Over the years, Cheng Mei-chu (鄭美珠), 43, has received many looks because of her wrinkled skin and 11 fingers, but her physical disability never stopped her from pursuing her passion for art.
“I have an interest in painting, sports and literature. I have full control over my life,” Cheng said during a ceremony in Taipei. “When facing life’s challenges, one should have the courage to showcase his or her talents, have a free mind and never waste energy on unsolvable problems.”
Cheng, who was born with Ichthyosis — a severe genetic skin disorder — was among the 12 recipients of this year’s Fervent Global Love of Lives Award, chosen from 1,929 domestic and internal candidates by the Chou Ta-Kuan Foundation.
Cheng, now an art student pursuing a master’s degree, is known for the imagination displayed in her artwork, which often features scenery from her hometown in Penghu.
Despite occasional discrimination, she said she dreamed of creating a museum of art in Penghu, where she could share her joy and the beauty of the outlying islands with more people.
Another recipient was Mark Inglis, a New Zealand mountaineer who lost both legs during an intense blizzard in 1982 and later dedicated his life to helping physically disadvantaged individuals.
US columnist and psychologist Daniel Gottlieb also received the award for his battle with paralysis.
Also on the list was Wu Chung-yun (吳中云), a third grader from Taichung who became completely blind as a result of a brain tumor, but who continues to paint.
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 —
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