Sun, Jun 20, 2010 page3

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
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  ■ CULTURE

  Chow to visit Italy, Spain

  First lady Chow Mei-ching (周美青) embarks on a trip to Italy and Spain today, in her capacity as honorary director of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre. The group will perform Songs of the Wanderers on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Villa Adriana at Tivoli near Rome before it performs at the Ravenna Festival in northeastern Italy from June 27 to 29. On June 30, the group will fly to Barcelona, Spain, where it will stage Wild Cursive at the Grec Festival from July 1 to 4. Chow returned to the country on Tuesday after accompanying the troupe on a tour of Russia, where it performed Whisper of Flowers at the this year's Chekhov International Theatre Festival from June 10 to 13.

  ■ POLITICS

  Referendum rally to be held

  The Taiwan Rescue Action Alliance is mobilizing supporters to attend a demonstration organized by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Saturday next week to call for a national referendum on the government's proposed trade pact with China. The alliance, joined by nearly 160 pro-independence organizations, is making an online appeal through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs for people to attend the parade. The alliance issued a call on its Web site for people to take to the streets to voice their opposition to what they called the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government's tactics to block a referendum from being held. On June 3, the Referendum Review Committee rejected a referendum initiative proposed by the Taiwan Solidarity Union that would have asked voters if they agree with the government signing an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China.

  ■ CULTURE

  Xiamen hosts cultural fair

  The third Cross-Taiwan Strait Cultural Industries Fair opened in Xiamen, China, yesterday, attracting more than 300 Taiwanese businesses and organizations. At the opening ceremony, New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明) said he hoped both Taiwanese and Chinese would work together to promote Chinese culture and art on the international market. Innovative designs, creative cultural products and distinct exhibition services were on display at more than 1,300 booths. Fujian Province Deputy Governor Chen Hua (陳樺) described the four-day fair as a platform for exchange and cooperation in the fields of exhibition organization, trade, investment and research, between Taiwanese and Chinese cultural industries. Taiwanese exhibitors include the National Palace Museum, Franz porcelain, pottery artists from Yingge (鶯歌) in Taipei County and Taiwan's creative belly dance promotion association.

  ■ AGRICULTURE

  New orchid variety unveiled

  The Council of Agriculture unveiled yesterday a new variety of the dancing-doll orchid species that features darker colored stripes. Yi Mei-hsiu (易美秀), an assistant researcher at the council's Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, said the team had been working on the new variety for more than a decade. “The main feature of the new dancing-doll orchid variety is the darker stripes on the yellow flowers, which make the contrast more outstanding,” Yi said. “It also has more stable color and thicker petals, which means the flowers could last longer in vases,” she said, adding that she hoped the new variety would win the hearts of buyers.
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