Organizations and troupes wanting to book one of the more than 1,400 city-run public facilities in Taipei would be offered a 50 percent discount on venue fees over the next six months, as of Sunday, and outdoor spaces on school campuses would reopen to the public on June 13, the Taipei City Government said yesterday.
“The city hopes the move would encourage art and cultural exhibitions and performances, as well as community activities,” Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) told a news conference, adding that the offer would be good through Dec. 6.
The decision to reopen school campuses to the public had been made after discussions on Tuesday with the Taipei Department of Education officials, schools and parents, she said.
The original plan was to reopen campuses after summer vacation starts on July 15, but as the local COVID-19 situation is under control and the plum rain season is over, many residents have said they would like to exercise or take walks on campuses, especially in the evenings, Taipei Department of Education Chief Secretary Chen Su-hui (陳素慧) said.
So the decision was made to open the campuses starting on the first Saturday after the central government loosens its COVID-19 prevention regulations, she said.
As campus auditoriums or recreational centers are often rented for graduation ceremonies or other events, they would be made available if organizers can ensure that social distancing and real-name or contact registration would be enforced, no meal sharing and the areas would be disinfected before and after use, Chen said.
On July 15, 218 of the 236 Taipei municipal schools’ campuses would be opened to the public as before; some are to remain closed because they do not have sports fields or are a school for girls, she said.
Asked if the city government would offer any promotions in connection with the Executive Yuan’s “Triplicate Stimulus Coupons” launch next month, Huang said since details of the program were only announced on Tuesday, city officials need to discuss the issue.
The Taipei Department of Economic Development was expected draft plans next week, she said.
This summer might be the first time that Taiwanese students cannot travel abroad during their vacations, which could boost domestic tourism, so the city hopes to attract Taipei residents to make purchases in the city and people from outside the capital to visit, Huang said.
She was planning to use her coupons with her EasyCard, as it is one of the most convenient digital payment systems, but everyone has their own preferences and having choices is a good thing, she said.
Joking with reporters, Huang said that she hoped that everyone would engage in some “revenge spending” to release any pent-up stress caused by the pandemic.
Taiwanese scientists have engineered plants that can capture about 50 percent more carbon dioxide and produce more than twice as many seeds as unmodified plants, a breakthrough they hope could one day help mitigate global warming and grow more food staples such as rice. If applied to major food crops, the new system could cut carbon emissions and raise yields “without additional equipment or labor costs,” Academia Sinica researcher and lead author the study Lu Kuan-jen (呂冠箴) said. Academia Sinica president James Liao (廖俊智) said that as humans emit 9.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide compared with the 220 billion tonnes absorbed
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
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