More than 5,000 people yesterday attended a Water Festival event in New Taipei City that featured Thai food and singers, among other attractions.
The event, held in the Bitan Scenic Area in Sindian District (新店), was a joint effort by the New Taipei Labor Affairs Department and the Thailand Trade and Economic Office to show appreciation to Thai migrant workers for their contributions to Taiwan's economy.
These include the construction of public infrastructure and providing home care for senior citizens, New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liu Ho-jan (劉和然) said during his remarks at the event.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei Labor Affairs Department via CNA
In a statement, the city’s Labor Affairs Department said the Water Festival was aimed at providing a “familiar and warm cultural space” for Thai nationals and giving Taiwanese an opportunity to experience Thai culture.
In addition, the department said, it hopes that Taiwanese would have greater respect for foreign cultures and embrace more diversity.
Yesterday afternoon, Thai singers Kaimook and Bam Phailin took to the stage to perform a series of hit songs, which sent the crowd of over 5,000 into a frenzy and transformed the event into an open-air music festival.
The event also included a Thai bazaar that offered free haircuts, massages and fortune-telling, as well as free health checks by the Tzu Chi Foundation. It also featured a display of agricultural products from small farmers.
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
DIPLOMACY: It is Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo’s first visit to Taiwan since he took office last year, while Eswatini’s foreign minister is also paying a visit A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today. The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility
RSS