The “artificial beach” created by the Taipei City Government at the southeast plaza of Taipei City Hall was officially opened yesterday, attracting a stream of curious people eager to walk on the white sand and relax.
The NT$1.07 million (US$35,000) 400m² beach with white sand, umbrellas, beach chairs and palm trees will be open until November. The city hopes to attract Taipei residents yearning for a bit of beach culture and relaxation in downtown Taipei.
“Beachgoers,” however, may need a little imagination, as there is one missing ingredient: the sea.
The project, launched yesterday without fanfare or promotional events, has caused some dispute and concern over the environmental impact.
A small group of residents who went to check out the new facility lauded the city government’s creativity, but said the designers had failed to create a relaxing atmosphere.
“This is a good idea,” said June Chu, a Taipei resident who sat on a chair and watched her son play in the sand with other kids.
“I would bring my kids here if the weather is okay. But I think it would be too crowded during the weekends,” she said.
A high school student surnamed Chen, who came along with his classmates, said the facility was disappointingly small, and suggested that the city government add more decorations to make the beach more attractive.
“I thought it would be like the beach in Bali, but it’s very small,” he said.
Emile Sheng (盛治仁), commissioner of Taipei City’s Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, said the concept was borrowed from Germany and France, which have created beaches in various locations to provide getaways from the urban grind right in the heart of the city.
If this year’s beach debut is a hit, the city government hopes to make the white sands an annual summer feature, he said.
The department said it would put up a sign in front of the facility to remind residents that pets are not allowed on the beach. Barbeques, camping and dangerous activities are also prohibited.
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
Actor Lee Wei (李威) was released on bail on Monday after being named as a suspect in the death of a woman whose body was found in the meeting place of a Buddhist group in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) last year, prosecutors said. Lee, 44, was released on NT$300,000 (US$9,148) bail, while his wife, surnamed Chien (簡), was released on NT$150,000 bail after both were summoned to give statements regarding the woman’s death. The home of Lee, who has retreated from the entertainment business in the past few years, was also searched by prosecutors and police earlier on Monday. Lee was questioned three
RISING TOURISM: A survey showed that tourist visits increased by 35 percent last year, while newly created attractions contributed almost half of the growth Changhua County’s Lukang Old Street (鹿港老街) and its surrounding historical area clinched first place among Taiwan’s most successful tourist attractions last year, while no location in eastern Taiwan achieved a spot in the top 20 list, the Tourism Administration said. The listing was created by the Tourism Administration’s Forward-looking Tourism Policy Research office. Last year, the Lukang Old Street and its surrounding area had 17.3 million visitors, more than the 16 million visitors for the Wenhua Road Night Market (文化路夜市) in Chiayi City and 14.5 million visitors at Tainan’s Anping (安平) historical area, it said. The Taipei 101 skyscraper and its environs —
RSS