Young people can today start using and collecting “culture points” with a dedicated mobile app and enter prize draws to win more points, the Ministry of Culture said.
The culture points are part of the ministry’s Young Adult Culture Vouchers initiative, which aims to encourage young people to engage in diverse arts and cultural activities, as well as help revitalize the arts and culture industry, the ministry said.
People with a date of birth from Sept. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2005, including Taiwanese nationals, permanent residence permit holders and foreign spouses with a resident certificate are eligible for 1,200 culture points, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Culture
The points can be collected from 8am today on the culture points app, which was launched yesterday and is available for iOS and Android devices, the ministry said.
The points can be collected and used until June 30 next year, it said.
For every 200 points spent in a single transaction, users are eligible to enter a prize draw to win extra points, the ministry said, adding that the number of prize draws one can participate in is unlimited.
The ministry is to provide 200,000 sets of prizes — 5,000 sets of 500 points, 20,000 sets of 300 points, 40,000 sets of 100 points and 135,000 sets of 50 points, it said.
The results of the prize draw would be displayed on the app and the points won can be used straightaway, it added.
The points can be used at more than 10,000 “art and culture spots” for activities such as watching art performances, seeing Taiwanese movies, buying books at independent bookstores, visiting museums and taking cultural trips, the ministry said.
For every two points spent at independent bookstores, customers receive one extra point, it said, adding that each person can receive up to 600 extra points at independent bookstores.
A number of performances are to sell “youth seats” — a limited number of tickets at a large discount of at least 50 percent — for those who purchase tickets with culture points, the ministry said.
Users can check the app for available youth seats and other events where culture points can be used, it said.
In other news, the Construction and Planning Agency yesterday said that more than 350,000 applications for mortgage subsidies had been submitted in the four days since they opened on Thursday last week.
The one-off NT$30,000 (US$977) subsidies are available for home buyers with an annual household income of less than NT$1.2 million and who are paying a mortgage of up to NT$8.5 million in Taipei, or up to NT$7 million in the rest of the nation.
An estimated 550,000 households stand to benefit, the Executive Yuan said.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old