Back in the days of the Cold War, the Matsu Broadcasting Station on Beigan Island in the Matsu Islands used to send out psychological warfare messages to the coast of China. Last year, the Beigan Township Administration, which is keen to promote tourism, built microphone- and loudspeaker-shaped amplification equipment below the site of the former broadcasting station. Since work finished on the installation, it has become a hotspot for tourists to check in. This year the township administration added Bluetooth connection equipment that allows people to use their cellphones’ Bluetooth function to connect to the microphone and broadcast songs by their favorite singers. Since its launch, this function has proved very popular.
According to Beigan Township Mayor Chen Ju-lan, the Matsu Broadcasting Station was built in 1979, at which time it had the biggest wattage of any such broadcasting station in Southeast Asia, with 48 500-watt loudspeakers pointed toward China broadcasting over a range of 29,000 meters. As the confrontational situation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait changed and technology for disseminating information became more advanced, the broadcasting station, which had served the purpose of psychological warfare, was left derelict. All that remains now is a concrete plaque by the path to Cinbi Village that records the station’s history.
Chen says the township administration has in recent years been promoting tourism, and built the microphone- and loudspeaker-shaped public art installation for travelers to check in. For the 2019 Beigan Ultra Marathon, it invited a female broadcaster, who used to narrate psychological warfare programs, to cheer on the marathon runners using the microphones, and her performance became a focal point of the race. Visitors still use the installations for taking group photos and checking in, and many couples use them to announce their love for each other, while some lovers in a partnership still in its early stages use the public artwork to make their true feelings known.
Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Liberty Times 照片:自由時報記者俞肇福
Chen says that in the past, the broadcasting station was used to play songs by Teresa Teng to China, but now if people want to listen to songs by their favorite singers, they can use the Bluetooth connection to play them over the loudspeaker. Some visitors cannot seem to get enough of it. The broadcast connection, which is free to use, is available from 7 in the morning till 11 at night.
(Translated by Julian Clegg, Taipei Times)
昔日冷戰時期,馬祖北竿的馬祖播音站,對中國沿海心戰喊話。積極推動觀光的北竿鄉公所,去年在馬祖播音站舊址下方,增建麥克風造型與喇叭擴音設備,完工後成為遊客打卡熱點。鄉公所今年進一步增設藍芽連線裝置,民眾可以透過手機藍芽裝置與麥克風連線,播放自己喜愛歌手的歌曲,推出後大受歡迎。
Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Liberty Times 照片:自由時報記者俞肇福
北竿鄉長陳如嵐指出,馬祖播音站興建於一九七九年,曾經是當時東南亞輸出功率最大的播音站,四十八部揚聲器(每具五百瓦)正對著中國,播音涵蓋範圍兩萬九千公尺。隨著兩岸對峙局勢轉變與資訊傳播的發達,負責心戰喊話的播音站早已荒廢,僅剩下通往芹壁村道路旁有一個水泥立牌,紀錄著播音站歷史。
陳如嵐說,鄉公所近年來推動觀光,打造麥克風與喇叭造型的公共藝術,供遊客打卡,二O一九年北竿硬地馬拉松,還找來昔日曾是心戰喊話的女播音員到場,透過麥克風為馬拉松選手加油,成為賽事焦點;不少遊客到此都會與麥克風造型的公共藝術合照打卡,不少熱戀情侶或夫妻也會到此玩起「情話大聲說」,也有處於曖昧期的交往對象,借此公共藝術勇敢表白心聲。
陳如嵐說,以前透過播音站對中國播放鄧麗君歌曲,而現在如果民眾想聽自己喜愛歌手的歌曲,透過藍芽連接就能從喇叭聲中播放,讓遊客玩得樂此不疲;播音連線裝置為免費使用,開放時間為早上七點到晚間十一點。
(自由時報)
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