On a normal Friday evening outside Taipei Railway Station, an unusual banquet unfolded for people living in the area with no home to return to before the Lunar New Year.
Carrying two polystyrene boxes filled to the brim with home-cooked meals, Han-yun (瀚云) arrived with her two daughters at a counter near the west gate of the station, ready to give out the nutritious and festive delicacies her family had been hard at work preparing since early morning.
“I find this event quite meaningful, so we wanted to continue donating food this year,” the 40-year-old mother said.
Photo: CNA
Organized by the nonprofit group Do You A Flavor, this annual year-end banquet has taken place on the streets of Taipei for the past five years and has expanded into a three-day event, not just featuring food, but also free haircuts, donations of clothes and the chance to play fun games with volunteers.
The aroma of the food and the army of volunteers quickly drew the attention of homeless people in the area. Among them was Tung An-ling (董安齡), who has been homeless since returning to Taiwan from the US almost four years ago.
“I like to eat a variety of food; I can eat lots of different food,” the 53-year-old said, adding she has been out of touch with her family for more than 10 years and feels lonely during the holidays.
Having worked as a janitor, Tung offered to help the volunteers repackage the food. “I really appreciate the kindness of those people... you know the kindhearted who help the homeless here,” she said after finishing a portion of salad and drunken chicken — one of 400 dishes donated on the first day of the event.
Having lived on the streets for more than 20 years, Chang Yun-hsiang (張雲翔) said he loved having the chance to interact with people at the event. He said the public has mixed impressions of the homeless, with some showing concern, and others looking down on them. “I used to sleep by the sidewalk, and someone once asked me, ‘Why don’t you just find a job since you are physically capable?’” the 37-year-old said, who has serious heart problems.
Meanwhile, the event was just as rewarding for those who gave as well as those who received. Robert Lin (林鈺祥), an occupational therapist and a first-time volunteer, was responsible for distributing food around the station, which he said he found rewarding.
“When we interact with the homeless, they get to know a new person or make a new friend, and they know there are people in society who care about them,” the 31-year-old said.
Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed that there were a total of 3,002 registered homeless in Taiwan in 2022, with the figure remaining steady since 2019. One-third of homeless people reside in Taipei and New Taipei City.
Ader Wu (巫彥德), co-founder of Do You a Flavor, said the number of homeless people would increase if society continues to ignore their plight.
The event aims to provide homeless people with a sense of hope and to help them not feel left out during Lunar New Year celebrations, the 34-year-old said.
“It also gives society a tangible way to offer help, as people sometimes feel a sense of anguish when they see homeless people on the streets during the cold weather but feel they cannot do anything to help them,” he added.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS