A full-size replica of a 17th-century Ming Dynasty armed merchant ship set off on its maiden voyage from Anping Harbor (安平漁港) in Tainan City yesterday to re-enact the scene of the arrival of a Chinese general more than 300 years ago.
Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) launched the replica boat along with Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (李安).
The 29.5m wooden replica sailed, escorted by more than 10 modern ships and police helicopters, to the mouth of the Luermen River, the site of the landing of the Ming Dynasty’s Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功), better known as Koxinga, in 1661.
Photo provided courtesy of the Tainan City Government
The replica of the ancient ship is named Taiwan Cheng Kung to commemorate the military leader, who had forced the Dutch out of Taiwan in 1662 and making Taiwan his base for a campaign against the Manchu-ruled Qing dynasty.
To recreate the ship, the Tainan City Government sent officials to Japan in 2008 to obtain a copy of a painting of the vessel held at the Matsura History Museum in Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, where Koxinga was born in 1624.
Based on the 1706 painting, the 270 tonne replica, with a displacement of 135 tonnes, was completed in 18 months and the Council for Cultural Affairs -provided NT$80 million (US$2.5 million) in funds
Unlike the sail-driven original, the replica is equipped with modern navigation devices and an engine. It will conduct a week-long, round-the-island voyage next year as part of celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China.
The ship will also sail to Koxinga’s birthplace in Hirado, as well as Quanzhou in Fujian Province, China, and the outlying islands of Kinmen and Penghu, where Koxinga’s army was once based, the Tainan City Government said.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS