People looking for creative ways to send sweet words of love on Valentine’s Day might want to consider the Valentine’s Day stamps that Chunghwa Post is releasing on Thursday next week.
This is the second time that Chunghwa Post is using Valentine’s Day as a motif for its stamp designs. The first local Valentine’s Day stamps were issued on Feb. 7, 2007.
Chunghwa Post said the design this time was inspired by the concept of the “secret code of true love” (真愛密碼).
Photo courtesy of Chunghwa Post
In designing the stamps, the company applied a “quick response code” (QR code), a two-dimensional code readable by QR barcodes and camera phones with a minimum resolution of 300,000 pixels.
The QR code was originally created to help car manufacturers quickly track vehicle parts. Nowadays, the code is widely used in other areas, such as inventory management.
People can use their mobile phones to take a picture of the stamp, activate the software for decoding QR codes and see the message appear on their screen.
The QR coded words are located inside a heart-shaped pattern on the stamp. Aside from coded words, the stamp also features digital images of roses, gifts and a heart.
The Valentine’s Day stamps will be available in the form of NT$5 and NT$25 stamps. Unlocking the codes will reveal the words “Happy Valentine’s Day” in English and Chinese on the NT$5 stamps and the words “I Love You” in both languages on the NT$25 stamps.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
A much-anticipated Keelung-Ishigaki Island passenger-cargo shipping route is scheduled to set off on its inaugural voyage at the end of this year, the route operator said. The route, which would be jointly administered by Taiwanese and Japanese operators, generated much discussion when it was first announced last month. The operators plan to offer three round-trip services per week in the initial stage. The service was scheduled to launch in September, but it was postponed until the end of this month due to issues with the ship’s interior design and paperwork. Trans Wagon International Co, which serves as the agent of the shipping service
RSS