It was the beginning of the end for the Taipei Children's Museum of Transportation and Communications when, in 2004, the museum's ostriches and alligators slipped out of their exhibition pens and wandered the streets of Gongguan.
"The alligators crossed Dingzhou Road and the ostriches were found in an alley," museum director Lee Meng-feng (
"It was an accident," Lee added.
But the Taipei City Government took a dim view, the museum head said, adding that the city's Department of Education saw the incident as one more problem in a string of setbacks at the museum.
Though city-owned, the museum is privately run, and has been teaching youth the importance of traffic safety for more than a decade, Lee said.
He added that 200,000 paying visitors come to the museum yearly, with many more visiting its free exhibits.
However, the museum's popularity among children and parents, especially those on a shoestring budget, hasn't deterred the department from planning its demise, he said.
Department secretary-general Tang Te-chi (
"We conducted an evaluation of the museum's operations, determining that they fell below the standards in our contract with the company," Tang said in a telephone interview.
Expiring on April 12, the contract won't be renewed, Tang said, saying that the Council of Hakka Affairs wanted to convert the museum into the world's biggest "Hakka Cultural Center."
Lee conceded yesterday that some parts of the museum were in disrepair, and that his company had experienced fiscal problems. But, he added, the company had already sunk NT$160 million (US$4.85 million) into establishing quality exhibits.
The city government, meanwhile, has barely chipped in to maintain the museum, letting the property fall into disrepair while Lee's company struggles to make a profit despite its huge investment, he added.
"Not once did a department official visit their own museum to evaluate our operations," Lee said.
Responding to Lee's allegations, Tang said his department didn't have to send its people to the museum to understand its situation; an independent panel did that.
"[Lee] shouldn't put the blame on us," Tang said, adding that the operational responsibilities were clear in the contract.
"[Lee] should bear the brunt of the blame [for the museum's failures]," he said.
Though many of the museum's exhibits are simple and "static" -- a shortcoming that Lee admits to -- some, like the 3D posters of high-speed trains and jet fighters, are a big hit, Lee said.
Clean, open spaces, such as the miniature movie theater featuring educational programs, are also important to kids who need a place to "hang out," or to cash-strapped grandparents who appreciate having a place to bring their grandchildren after school, he said.
Whether or not a Hakka museum could play such a vital role for the neighborhood remains to be seen, Lee said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Many Japanese couples are coming to Taiwan to obtain donated sperm or eggs for fertility treatment due to conservatism in their home country, Taiwan’s high standards and low costs, doctors said. One in every six couples in Japan is receiving infertility treatment, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show. About 70,000 children are born in Japan every year through in vitro fertilization (IVF), or about one in every 11 children born. Few people accept donated reproductive cells in Japan due to a lack of clear regulations, leaving treatment in a “gray zone,” Taichung Nuwa Fertility Center medical director Wang Huai-ling (王懷麟)
A pro-Russia hacker group has launched a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on the Taiwanese government in retaliation for President William Lai’s (賴清德) comments suggesting that China should have a territorial dispute with Russia, an information security company said today. The hacker group, NoName057, recently launched an HTTPs flood attack called “DDoSia” targeting Taiwanese government and financial units, Radware told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). Local tax bureaus in New Taipei City, Keelung, Hsinchu and Taoyuan were mentioned by the hackers. Only the Hsinchu Local Tax Bureau site appeared to be down earlier in the day, but was back
RSS