Two restaurants in Kaohsiung are to relocate after being targeted by supporters of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), while the leaders of a campaign to recall Han filed legal complaints after receiving threats against them and their families.
The owner of the restaurant Sea Anglers Eatery in Gushan District (鼓山) said in a statement yesterday that his establishment has closed, as he was tired of dealing with harassment from “Han fans.”
“For all the customers who support us and believe in justice, you need not come to visit, as we are now closed,” wrote the proprietor who declined to give his name.
Photo: Tsai Ching-hua, Taipei Times
He promised to reopen in another location soon.
Over the past few weeks, Han supporters have been leaving bad reviews and spiteful comments about the restaurant on online review sites, and have requested that agencies conduct frequent inspections of the establishment.
“Thank you Han fans for your ardent support,” the owner said sarcastically. “We have been visited by inspectors from the National Taxation Bureau, Kaohsiung Department of Health, Environmental Protection Agency and Kaohsiung Fire Department. Customers can eat here in safety, since we have passed all the inspections.”
The Sea Anglers Eatery was one of six restaurants targeted by Han supporters after they last month backed a campaign to recall Han and said that they would not welcome Han supporters, as they create conflict with other customers.
“How did these people get trained to act like Red Guards during China’s Cultural Revolution?” the proprietor asked. “They make personal attacks, repress others, engage in political struggle, fabricate charges... This phenomenon has resulted from brainwashing.”
The other restaurants targeted include Kuang De House of Pancakes in Yencheng District (鹽埕), which closed last week, and Senfan Teppanyaki in Linya District (苓雅), which on Tuesday announced that it would relocate next month after its landlord, a Han supporter, terminated its contract.
Meanwhile, Aaron Yin (尹立) and Chen Kuan-jung (陳冠榮), conveners of the “WeCare Kaohsiung” Web site and leaders of a campaign to recall Han, filed legal complaints at a Kaohsiung police precinct.
Yin said that since their campaign began last month, “the online insults and bullying by Han fans has become more persistent and vicious. They have even threatened violence against me and my family.”
“Kaohsiung is in a climate of fear; people are afraid of bullying by Han fans, so we urge the victims to stand up and uphold their rights,” Yin said, calling on Han to rein in his supporters.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Chiayi County at 4:37pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 36.3km southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 10.4km, CWA data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Chiayi County, Tainan and Kaohsiung on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Pingtung, Taitung, Hualien, Changhua, Nantou and Penghu counties, the data
RSS