Over the years, Cheng Mei-chu (鄭美珠), 43, has received many looks because of her wrinkled skin and 11 fingers, but her physical disability never stopped her from pursuing her passion for art.
“I have an interest in painting, sports and literature. I have full control over my life,” Cheng said during a ceremony in Taipei. “When facing life’s challenges, one should have the courage to showcase his or her talents, have a free mind and never waste energy on unsolvable problems.”
Cheng, who was born with Ichthyosis — a severe genetic skin disorder — was among the 12 recipients of this year’s Fervent Global Love of Lives Award, chosen from 1,929 domestic and internal candidates by the Chou Ta-Kuan Foundation.
Cheng, now an art student pursuing a master’s degree, is known for the imagination displayed in her artwork, which often features scenery from her hometown in Penghu.
Despite occasional discrimination, she said she dreamed of creating a museum of art in Penghu, where she could share her joy and the beauty of the outlying islands with more people.
Another recipient was Mark Inglis, a New Zealand mountaineer who lost both legs during an intense blizzard in 1982 and later dedicated his life to helping physically disadvantaged individuals.
US columnist and psychologist Daniel Gottlieb also received the award for his battle with paralysis.
Also on the list was Wu Chung-yun (吳中云), a third grader from Taichung who became completely blind as a result of a brain tumor, but who continues to paint.
DEEPER REVIEW: After receiving 19 hospital reports of suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health applied for an epidemiological investigation A buffet restaurant in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) is to be fined NT$3 million (US$91,233) after it remained opened despite an order to suspend operations following reports that 32 people had been treated for suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. The health department said it on Tuesday received reports from hospitals of people who had suspected food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, after they ate at an INPARADISE (饗饗) branch in Breeze Xinyi on Sunday and Monday. As more than six people who ate at the restaurant sought medical treatment, the department ordered the
A strong continental cold air mass and abundant moisture bringing snow to mountains 3,000m and higher over the past few days are a reminder that more than 60 years ago Taiwan had an outdoor ski resort that gradually disappeared in part due to climate change. On Oct. 24, 2021, the National Development Council posted a series of photographs on Facebook recounting the days when Taiwan had a ski resort on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County. More than 60 years ago, when developing a branch of the Central Cross-Island Highway, the government discovered that Hehuanshan, with an elevation of more than 3,100m,
Taiwan’s population last year shrank further and births continued to decline to a yearly low, the Ministry of the Interior announced today. The ministry published the 2024 population demographics statistics, highlighting record lows in births and bringing attention to Taiwan’s aging population. The nation’s population last year stood at 23,400,220, a decrease of 20,222 individuals compared to 2023. Last year, there were 134,856 births, representing a crude birth rate of 5.76 per 1,000 people, a slight decline from 2023’s 135,571 births and 5.81 crude birth rate. This decrease of 715 births resulted in a new record low per the ministry’s data. Since 2016, which saw
SECURITY: To protect the nation’s Internet cables, the navy should use buoys marking waters within 50m of them as a restricted zone, a former navy squadron commander said A Chinese cargo ship repeatedly intruded into Taiwan’s contiguous and sovereign waters for three months before allegedly damaging an undersea Internet cable off Kaohsiung, a Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) investigation revealed. Using publicly available information, the Liberty Times was able to reconstruct the Shunxing-39’s movements near Taiwan since Double Ten National Day last year. Taiwanese officials did not respond to the freighter’s intrusions until Friday last week, when the ship, registered in Cameroon and Tanzania, turned off its automatic identification system shortly before damage was inflicted to a key cable linking Taiwan to the rest of
RSS