.
A-mei pulled off her classic taimei (台妹) look with pink fishnet stockings, stilettos and a bosom-boosting corset, but failed to divert the media's attention from her ongoing relationship with Super Basketball League player He Shou-cheng (何守正), who is 11 years her junior.
The star responded with the well-worn"we are just friends" speech, but entertainer Blackie (黑人), the pair's go-between, sent gossip hounds into a spin by saying the 35-year-old singer is childish and the age difference is not an issue in the pair's relationship.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Top stylists, designer outfits and her taimei getup also help, of course, to keep A-mei looking hip and sexy.
In other babe-related news, queen of cute Rainie Yang's (楊丞琳) status as the "first lady" at music giant Sony BMG was reinforced as her third album hit store shelves last week, ready for a duel with Sony BMG deserter Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), whose new album is slated to be released by the end of this month.
Known as local show biz's dancing diva, Tsai is expected to take the battle to the dance floor with her improved pole dancing, acrobatic and yoga stunts in tight and glittering attire.
The other contender, known as the founder of the cult of cuteness, has practiced her splits, somersaults and twirls, but is said to face a tough fight ahead since she has hitherto built her entire career solely on her baby-doll visage.
The fight is on.
One week after his commendable donation of NT$15 billion to National Taiwan University for the construction of a cancer center and biomedical engineering projects, tycoon Terry Gou (郭台銘) has reportedly given NT$13 million to veteran producer and funny man Wang Wei-chung's (王偉忠) new television program, which is slated to go on air by the end of the year.
Audiences shouldn't expect to see anything like the zany cast of The Big Pressure Cooker (全民大悶鍋), a TV program that caricatures politicians and celebrities, on the show, but academics, professionals and entrepreneurs lecturing on different topics. The aim of the program is "to help people find new directions or inspirations in life," Wang is reported as saying.
It looks like the country's favorite comic sketch writer is cleaning up his act to suit Gou's charitable ethos.
For many people, Bilingual Nation 2030 begins and ends in the classroom. Since the policy was launched in 2018, the debate has centered on students, teachers and the pressure placed on schools. Yet the policy was never solely about English education. The government’s official plan also calls for bilingualization in Taiwan’s government services, laws and regulations, and living environment. The goal is to make Taiwan more inclusive and accessible to international enterprises and talent and better prepared for global economic and trade conditions. After eight years, that grand vision is due for a pulse check. RULES THAT CAN BE READ For Harper Chen (陳虹宇), an adviser
Traditionally, indigenous people in Taiwan’s mountains practice swidden cultivation, or “slash and burn” agriculture, a practice common in human history. According to a 2016 research article in the International Journal of Environmental Sustainability, among the Atayal people, this began with a search for suitable forested slopeland. The trees are burnt for fertilizer and the land cleared of stones. The stones and wood are then piled up to make fences, while both dead and standing trees are retained on the plot. The fences are used to grow climbing crops like squash and beans. The plot itself supports farming for three years.
The breakwater stretches out to sea from the sprawling Kaohsiung port in southern Taiwan. Normally, it’s crowded with massive tankers ferrying liquefied natural gas from Qatar to be stored in the bulbous white tanks that dot the shoreline. These are not normal times, though, and not a single shipment from Qatar has docked at the Yongan terminal since early March after the Strait of Hormuz was shuttered. The suspension has provided a realistic preview of a potential Chinese blockade, a move that would throttle an economy anchored by the world’s most advanced and power-hungry semiconductor industry. It is a stark reminder of
May 4 to May 10 It was once said that if you hadn’t performed at the Sapphire Grand Cabaret (藍寶石大歌廳), you couldn’t truly be considered a star. Taking the stage at the legendary Kaohsiung club was more than just a concert. Performers were expected to entertain in every sense, wearing outlandish or revealing costumes and staying quick on their feet as sharp-tongued, over-the-top hosts asked questions and delivered jokes that would be seen as vulgar, even offensive, by today’s standards. Opening in May 1967 during a period of strict political and social control, Sapphire offered a rare outlet for audiences in
RSS