Tainan horror exhibition attracts too many visitors

Opening-day ticket sales for a horror exhibition at the Tainan Art Museum were suspended twice on Saturday as the show attracted too many visitors. Titled “Ghosts and Hells: The Underworld in Asian art,” the exhibition runs until Oct. 16. It is the local version of a show that debuted at the Musee du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris. It was planned and curated by Julien Rousseau. The Tainan museum said that within an hour of its doors opening, more than 1,000 people had entered the exhibition. By noon, 3,000 physical and virtual tickets had been sold, while the museum had more than 4,000 visitors. However, the museum is only able to accommodate 50 people in each of the show’s four exhibition rooms. The overcrowding led to the museum suspending physical and online ticket sales at noon. Although tickets became available again at 3:30pm, sales were again halted within an hour, as crowds continued to pour into the museum to catch a glimpse of the ghastly exhibits. Tickets sales were again brisk when they reopened at 6pm for the evening showing until 9pm. The museum then announced that it would no longer allow people to enter after 7:15pm due to the high demand. In total, 6,861 people visited on the first day of the exhibition. The museum even imposed a time limit for Exhibition Room H, which houses three reanimated corpses in Qing Dynasty clothing known as jiangsi (殭屍). The creature is considered to be a Chinese mix of a vampire and a zombie due to it having the attributes of both. Jiangsi gained widespread popularity in the early 1980s after Hong Kong director Sammo Hung (洪金寶) included them in his kung fu-fantasy-comedy films.

Smartphone use increases urination at night: nutritionist

People should not use their smartphone within one hour of going to bed to prevent frequent urination, a doctor has said. Captain Clinic president Liu Po-jen (劉博仁), an expert in functional nutrition, wrote on Facebook that blue light emitted by smartphones stimulates the central nervous system and disrupts sleep at night. Blue light keeps the sympathetic nervous system from winding down, Liu quoted urologist Wang Hung-jen (王弘仁) as saying. Blue light not only inhibits the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep cycles, but might also inhibit the production of antidiuretic hormones, which lower the kidneys’ production of urine, Liu said. If the antidiuretic hormone level remains high at night, people would have to urinate more often, he added. Middle-aged men who usually urinate more than twice per night, with a volume of at least one-third of the amount of urine during the day, should adjust their lifestyle and seek a doctor’s advice, he quoted Wang as saying. Liu advised people who urinate often during the night to stop using their phone an hour before going to bed, as this would help balance their nervous system. So as not to be tempted, people could put their phone outside their bedroom, he added.

By Liu Tzu-hsuan

Deng sidelined by virus

MILD SYMPTOMS: Minister Without Portfolio John Deng tested positive for COVID-19 in Mexico, but could meet online this week with the Office of the US Trade Representative

Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) must skip the SelectUSA Investment Summit this week after testing positive for COVID-19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) is to instead represent the nation at the summit, the ministry said. Deng developed a cough and other symptoms upon arrival in Mexico City on June 18 and tested positive for the virus. He went into self-isolation in a hotel in accordance with Mexico’s disease prevention and quarantine regulations, and adjusted his itinerary. Deng was diagnosed by a doctor and prescribed COVID-19 medication, the ministry said, adding that the minister is in a stable condition. Deng was visiting Mexico to facilitate trade cooperation and exchanges between the two nations. Due to his illness, he could not travel to the US for meetings before the SelectUSA Investment Summit, an annual event sponsored by the US Department of Commerce aimed at attracting foreign investment. The summit is being held in Maryland from yesterday to Wednesday. However, as Deng has only mild symptoms, he might still attend a virtual meeting for the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-century Trade with the Office of the US Trade Representative later this week, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations said. Taiwan’s representative office in Washington on Saturday hosted a dinner for its summit delegation. In addition to US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets Arun Venkataraman, the dinner was attended by 265 people, making Taiwan’s delegation the largest foreign group at the summit for the fourth consecutive year. Venkataraman said the US and Taiwan maintain close economic relations, and that bilateral trade and investment ties have been bolstered over the past few years. Last year, Taiwan was the US’ eighth-largest trading partner, he said. The launch of the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-century Trade on June 1 aims to deepen bilateral trade ties, facilitate innovation and

Lawmakers travel to US, Europe in summer recess

NETWORKING: Legislators in the parliamentary amity groups with Poland, Slovakia and Hungary are to meet EU lawmakers and visit Ukrainian refugees in Poland

Several groups of lawmakers were yesterday to depart for the US, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to conduct “parliamentary diplomacy” during the Legislative Yuan recess. The delegation to the US is being led by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), who is also the convener of the legislature’s Diplomacy and National Defense Committee. The group is to visit Washington; Phoenix, Arizona; and Los Angeles. Group members are to meet with US lawmakers who have previously visited Taiwan, including US Representative Mario Diaz Balart, cochair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Chiang said. The delegates are also to meet Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and a number of senior US officials, visit Taiwanese businesspeople and attend overseas compatriot activities to enhance Taipei-Washington relations, Chiang added. Other members of the delegation are KMT legislators Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷), Yeh Yu-lan (葉毓蘭), Lee De-wei (李德維) and Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷). The legislators in the other delegations are members of the parliamentary amity associations with Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. The lawmakers are scheduled to meet their counterparts in the three European countries, and to visit nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and refugee centers in Poland that have taken in Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war against their country. Meanwhile, independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) are to return from Washington after attending the eighth World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet. Hung wrote on Facebook that he and Lim also visited the US Department of State and several local NGOs. They also met with Nury Turkel, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Damon Wilson, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy, Hung wrote. Lawmakers typically travel abroad in the summer during the Legislative Yuan recess before the body reopens in September. However, they traveled rarely over the past two years because of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19

University student prefers music study despite mapping China’s military bases

A university student has gained the spotlight for an interactive map he designed detailing all of China’s military bases and installations throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Soochow University music student Joseph Wen (溫約瑟), who calls himself an amateur military enthusiast, said he created the map to “help people better understand the cross-strait situation.” Wen originally posted the map online on June 14 last year, but it gained greater attention after he mentioned it during an appearance on a China Television talk show. On the show, Wen said he had gathered information on the locations from publicly available Web sites, as well as academic papers from military academies in Taiwan and other countries. For example, Wen said he learned about one base’s location after a user on Baidu posted about a reservoir next to a military camp. Wen said he used maps to cross-reference and pinpoint the base’s location. “Sometimes I simply pore over maps with the naked eye, but this can lead to mistakes,” he said, adding that he once mistook a prison for a military facility. “Intelligence agencies have more accurate information, so this is just for public use,” he said. Wen on Saturday said that following his appearance on the TV talk show, he received threatening Twitter messages about his map. However, Wen added that he was not frightened by the messages, but would report the Internet users to the police if necessary. Despite his enthusiasm for military affairs, Wen said he has no family members in the military. His interest in the military developed in junior-high school through conversations with friends, he said. After creating the map, Wen learned that what he has been doing is known as open-source intelligence analysis. Wen said he plans to continue updating the map, but has no plans for a career in the military or in intelligence. “Music

By William Hetherington

FEATURE: Hong Kongers reflect on Taiwan, an imperfect exile

For Lam Wing-kei (林榮基), a Hong Kong bookstore owner who was detained by police in China for five months for selling sensitive books about the Chinese Communist Party, coming to Taiwan was a logical step. A nation just 640km from Hong Kong, Taiwan is close not just geographically, but also linguistically and culturally. It offers the freedoms that many Hong Kongers had grown used to before Britain returned the territory to China. Lam reopened his bookstore in Taipei. His move in 2019 presaged a wave of emigration from Hong Kong, after tension between the territory’s Western-style liberal values and China’s authoritarian political system culminated in explosive pro-democracy protests that year. “It’s not that Hong Kong doesn’t have any democracy, it doesn’t even have any freedom,” Lam said in an interview. “When the English were ruling Hong Kong, they didn’t give us true democracy or the power to vote, but the British gave Hong Kongers a very large space to be free.” Hong Kong and Chinese leaders are this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the territory’s return to China. In 1997, some people were willing to give China a chance. China had promised to rule the territory under a “one country, two systems” framework for 50 years, meaning that Hong Kong would retain its own legal and political system, including freedom of speech. However, following the 2019 protests, China imposed a National Security Law that has left rights advocates and others living in fear of arrest for speaking out. Hong Kong still looks the same. The malls are open and the skyscrapers are gleaming. However, artist Kacey Wong (黃國才), who moved to Taiwan last year, said that he constantly worried about his own arrest or those of his friends, some of whom are now in jail. “On the outside it’s still beautiful — the sunset viewed from the

Campaign model would be new but ‘risky’: Ko

A new but “risky” campaign model might be one where a candidate runs for office while still holding their official post, allowing voters to consider their job performance at the polls, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday. Ko was responding to reporters’ questions about Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), who are potential candidates for Taipei mayor, but have said they do not intend to resign first. The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) electoral strategy committee has recommended that the party recruit Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien (林智堅) to run for Taoyuan mayor and Hsinchu Deputy Mayor Shen Hui-hung (沈慧虹) to run for Hsinchu mayor. The two are expected to resign from their posts next month. Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Ann Kao (高虹安) on Thursday said the resignations would make Hsinchu residents “orphans.” Lin on Friday said Huang should not be a parasite of government resources. While Taipei City councilors in the DPP and KMT have urged Huang to resign if she runs for mayor, Huang on Friday said her job is to fulfill her duties, and that she is not thinking about the election. Chiang, who is the KMT’s pick to run for Taipei mayor, on Friday said Huang should not use administrative resources while campaigning, but that he should stay in his post since he is a public representative. Chiang on Saturday said his situation is different from Huang’s. Asked about Chiang’s “double standard,” Ko, who is chairman of the TPP, yesterday said there are many ways to run in an election, such as holding campaign rallies and recruiting “vote captains.” “Maybe there can be a new model for running in an election — seeking voter support while continuing to work in their current posts,” he said, citing how he only took leave to run for re-election two

By Lee I-chia

Taiwan News Quick Take

DEFENSE Deputy’s Facebook hacked The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said that Deputy Minister of National Defense Bo Hong-hui’s (柏鴻輝) Facebook page had been hacked and was used to post an advertisement for a secondhand dehumidifier. “I am selling a dehumidifier, which I hardly use. The machine is well-preserved and functions normally,” the post said. The ministry took firewall security measures as soon as it was informed of the matter, it said, adding that military personnel do not handle confidential matters on Facebook or other social media. WEATHER More heat, rain this week More hot weather is forecast for this week with a high chance of afternoon thundershowers, the Central Weather Bureau said. Temperatures yesterday reached 32°C across the nation, while highs in Hualien, Kaohsiung and Pingtung were expected to hit 36°C, bureau forecaster Chen I-hsiu (陳伊秀) said. Although the high-pressure system over Taiwan is expected to weaken, weather conditions are likely to remain the same in the early part of the week, with high temperatures and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms, she said. As the system begins to move northward on Wednesday, the south and east of Taiwan could experience showers, she said. Chen added that the bureau is also monitoring the possibility of a tropical disturbance in the South China Sea, east of the Philippines, between Thursday and Saturday. ASTRONOMY July a treat for stargazers There are to be several promising celestial events next month, including the largest “super” full moon of the year and five meteor showers, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The super moon is to take place on July 14, reaching its fullest at 2:38am, the museum said, adding that it would be the second and last “super” full moon of the year. Four small to medium-sized meteor showers are also to peak between July 28 and 30 — the Southern Delta Aquariids,

Fiction to reality

People visit sand sculptures inspired by Pili Multimedia’s puppet shows at New Taipei City’s Fulong Beach yesterday. The festival, which has 36 sand sculptures that depict more than 30 characters from the popular television series, runs until Oct. 10.

Bull’s-eye

From left, Kuo Tzu-ying, Lei Chien-ying and Peng Chia-mao of Taiwan’s recurve women’s team hold their gold medals after beating India 5-1 to win top place in their event at the 2022 Hyundai Archery World Cup stage 3 in Paris yesterday.

Representing Taiwan

Transgender beauty pageant contestant Allie Liao of Taiwan takes part in the national costume segment of the Miss International Queen competition in Pattaya, Thailand, on Saturday. Fuschia Anne Ravena of the Philippines was crowned the winner, although Liao’s introductory video was ranked in the top five.

CECC reports 40,293 new cases in slight daily drop

STILL IN IT: The CECC said that COVID-19 caseloads are the lowest during weekends, while the center expects 30,000 to 50,000 daily new cases over the next few days

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 40,293 local COVID-19 cases, a 17 percent day-to-day drop, with only three cities confirming more than 5,000 new cases. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman, said that 151 deaths and 105 imported cases related to the virus were also confirmed. Taichung reported the most local cases with 6,075, followed by Kaohsiung with 5,567, New Taipei City with 5,142, Tainan with 3,603, Taoyuan with 3,272, Changhua with 3,068, Taipei with 1,759, Yunlin with 1,291 and Hsinchu County with 1,015, while 12 cities and counties reported case counts ranging from 22 to 983. As of Friday, 3,504,558 local infections had been reported this year, including 14,522 people who had moderate-to-severe symptoms of COVID-19, 325 of which were new, Chuang said, adding that 99.58 percent of cases were mild or asymptomatic. A total of 5,267 deaths were reported this year, he said. Of yesterday’s confirmed deaths, 140 people had cancer or other underlying health conditions, 96 had not received a vaccine booster shot and 80 were aged 80 or older, he said. The youngest death was an unvaccinated woman in her 30s who had metastatic breast cancer, Chuang said. She tested positive for COVID-19 on June 4, and died of pneumonia and cancer on June 12, he said. Although the daily caseload fell by about 17 percent yesterday, Chuang said daily new cases are usually the lowest between Friday and Monday, and the highest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but the center expects caseloads to remain between 30,000 and 50,000 in the following days. He said the nation’s first, second and booster dose vaccination rates have reached 91.24, 82.98 and 69.9 percent respectively, as of Friday. The nationwide vacancy rate of COVID-19-designated hospital beds was 50 percent as of 7am yesterday, with southern Taiwan reporting the lowest

By Lee I-chia

Fire teachers for misconduct with students: group

Humanistic Education Foundation officials on Friday called on the government to dismiss teachers found to have sexually harassed students, citing a case in which an accused teacher only received a six-month suspension and could return to their job. Foundation members were joined by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) at a news conference in Taipei, calling for laws to be updated so that sexual offenders are appropriately disciplined and banned from teaching. Foundation executive director Joanna Feng (馮喬蘭) said that evidence and testimony from victims indicated that a junior-high school teacher in Yilan County had enticed students into a romantic relationship with them. “Starting in 2019, this teacher lured students into a relationship, using suggestive language and sexual harassment behavior,” Feng said. The teacher allegedly asked a female student to have dinner with them, offered the student rides, accompanied her to places, talked to her on the telephone daily and held her hand while walking together, Feng said. One student said that she had refused gifts from the teacher on Valentine’s Day, but they still placed chocolates into her pencil case, and allegedly told her: “Your eyes are very big and beautiful,” Feng said. The teacher also allegedly told her: “I really like you,” and “I am living inside your heart,” among other things, Feng added. An investigation by the school’s gender-equality committee determined that the teacher had sexually harassed the student, but other teachers, local councilors and education officials tried to protect the offender and interfered in the investigation, and pressured the school to give the teacher a lenient punishment, Feng said. “In the end, despite the teacher having for several years committed serious violations against several student victims, the committee only issued a six-month suspension,” Feng said. “This means that the teacher can return to the school and continue to teach, resulting in more sexual

By Chen Cheng-yu

Do not ignore persistent pain: blogger

Persistent pain in the joints or abdomen, along with poor sleep quality, should not be ignored, as they could be signs of chronic inflammation, nutritionist blogger Jessie Liao (廖欣儀) said. People frequently misattribute ailments caused by chronic inflammation to just being tired, when poor nutrition is actually at fault, she wrote on Facebook. If chronic inflammation is left untreated, it could lead to chronic diseases affecting the cerebrovascular system, liver and kidneys, she said. Chronic inflammation could be caused by consuming too much sugar, a lack of exercise, stress from work or at home, insomnia, dietary imbalance or obesity, she said. Inflammation can be prevented or significantly reduced with a diet of unsaturated fats, fresh fruits, vegetables and quality sources of protein, such as lean meat or beans, Liao said. Greasy meat and foods that contain saturated or trans fats should be avoided in favor of food and oils containing unsaturated fats, such as omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9, she said. omega-3 is found in fish and flaxseed oil, as well as walnuts, while omega-6 is found in soybeans, as well as grapeseed, corn and sesame oils, and omega-9 is found in olives, tea seed oil, avocados, almonds and cashews, she said. People should avoid overconsuming “good” fats, as too much or not enough would throw off the body’s normal functions, she said. A diet well-balanced with fatty acids could be prepared using equal amounts of sesame and olive oils for cooking, eating walnuts at every breakfast and consuming two fish meals per week, she said. Three servings of vegetables and some fruit should be consumed daily, as they are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals and vitamins, Liao said, adding that fiber might help increase the population of beneficial gut bacteria. High-quality protein is necessary to keep the immune system healthy, she said. Tofu, soy milk, beans, chicken and seafood are good sources

By Jonathan Chin

‘Top Gun’ becomes Cruise’s biggest Taiwan earner, raking in NT$453m

BACK IN THEATERS: After Tencent dropped out of the project, for fear of provoking Beijing’s ire, a patch with the ROC flag from the first ‘Top Gun’ was added back in

Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 box office hit about jet pilots, had generated NT$453 million (US$15.24 million) at the box office in Taiwan as of Friday, making it the US actor’s highest-grossing film in the domestic market. The film, which opened at local theaters on May 25, surpassed Cruise’s record-grossing 2018 movie Mission: Impossible — Fallout, which earned NT$447 million, the film’s distributor said yesterday. Top Gun: Maverick is to be shown in IMAX and 4DX theaters this week, said VieShow Cinemas, a movie distribution company and one of the nation’s largest theater chains. IMDb’s Box Office Mojo showed that the action-drama film has so far grossed more than US$918 million globally since its worldwide debut late last month. In 2019, a trailer was released showing a scene in which Cruise wears the iconic bomber jacket his character, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, donned in Top Gun. In the first film, the back of the jacket included a patch that displayed the flags of the Republic of China (ROC) and Japan, which were meant to commemorate the USS Galveston’s tour of duty with the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet from 1963 to 1964, when it performed missions off Japan and Taiwan. In the 2019 trailer, both flags were replaced with generic symbols with colors similar to the flags on the original patch. Foreign media reports at the time said that the flags were allegedly removed to appease Chinese censors, and also because Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings was initially set to back the US$170 million film. However, the Wall Street Journal late last month reported that Tencent had pulled out over concerns that supporting a film celebrating the US military could anger Beijing, and both flags were subsequently restored to the jacket in the film’s official release.

Yilan’s Nanfangao Bridge to reopen ahead of schedule

Yilan County’s Nanfangao Bridge (南方澳橋), which collapsed in 2019 killing six people and injuring 13, is set to reopen in September, the Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) said on Friday. The reconstruction of the bridge at Nanfangao Fishing Port (南方澳漁港) in Suao Township (蘇澳) is slightly ahead of schedule, as it was about 90 percent complete as of June 15, indicating that it could be reopened on Sept. 18 instead of Oct. 1, DGH officials said in a briefing to the Public Construction Commission. The Nanfangao suspension bridge collapsed on Oct. 1, 2019, killing six migrant workers from the Philippines and Indonesia, who were on fishing boats in the port. Nine Philippine and Indonesian migrant workers, one oil tank driver and three rescuers were also injured, while many vessels and vehicles were damaged in the incident. An investigation into the collapse found that corrosion in parts of the bridge, superficial maintenance work and a lack of repairs caused the collapse. The DGH, which is in charge of the project commissioned by Taiwan International Ports Corp, said that reconstruction of the 796.53m bridge started on July 16, 2020, at a cost of NT$860 million (US$28.92 million at the current exchange rate). The bridge is to feature images of mackerels, as well as a light art installation and an observation deck to promote tourism, the agency said. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has worked with local governments to examine and repair 101 bridges across the country, an undertaking that is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Pompeo urges recognition of Taiwan

GLOBAL STRATEGY: Indo-Pacific alliances need reinforcement to prevent Chinese occupation of Taiwan, which would threaten Japan, Hawaii and Australia, Pompeo said

The US should officially recognize Taiwan as a free, independent nation and establish official diplomatic ties, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told an event at the Hudson Institute in Washington on Friday. Every US president since Harry Truman has considered Taiwan’s existence to be of utmost importance to US national security, Pompeo said. Taiwan is a principal US partner in technology and economic matters, and if China were to capture Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain, it would severely hamper the US economy, Pompeo said. Should China occupy Taiwan, it would severely weaken US influence in the Indo-Pacific region and its surrounding areas, Pompeo said. An occupation could be a breakthrough in controlling the first island chain and increase China’s influence throughout the region, including a force projection that could threaten Guam, Hawaii, Japan and Australia, Pompeo said. The US must expand the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue — known as the Quad — between Australia, India, Japan and the US, and also include South Korea, the UK and France, Pompeo said, The AUKUS security pact between Australia, the UK and the US should be incorporated into the Quad format, he added. “It is my steadfast view that our government should immediately confer diplomatic recognition to Taiwan, for it is a free and sovereign country. Our recognition of Taiwan should not hinge on what will occur. Taiwan is already an independent country. Our government should simply reflect that fact,” Pompeo said. The US must help build three “lighthouses for liberty,” Pompeo said, referring to Taiwan, Israel and Ukraine. These countries could become security architecture hubs, linking alliances of free nations globally, including NATO and Indo-Pacific regional formats, he said. Pompeo said Russian President Vladimir Putin is an “inhumane murderer” perpetrating acts of mass slaughter. With Putin in power, no neighbor of Russia is safe, he added. Pompeo decried the Russian invasion of

By Su Yung-yao and Jake Chung