The Council for Cultural Affairs (文建會) yesterday said that the Cabinet's support for a Guggenheim Museum in Taichung had not wavered despite rumors it would back away from the project, an official said.
The official also said the Cabinet would need more information before making a decision on whether to allocate the project an additional NT$2 billion as requested by Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
The Cabinet had originally promised to give NT$3.2 billion toward the planned museum, with Taichung City Government stumping up the rest. The total project is estimated to cost NT$6.4 billion.
"If the Cabinet grants NT$5.2 billion then the nature of the Guggenheim project will be quite different from the original plan," said Chung Chia-pin (
Chung said that a larger share of the costs means more responsibilities and so far the Council for Cultural Affairs had not received a complete evaluation report from Taichung City Government.
"The central government and the local government should cooperate with each other in this project. I think it is necessary to work out further details about the plan together," Chung said. "If the Cabinet is to become the main backer of this project, then we need to know more about the project. We don't want to cancel it."
Taichung City Government accused the Cabinet of not inviting it to a conference held in late August discussing the possibly economic impacts of the museum.
"We did not invite any Taichung government officials to the conference because the conference focused on cultural issues and many academics from Taichung City were present," Chung said.
Chung said the cultural affairs council is happy to see the establishment of the Guggenheim Museum in Taichung, however the plans need to be reviewed carefully.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
RSS