A youth foundation yesterday launched a cross-strait astronomy camp, with junior high school students from Beijing joining their counterparts in Taiwan for a week of cultural exchange and study of the heavens.
The Tosun Public Interest Foundation, an organization that deals with youth issues, organized the program, in which 20 students from China and 40 from Taiwan will participate in the week-long camp and tour the nation.
The camp officially begins tomorrow and will last until Friday.
Liao Cheng-hao (廖正豪), the foundation's director, said that the astronomy camp will take place on Alishan and Yushan, where there are clear skies that offer an excellent view of planets and stars.
Liao said that the camp was a rare opportunity for youth from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to meet and learn from one another.
Foundation vice executive director Viviane Tien (
Jing Hairong (
Jing said that the Chinese students will share what they learned in Taiwan with other students upon their return to Beijing.
Liu Ge, an eighth-grade student and member of the astronomy club of Beijing's Jingshang Middle School, said it was her first visit to Taiwan, and that she was excited to learn about the students here as well as view the heavens from Taiwan.
Miao Jun (
A representative from the Taipei astronomical museum, Chiang Chung-jen (江崇仁), said that astronomical education in Taiwan consisted of just a few science classes at school, which only covered the basics. Schools should do more to emphasize astronomy, Chiang said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or