■ART
More graffiti zones opened
The Taipei City Government yesterday said it had opened two more graffiti zones in municipal riverside parks to allow graffiti artists to show off their creativity. The city government opened two graffiti zones in Dajia Riverside Park of Songshan District (松山) and Meiti Riverside Park of Zhongshan District (中山) last year, totaling 900m². Two more graffiti zones totaling 240m² have now been opened in Bailing Riverside Park North and Fuhe Riverside Park, the city government said. The city government said it would repaint the walls every four months.
■NATURE
Alishan fire under control
The Forestry Bureau yesterday said the Alishan wildfires that had threatened the area since early Monday morning had been put out. More than 18 hectares of forest area were damaged, the bureau said, adding that the region consisted mostly of bamboo and grassland. The bureau said it was not ruling out arson, adding that the case was now under investigation. People with information on the fire can call the bureau at 0800-000-930. Information that leads to resolution of the case could result in a reward of as much as NT$1 million (US$30,000).
■TOURISM
How to behave abroad
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday released a new “International Etiquette” program including a handbook to help Taiwanese know how to behave abroad. Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) said that many people abroad get their first impression of Taiwan after interacting with Taiwanese tourists. Improving their mannerisms could boost the country’s image, he said. The free handbook is available at major travel agencies, government offices and offices abroad.
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
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