Industrial accident occured while crews were working on scaffolding in Yunlin's Douliu City Scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in Douliu 5714TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An industrial accident in Taiwan’s Yunlin County on Saturday (July 6) resulted in two deaths and three injuries.  A stretch of scaffolding, 40-meters high and 80-meters long, on a building under construction in Douliu City collapsed at 4:12 p.m., injuring multiple workers. Two workers died of cardiac arrest, and three female workers suffered head injuries in the accident, reported CTS News.  the area was hit with heavy rains and strong winds prior to the collapse they found 15 people trapped in the rubble.  were rushed to the Yunlin Branch of National Taiwan Normal Hospital suffered head injuries and were sent for treatment to the local branch of the Affiliated Hospital of National Cheng Kung University is a factory that belongs to the Formosa Advanced Technologies Company The Yunlin County government has suspended all work on the site until an investigation into the accident is completed Yunlin County Council Speaker arrested for corruption in central Taiwan Bamboo groves in Taiwan's Yunlin under threat from macaques Vietnamese worker dies at construction site in New Taipei Taiwan dollar hits NT$29 per US dollar triggering currency exchange rush Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes off east Taiwan Taipei MRT reminds passengers of drinking water ban Four Vietnamese residents found dead in northern Taiwan Vietjet flight makes unscheduled landing in Taiwan Central Bank steps in as Taiwan dollar posts strong single-day gain Rising Taiwan dollar over Trump tariffs has pros and cons Taiwan ranked 2nd most innovative country in world Central Bank says US did not push Taiwan to appreciate currency US tech earnings spark Taiwan stock market rally asia2 motorbikes fall in, water pipes damaged as sinkhole opens in Taiwan; no injuries reportedA sinkhole opened in the city of Douliu.PHOTO: Screengrab/YouTube/TVBS NewsPUBLISHED ONSeptember 01, 2024 6:10 AMByDrima ChakrabortyA sinkhole opened up in Douliu damaging two motorcycles and water pipes on Saturday (Aug 31) morning According to Taiwan's Central News Agency it measured a length and width of 7.3m by 3.7m and a depth of 1.4m and opened up around 9am while the bikes were parked on the pavement over it Photos also show water spraying out of a damaged pipe said that the location of the sinkhole is a water conservancy ditch covered by concrete As it has been used for more than 20 years the influence of gravity coupled with the cracking of cement and the Douliu City Office will also do a follow-up on the sinkhole and then prepare a budget to build a new pavement This incident comes after a female tourist fell into a sinkhole on Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 23 and the whole street was cordoned off when a second sinkhole appeared just 50 metres away five days later The nine-day search for the missing woman was called off on Aug 31 On Aug 29, two elderly passengers in a car were also seriously injured as it was swallowed by a sinkhole measuring 6m wide 4m long and 2.5m deep on a four-lane road in the Seodaemun District of Seoul A female passenger in her 70s and a male driver in his 80s were taken to hospital The woman had reportedly gone into cardiac arrest ALSO READ: More than 20 explosions heard: Cars ablaze in massive fire at Golden Mile Tower rooftop carpark This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Company also invests NT$419 million for land rights in Central Taiwan Science Park 4241TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Semiconductor packaging and testing company ASE Technology announced Wednesday (Oct has invested NT$3.7 billion (US$115 million) to acquire land and facilities in Douliu According to the announcement, SPIL acquired the Douliu factory land from Ming Hwei Energy at approximately NT$202,000 per ping (one ping equals 3.3 square meters), per CNA The acquired land area is 60,472 square meters ASE Technology said that this investment is intended for operational use Industry sources said SPIL’s acquisition is mainly to expand its CoWoS advanced packaging capacity SPIL announced a NT$419 million investment to acquire land use rights in Central Taiwan Science Park’s Erlin Park in Changhua also aimed at expanding CoWoS advanced packaging SPIL also announced an investment of NT$6.1 billion to acquire Advantest testing equipment, NT$1.73 billion for TEL equipment, and NT$1.77 billion for equipment from Wanrun Technology, per Liberty Times Taiwan’s TSMC to receive ASML’s advanced chipmaking machines this year Taiwan’s TSMC Arizona fab to begin 4 nm production in December Taiwan-Europe Chip Innovation Forum concludes in Prague Taiwan’s UMC reports NT$60.49 billion in Q3 revenue Team Italy showcased for the first time in front of a loyal Taiwanese fan base at Douliu Stadium on a warm Sunday afternoon against the Wei Chuan Dragons Mike Piazza and Matt Harvey signs were held by hungry autograph seekers hoping for a glimpse of their favorite MLB stars Team Italy manager and National Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza’s lineup card looked like this: Sal Frelick Team Italy took a 1-0 lead after a solo home run over the center field wall by catcher Brett Sullivan he showed his defensive prowess when throwing out a runner attempting to steal second base who gave up one hit and one walk during his two innings of work was backed by a solid defense as demonstrated by Miles Mastrobuoni's range at second base when robbing the Taiwanese of a single in the gap between first and second to end the inning Nicky Lopez led off the top of the third inning with a walk and got a great jump to easily steal second base Sal Frelick singled to load the bases for David Fletcher who hit a sacrifice fly to center field which allowed Nicky Lopez to score Another sacrifice fly to deep center field by Vinnie Pasquantino yielded the second run of the inning for the Italians With a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning He surrendered one run on two hits in the bottom of the third inning to make it a 3-1 game Shortstop Nicky Lopez demonstrated his defensive excellence when fielding a would-be single in the gap and getting the force out at second base to end the inning and limit the damage The Italians nearly added another run in the top of the fourth inning Miles Mastrobuoni walked and stole second base; however a fly out to right by Ben DeLuzio ended the scoring threat Relievers Mitchell Stumpo and Joey Marciano pitched scoreless fourth and fifth innings respectively to keep the Wei Chuan Dragons off the board Braxton Lorenzini came in to pitch for Team Italy and struck out the first two hitters he faced in the bottom of the sixth inning A ground out to first baseman Vito Friscia ended the inning a Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect from Milan He issued a leadoff walk and then fought back with a strikeout the promising left-handed pitcher was relieved by Venezuelan-born Michele Vassalotti With runners on first and second base and one out the hard-throwing Milwaukee Brewers prospect gave up an RBI bloop single over the head of first baseman Vito Friscia to cut the Italian lead to one run..An intentional walk loaded the bases and set a potential double play for Team Italy A sacrifice fly to deep center field tied the game 3-3 Michele Vassalotti fielded a sharply hit ground ball to record the third out and end the seven-inning exhibition game Team Italy returns to Douliu Stadium on Monday 2023 for an 11 am (local time) exhibition game against the Uni Lions 2023 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC NEWS Reserved area Transparent Federation Privacy policy Copyright © 2022 FIBS (Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball) - Viale Tiziano 74 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial - Share with same attribution 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA) which is available on the Internet I thought my day in Douliu (斗六) was going to turn trippy it’s only) city has a population of just 109,000 It certainly isn’t a place where psychedelic counterculture flourishes A picture dictionary could use an image of Douliu to define the adjective “staid.” came courtesy of a middle-aged man I’d met on the corner of Jhonghua Road (中華路) and Taiping Street (太平街) the kind of vehicle that’s as common as chopsticks in rural Taiwan the man and his friend were dealing in garlic from Cihtong (莿桐) a township a few kilometers north of Douliu The unwashed bulbs looked as if they’d just been pulled from the ground used a grubby thumb to rub the dirt off a clove My mother and my teachers always told me to never accept snacks or drinks from people I don’t know So naturally I put it in my mouth without hesitation grinning with unabashed joy as beads of sweat formed across my forehead and for a second or two I felt like I was swaying back and forth But I continued to suck the now pulpy garlic I gave him answers that seemed to make him happy And I’m sure no British garlic compares with this remarkably piquant allium As soon as I was around the corner and out of sight I gulped down the contents of my water bottle If there’d been anyplace where I could have sat down and regrouped I didn’t want to miss any of Taiping Street’s deliciously ornate shop-houses Most of the buildings that make this thoroughfare a must-see for architecture aficionados date from the mid and late-1920s None appears to be identical to its neighbor but some are better maintained — or have been more fortunate during earthquakes and typhoons — than others Baroque and neoclassicism are the strongest influences The range of embellishments goes from birds to flowers to what look like micro-minarets Among the family names I recognized were Chang (張) but bears the word “Chohatsu” in Latin script I asked a native speaker of Japanese if they could tell me what this meant Was it the name of an enterprise during the 1895-1945 period of Japanese colonial rule Is that a rising sun on the front of number 47 was it included to celebrate Japanese rule 65 and 67 are among Taiping Street’s most colorful buildings each being bedecked with what seem to be jiannian (剪黏 This form of art — more usually seen on temple roofs — involves gluing ceramic shards in place to create three-dimensional decorations; these often look impressive from a few meters away The first floor of number 65 currently houses a claw-machine parlor Hoping to get a bird’s-eye look at the old street I infiltrated the upper levels of Central Mall (中央商場) a sleepy three-story business complex at the intersection with Jhonghua Road (中華路) I noticed that almost every house now has a metal roof I’d not had time to explore Fucian Street (府前街) This part of Douliu is looking better than ever The authorities have almost finished landscaping the canalized stream that Fucian Street crosses and some intriguing structures nearby have been preserved there’s no need to plan your trip to Douliu around these times — the building’s elegant redbrick-and-concrete exterior is more engaging than anything inside A very short distance north of the assembly hall partly hidden from the road by the adorable little house at 43 Fucian Street I spotted a tumulus-like hillock topped by several rotating air vents but on the other side there was an open doorway So the ex-shelter doesn’t flood during thunderstorms the floor just inside the entrance slopes upward The structure — which doesn’t seem to be marked on any online maps — has been reinvented as a cultural property but at the time of my visit it was empty save for some folding chairs and a stack of wooden window frames had been salvaged from the adjacent police dormitory If you’re returning to Douliu Railway Station it makes sense to detour to Yunjhong Street (雲中街) where there’s a cluster of colonial-era single-story dormitory buildings There’s nothing here you won’t have seen elsewhere One unit has been repurposed as a coffee shop Ideal if you’re coming down from a consciousness-altering garlic experience Steven Crook has been writing about travel He is the author of Taiwan: The Bradt Travel Guide and co-author of A Culinary History of Taipei: Beyond Pork and Ponlai The tech giant has bought a plot in Yunlin County Google is establishing a third data center in Taiwan, confirming earlier reports that it was interested in a plot in Yunlin County Google has confirmed to reporters this week that it has acquired around 200,000 sq m (2,150,000 sq ft) of land in the Yunlin Technology-based Industrial Park The facility should be up and running by 2022 China Man-made Fiber last week sold a 198,000 sq m (2,140,000 sq ft) plot and it looks like Google is secretly behind that company Relatively few details were revealed to journalists but it is reported that Google will invest around NT$20bn ($681m) According to local publications such as Taiwan News thenewproject is part of Google’s “Intelligent Taiwan” or "Smart Taiwa" initiative which was unveiled in 2018  as part of Google's international pledge to help to promote IT and interconnectivity Google promised to train up Taiwanese businesses and students in digital marketing and to invest in IT infrastructure Digital India is one of the largest commitments by the company to play a role in digitizing an economy CEO Sundar Pichai announced a $10bn investment in the country and a stake in one of the country's largest budget mobile phone businesses Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang visited Taichung on January 16 with his first stop being the new Tan-Ke factory of Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) a leader in global semiconductor packaging under ASE Holdings Huang and SPIL Chairman CW Tsai jointly inaugurated the Tan-Ke factory holding a plaque unveiling ceremony that symbolizes their collaboration in advancing AI chip technology into a new era Tsai stated that the establishment of the Tan-Ke factory is aimed at fulfilling Nvidia's demand for accelerated computing The facility has now entered the capacity ramp-up phase and SPIL will fully cooperate with customer requirements to expedite achieving critical time-to-market objectives As the demand for AI processors continues to grow the development of semiconductor packaging services becomes increasingly important SPIL's expertise and capability in supporting advanced packaging are key to ensuring the rapid scaling of new products SPIL also continues to support wafer testing SPIL has been actively expanding its manufacturing capabilities In addition to the inauguration of the Tan-Ke factory there are ongoing expansions at the Erlin plant in Changhua preparations for the Douliu and Houli plants are underway SPIL indicated that talent recruitment is in full swing which is expected to generate significant talent demand and stimulate the local economy Central Taiwan aims to become an important production base for advanced packaging in Taiwan Taiwan – The Japanese coffee company UCC Ueshima Coffee Co has announced on Friday it will invest NT$500 million (US$16.52 million) to set up a facility in the Douliu Industrial Park Yunlin County Magistrate Lee Chin-yung invited UCC Coffee Taiwan Co President Masatoshi Sugimoto to taste freshly ground Taiwan coffee The Douliu coffee beans are farmed in Gukeng Township – which is well-known for its unique coffee culture – including its annual coffee festival Construction of the facility is expected to begin on August and the company briefed the county magistrate on its plans on Friday UCC said construction on a plot of 5,288 square meters of land is to start on Aug There was no immediate word on what the facility will be used for but the Commercial Times reported in April that it will be turned into a coffee tourist factory UCC has been in business for about 80 years and entered the Taiwan market 30 years ago The company imports coffee beans from over a dozen countries © Copyright 2025 | Editoriale Comunicaffè P.IVA 05752870963 | tel the objective of Comunicaffe International has been to provide an updated punctual and essential information service to operators in the sector cocoa and tea supply chains in order to develop critical thinking and debate Comunicaffe International is also a daily newsletter sent to 38.000 professionals in Italy and more than 85.000 worldwide A solar energy storage unit consisting of thousands of lithium batteries caught fire in the early hours of the morning after emitting smoke for more than 12 hours following a truck accident in Yunlin County yesterday Yunlin County Fire Department received reports of a large truck overturning on a County Road 145B below the Huwei Interchange on National Highway One at around 1:00 pm The overturned truck was carrying solar power storage units and white smoke was being emitted due to a thermal reaction in the lithium-ion batteries Firefighters deployed firefighting robots to spray the cabin and fuel tanks of the vehicle while standing by to wait for the thermal reaction to complete on its own the lithium battery array burst into flames the battery unit consists of more than 3,000 lithium-ion batteries connected in a series The manufacturer warned firefighters not to move the unit following the accident as excessive gas pressure inside the cabinet could cause an explosion It was recommended to leave the unit to complete the thermal reaction on its own  The solar energy storage cabinet was being transported from Shalu District Police blocked the road within 200 meters at each end of the crash site to prevent public danger The outer lane of southbound National Highway One was also closed At the time of publication (around 10:30 am Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. this site is affected by big-tech/social media censorship Get Instant notification of latest news by email Taiwan English News is published by Phillip Charlier who is based in New Taipei City, Taiwan. If you have news tips or issues you want covered: Let me know TAIWAN — A restaurant in Taiwan has recently gone viral for the latest unusual offering on the local ramen circuit: A bowl of soup noodles topped with a huge crocodile leg a restaurant based in the city of Douliu in southern Taiwan recently launched its Godzilla Ramen dish that is topped with a crocodile leg was introduced by the restaurant 女巫猫葵 or Witch Cat Kwai last Wednesday (June 21) on its Facebook page Godzilla Ramen will set diners back a hefty NT$1,500 (S$66) A photo posted by Witch Cat shows a bowl topped with regular ramen fare such as dried bamboo shoots baby corn and quail eggs — as well as the crocodile foot complete with claws resting on the bowl's rim identified by CNN Travel only as Mr Chien, said that the crocodiles come from a farm in Taitung it is rubbed with alcohol and a mix of spices then braised in the restaurant's signature broth for two hours Mr Chien told the American lifestyle channel The entire process takes about three hours and only two bowls can be served each day due to the difficulty of sourcing and preparing the dish While eating crocodile meat is not a new phenomenon in Asia it is rare to find a dish featuring the reptile in such a vivid manner as the store boasts in its Facebook caption The original Facebook post has so far attracted 610 reactions and 480 comments Many online users have expressed interest in rising to the challenge of tucking into the Godzilla Ramen tagging their friends in the comments of Witch Cat's Facebook post while others reacted with fear and disgust instead One Facebook user wrote: "This is really a little scary." Some even offered suggestions for Witch Cat to improve the presentation of the dish and make it "more suited to the witch theme" such as painting the nails of the crocodile paw with food-safe ingredients or having it "clutch a red apple" Referring to other ramen dishes that have recently taken Taiwan by storm one Facebook user remarked: "What on earth is happening in Taiwan?" Mr Chien was reportedly inspired by a viral ramen dish launched by another Taiwanese restaurant in May which uses a steamed giant isopod as the main topping The giant isopod ramen can be found at The Ramen Boy at the Liaoning Night Market in Taipei Mr Chien said that he has received private messages from customers interested in trying the dish but only several bloggers have tried it so far In a video posted on the restaurant's Facebook page one young woman described the crocodile ramen as "surprisingly delicious" The steamed version of the dish tastes similar to chicken and the braised version similar to pig trotters Witch Cat's signature spicy "witch soup" contains more than 40 spices which Mr Chien learned how to make during a trip to Thailand The restaurant has also imposed a NT$100 fee for food wastage in order to prevent customers from ordering the dish just to take photos of it Todayonline.com and Today Online domains and apps are now part of 'Channelnewsasia.com' domain We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with TODAY to be fast Upgraded but still having issues? Contact us 3135TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Prosecutors want to detain two researchers from a food factory in Yunlin County for forging documents to allow products containing the banned dye Sudan III to be sold The carcinogenic additive was first discovered in chili powder supplied by a company in the Chinese province of Henan to an importer in New Taipei City The dye was used in shrimp snacks and other products by 10 food companies in Taiwan Prosecutors in Yunlin County accused the chief of research and one researcher at the Douliu factory of food producer Chiseng Hong Ltd. of having forged a report by Swiss testing and certification group SGS Taiwan Ltd. The forgery allowed the company to continue supplying tainted spice blends to retail chains including PX Mart supermarkets, per CNA SGS had found residues of Sudan III in Chiseng Hong’s chili powder but the Douliu plant’s chief of research altered the report’s content to hide the find from PX Mart Prosecutors raided factories and offices in Douliu and Xinzhuang in New Taipei City and they questioned nine Chiseng Hong managers and staff members The company’s top executive was released after paying NT$1.5 million (US$47,000) bail but prosecutors said Kuo and one of his researchers could destroy evidence and should therefore be detained Taiwan PX Mart cuts vegetable prices amid soaring costs after typhoon NT$10 spent at PX Mart wins NT$10 million prize in south Taiwan Taiwan KMT legislator sentenced to 8 years Scaffolding collapse in central Taiwan causes two deaths It’s a fairly common scenario: A property has been foreclosed and sold at auction on behalf of a bank Or — and this happens often enough that many foreclosure specialists have come across it — the stay-ons are gods ETToday reported on one such case in New Taipei City Following the sale of a foreclosed apartment in Sinjhuang District (新莊) The bidders’ guide listed two air-conditioning units some other furniture — plus seven god effigies an ancestor tablet and the altar on which they stood The inclusion of sacred icons raised eyebrows as such issues are usually resolved swiftly and without publicity Many people expressed doubt that a buyer would be found because the idea of taking possession of discarded religious or ancestor-worship paraphernalia under any circumstances 2015 article in the Liberty Times (the Chinese-language sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) touched on this taboo and contained a warning from Chuang Yen-yu (莊研育) Those with the best of intentions shouldn’t pick up an effigy they find abandoned by the roadside taking it home and worshiping it “may have counterproductive effects.” “to seek out a professional” capable of handling the icon appropriately Kaohsiung-based numerologist Feng Yan-zhu (馮巖筑) advertises himself as such a person dumping or incinerating unwanted sacred items isn’t an option Even if it’s obvious that the effigy hasn’t been worshiped for a long time it shouldn’t be assumed that the divine or supernatural entity that inhabited it has left of its own accord If the spirits “haven’t returned to their place of origin burning or throwing away their bodies will make them even more unhappy” and invite problems of a supernatural nature The blog mentions people purchasing houses at auction only to find ancestor shrines or god icons inside once they take possession the former occupant has left those items behind hoping they can extort money from the buyer A request to come and remove effigies or dismantle a shrine is met by a demand for cold hard cash — sometimes as much as NT$200,000 Relocating left-behind sacred material in a way that’ll not bring misfortune to any party is one of the services Feng offers on behalf of people about to lose their homes to foreclosure store effigies until they get back on their feet There are other reasons why someone might wish to get rid of icons or other accouterments of popular religion a spate of idol abandonments was linked to the popularity of illegal lotteries Disappointed individuals who’d asked deities for help picking numbers are said to have tossed effigies into creeks and landfills The possibility that a particular representation of a god may become ineffective is one reason why there’s never a shortage of effigies for aficionados who see them as works of art (see “The God Collector” in the Jan In his book Gods of Taiwan: A Collector’s Account Neal Donnelly explains: “Families who sense their personal gods are no longer ling (靈 “efficacious”) may ask a woodcarver to fashion another and have a Taoist priest ‘open its eyes.’ Temples undergoing renovation have been known to replace all statues leaving the old ones for the craftsman to dispose of The sale of statues that are no longer ling makes sense to the practical-minded carvers who are Whether an idol has been cautiously retired or callously abandoned Feng stresses the importance of finding a good home for it while quite a few temples are willing to accept an unwanted spirit image it’s imperative to confirm they’ll not burn it as soon as they’ve conducted a tuishen (退神 “withdrawing the spirit”) rite to ensure its divine element leaves on good terms The mandatory donation for permanent deposit being lower than that for temporary deposit is a red flag as “it means that the body of the god is often burned or discarded within a few days of deposit This will have an unfavorable impact on the family Some houses of worship have no interest in such “gifts.” the management of Jhenling Temple (真靈宮) in Pingtung County’s Wandan Township (萬丹) asked the police to review security-camera footage and find a man they thought had left a statuette of Guanyin (It seems no media outlet followed up on this story; nor has this reporter been able to find out what eventually happened to the Sinjhuang icons mentioned at the beginning of this article.) Feng’s team told the Taipei Times that they’d respectfully remove and store “forever” a single unwanted effigy for a flat fee of NT$3,600 A resident of Tainan’s Sinhua District (新化) surnamed Liang (梁) has been taking in abandoned deities for more than half a century and dozens of the icons he’s accumulated are kept outdoors Liang told this reporter that he’s currently caring for between 700 and 800 effigies who has studied popular religion in Taiwan for more than a decade describes establishments like Liang’s as “retirement homes for unworshiped spirit-images.” “The majority were once enshrined on domestic altars As older generations pass on and their children move away from old family homes most younger people find maintaining an altar to be inconvenient or burdensome They typically have someone deactivate the altar and take the deity-image away Such unworshiped images are often called luonanshenming (落難神明 “deities fallen onto hardship,”) says Flanigan who holds a PhD in the history of ritual-master texts and ceremony from the Song dynasty to modern Tainan There’s a marketplace for icons that are historic or otherwise notable but Flanigan doubts that anybody is getting rich by dealing in such artifacts the Liberty Times reported on the activities of a Changhua man who told the newspaper that he’s bought thousands of god images Bearing out Flanigan’s assertion as to the main source of redundant deity images the man said that many of the potential sellers who contact him are people who’ve left the countryside and who don’t share their parents’ and grandparents’ piety Dealers in and collectors of religious items are active on social media with Feng Yan-zhu administrating a Chinese-language Facebook group that has 17,400 members If you’ve got deity images you need to dispose of Woman in Yunlin felt dizzy from low blood sugar before falling into gap Passengers and TRC staff try to assist woman trapped in platform gap 8223TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —  A woman suddenly felt dizzy and fell into the platform gap at a train station in Yunlin County on Sunday (June 9) they quickly notified Taiwan Railway Corporation (TRC) personnel the train was stationary at the time.  Large boulder falls onto train track in east Taiwan Scooter on train station platform causes accident in northern Taiwan Taiwan Railway riders can use phone contactless payment on July 1 Feature photo: Train rolls past pink shower trees in Kaohsiung 1896TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Yunlin’s Douliu police broke into a factory-like facility in the early hours of Tuesday (March 28) apprehending 46 gamblers and recovering NT$1.89 million (US$62,000) in cash For days, local police believed something was amiss at a factory site with only one entrance and one exit. It was later put under late-night surveillance, revealing a van dropping off groups of people at the facility, per Liberty Times Douliu Precinct Chief Lin Ching-feng (林清豐) said police suspected the facility was operating as a casino as police took detailed information about when groups of people were observed entering and leaving the facility a decision was made to forcefully search the facility for evidence Police break up an illegal casino in Yunlin Lin said police used a special door breeching device to gain entry Some tried to escape to the second floor and elsewhere but were subdued as the only exit was blocked by police The ringleader of the illegal casino is thought to be a 31-year-old male surnamed Wu (吳) who was brought back to the precinct with the other gamblers for questioning Police suspect the illegal gambling operation frequently changed locations to evade police detection gamblers were notified to assemble in remote areas like alleyways where designated vehicles would later transport them to the gambling location This illegal casino operated in the Yunlin area preying mostly on locals involved in agriculture New immigrants were also apprehended in the bust Police warned that gambling can lead some people to bankruptcy even putting their families and businesses at risk Underground casinos in Taiwan are often associated with organized crime 40885TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A restaurant in Douliu City Yunlin County debuted its "Godzilla" ramen featuring crocodile meat as its main ingredient Nu Wu Mao Kuei (女巫貓葵) announced on Facebook the launch of its "Godzilla" ramen which is prepared by steaming or braising the front leg of a crocodile a young female customer samples both flavors and describes the dish as surprisingly delicious She says the steamed version of the dish resembles chicken, while the braised meat has a taste similar to pork feet. The soup contains over 40 spices, and the owner reportedly learned how to make the spicy "witch soup" during a trip to Thailand, SETN reported The crocodiles used for this dish are sourced from a farm in Taitung. The owner was inspired by the giant isopods ramen The owner has reportedly received private messages from those expressing interest in the dish Taiwanese actress Ning Chang (張鈞甯) visited the store and complimented their beef noodle The dish is priced at NT$1,500 (US$48) per bowl and is exclusively available for dining inside as the farm provides only about two portions per day "Godzilla" ramen features crocodile meat in spicy soup HK airport worker and Thai woman charged for smuggling marijuana in luggage Thai politics braces for shakeup after court dismisses PM Srettha Thavisin Thai court dismisses PM Srettha over cabinet appointment Taiwan brings healthcare to remote Thailand village Taiwan's major airlines reveal record net profits in 1st half of 2024 Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport sees record number of passengers At least six people were injured when a car slid sideways into a crowd watching a drag race in Yunlin County today Video footage of the incident shows the wheels of a white Mercedes Benz spinning and smoking at the start of a race and the driver apparently losing control before sliding into the crowd sideways and in reverse fell when they were pushed by the panicking crowd None of the injuries are reported to be life-threatening and the most seriously injured suffering a fractured arm Yunlin County Fire Department took the injured to hospital in three ambulances The races were organized by the Douliu City Office and held in Douliu City on a public road that has been closed for the two-day drag racing and performance car event Police are currently investigating the cause of the accident 4190TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An Instagrammer captured this spectacular sea of 16,000 hand-painted lanterns as Yunlin County's Douliu City showcases its annual lantern festival that runs through March In recent years, the Yunlin County Douliu City Office has hung up lanterns painted by school students on Taiping Old Street (太平老街) at the end of each year to create a lantern gallery. This year, the office coordinated with 18 elementary and middle schools in Douliu to hang 16,000 lanterns over Taiping Old Street and Zhonghua Road, reported UDN the office held an official lighting ceremony on Taiping Old Street next to Fude Temple (福德宮) and the public is encouraged to enjoy the lanterns and take photographs Douliu Mayor Lin Sheng-chueh (林聖爵) told the newspaper that the themes of this year’s painted lanterns include the Year of the Dragon and Heavenly Steed Soaring Across the Skies Lin said that through the special themes connected with the area the thousands of lanterns over Taiping Old Street have added creativity and character to the city Instagram user Molly888666 toured the old street and on Dec 28 posted a photo of the thousands of colorful orbs clustered together describing the scene as a "Pokemon fantasy world." She recommended taking photos after midnight when there are fewer cars The total length of the exhibition is more than 1.6 km Her post garnered over 7,000 likes and 119 comments (Instagram, Molly888666 photo) Taiwan takes lanterns to California for festival More transparency needed as Instagram quietly limits political content This page requires JavaScript to function correctly please enable JavaScript in your browser settings first 36th season to see 52 games at Taipei Dome and 9 in Hualien and Taitung Taiwan baseball league hopes Taipei Dome will boost attendance 6947TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan baseball league released the schedule for its 36th season on Tuesday The opening game will be on March 29 at Taipei Dome. The teams competing in the Taiwan Series Championship, the Uni-Lions and the Chinatrust Brothers, will face off, per UDN The number of games at Taipei Dome has increased to 52 this year The league is expected to set new attendance records with more games at the large The league will host 360 regular-season games All six teams are scheduled for home games at Taipei Dome: 16 games for Wei Chuan Dragons Three baseball games will be held on March 30 The Chinatrust Brothers will be the home team facing the Fubon Guardians at Taipei Dome while the Uni-Lions will return to their home field in Tainan to face the TSG Hawks the Rakuten Monkeys will play at home against the Wei Chuan Dragons at Taoyuan Baseball Stadium the Wei Chuan Dragons will face the TSG Hawks in their first home game at Tianmu Baseball Stadium the first game for the Fubon Guardians at Xinzhuang Stadium will be against the Chinatrust Brothers The first game at Chiayi City Baseball Stadium will be on May 2 with the Chinatrust Brothers competing against the home team The first game at Hualien Baseball Stadium will be on May 9 with the Fubon Guardians playing the Uni-Lions Douliu Baseball Stadium will only host two games this year in the second half of the season The TSG Hawks and the Wei Chuan Dragons will face off on July 15 and 16 Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium will see 54 games followed by Taoyuan Baseball Stadium with 53 games Tainan Baseball Stadium and Intercontinental Baseball Stadium with 47 games each Taipei Dome to host Andrea Bocelli concert Nicaragua defeats Taiwan in WBC qualifiers Spain defeats Taiwan in first round of WBC qualifiers Taiwan baseball league hosts weekday games at Taipei Dome Taipei Dome concerts by A-Mei accused of damaging protected monument Taipei Dome and Tokyo Dome consider ‘sister dome’ agreement 19394TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 7-Eleven customer who spent NT$35 (NT$1.10) on bread and coffee won the NT$10 million Special Prize in the latest edition of the Taiwan receipt lottery On Saturday (Nov. 25), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) reported the winning numbers for the September-October round of the lottery The winning number for the NT$10 million Special Prize is 72054514 the winning number for the NT$2 million Grand Prize is 92488868 and the three winning numbers for the First Prize are 98111935 Thus far, 7-Eleven has reported two Special Prize winners and three Grand Prize winners, per CNA It also announced five NT$1 million dollar winners from the cloud-based receipt lottery The 7-Eleven customer who spent the least and won the most purchased bread and City Cafe coffee for NT$35 at the Dong'an Store in Taitung City Another Special Prize winner bought ready-to-eat food and a shopping bag for NT$190 at the Wenle Store in Hsinchu County's Hukou Township As for the three Grand Prize winners reported so far by 7-Eleven the winner who spent the least printed documents on the ibon kiosk for NT$9 at the Xinjisui Store in New Taipei City's Zhonghe District A lucky customer at the Jinjiahou Store in Taichung City's Dajia District bought ready-to-eat food and instant noodles for NT$54 The third winner purchased ice cream for NT$59 at the Jinxue Store in Kaohsiung City's Nanzi District As for 7-Eleven's reported winners of the NT$1 million cloud receipt prize the one who spent the least and won the most bought a Mai-Siang drink for NT$15 Another person bought a drink for NT$39 at the Zhongyong Store in Tainan City's Yongkang District 1 Store in Taoyuan City's Zhongli District purchased fruit for NT$30 A consumer at the Beijie Store in Taipei City's Zhongzheng District bought a Chai Li Won beverage for NT$25 The fifth winner bought NT$360 worth of daily necessities and drinks at the City Cafe in the Guixian Store in New Taipei City's Taishan District 7-Eleven said there are still 134,000 winning invoices for the July and August 2023 period totaling approximately NT$5 million in prizes for Open Point App members These receipts have not yet been printed for redemption at ibon kiosks PX Mart thus far has reported one winner of the Special Prize for the September-October draw The winning customer spent NT$53 on green tea and a lemon-flavored carbonated drink at the Douliu Shanghai Store in Yunlin County's Douliu City 4 NT$10 million Special Prizes in Taiwan receipt lottery still unclaimed Taiwan 7-Eleven to introduce peach and peach popping boba Slurpees Taiwan receipt lottery reveals winning numbers for May-June Four NT$10 million prizes unclaimed in Taiwan receipt lottery TAIPEI -- Google is preparing to build a third data center in Taiwan citing the island's location as strategically well suited for an Asian data transfer hub The company acquired a roughly 200,000-sq.-meter plot in Douliu and expects to start operations around 2022 Though Google divulged few details to reporters Thursday the investment is assumed to be worth 20 billion New Taiwan dollars ($681 million) 3604TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The New Taipei City Department of Health reacted to a tip on Wednesday (Feb. 7) that a red chili pepper powder on the market was processed with the industrial dye, Sudan III, which is not safe for human consumption, per CNA City health officials went to the importer's warehouse and collected samples which were later sent to an independent lab for testing Sudan III is a carcinogenic dye used industrially to color textiles despite adverse health effects such as hyperactivity and loss of concentration the EU implemented mandatory testing of Sudan III and associated industrial dyes generally discouraging their uses and setting very low permissible limits the use of such dyes continues in underdeveloped regions of Asia and Africa The source of the tainted chili powder has been traced to a raw material dealer in New Taipei City While the importer furnished a testing report that showed no Sudan III was detected health officials collected additional samples for independent testing The health department issued a press release saying it had received a notice from the Yunlin County Public Health Bureau that a popular “four-in-one seasoning pack" manufactured at a Douliu Factory with an expiration date of December 12 Four-in-one seasoning pack at the center of food safety investigation The health department's Drug Division Chief Yang Shu-chin (楊舒秦) said Sudan III is not approved for use in food processing in Taiwan Yang said test results will be available after the Lunar New Year the importer may be punished for violating the Food Safety and Hygiene Act with a potential sentence of seven years and fines upwards of NT$80 million (US$2.5 million) Yunlin County Public Health Bureau has already informed sales channels such as PX Mart about the suspected chili powder It encouraged supermarkets to take such products off the shelves to better protect consumers EU condemns Chinese military drills around Taiwan Ireland to announce recognition of Palestinian state on Wednesday 3871TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Yunlin County Government and Gogoro’s GoShare have teamed up to launch the first electric scooter sharing service in the county After downloading the GoShare app, users will have 130 brand-new Gogoro electric scooters to choose from 24 hours a day, according to Zeek Magazine The new service will be focused on three areas in Yunlin County: Douliu City The plan is to utilize green transportation to connect colleges and tourist attractions throughout Yunlin County Planners hope the service will help people commute between the county’s three science and technology universities in addition to the 40 public transportation hubs and historical and cultural sites in the area customers must first upload their driver’s license and payment details to the GoShare app and then complete the authentication process with a facial recognition scan users can then view nearby GoShare scooters and then select the one they want The GoShare app also allows people to locate the nearest Gogoro Network GoStation, the name for the company’s battery charging stations. Gogoro says it plans to install over 1,900 battery swapping stations throughout Taiwan by the end of the year Gogoro founder Horace Luke leaves Taiwan electric scooter company Taiwan’s Gogoro and Nebula Energy announce Nepal commercial launch Gogoro’s GoShare reaches 2.3 million users in Taiwan Taiwan’s Gogoro granted commercial license to operate in Singapore Castrol to invest up to NT$1.63 billion in Taiwan’s Gogoro Taiwan’s Gogoro to receive NT$1.62 billion investment from Gold Sino 2784TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A crocodile of a meter's length was caught swimming in a gutter in Douliu City on Tuesday (March 10) after residents reported it lurking in farm fields Douliu City Council Chairman Hu Ke-qin (胡克勤) on Facebook shared the story of how the croc was subdued by Jiangcuo village chief Shen Yong-qing (沈永清) and volunteer firefighter Liao Guo-zhi (廖國志) As there is no crocodile farm in the vicinity Hu assumed that it was a pet that had run away or been abandoned Sources at Hu’s office said that a Douliu resident saw the Facebook post and called to ask about the reptile's whereabouts saying that a crocodile they kept at home had escaped during a flood last year and that they suspected the croc caught in the gutter Tuesday to be theirs Shen told CNA that a villager who heard the story called it "ridiculous," saying that if the owner lost their pet crocodile last year and was only trying to find it now it was fortunate it had not attacked anyone The village chief said that villagers reported the presence of a crocodile in the area as early as three or four months ago there was the crocodile swimming in the gutter and together the two men looped a rope around the animal's mouth (胡克勤 Facebook photo) Yunlin invites public to National Day fireworks rehearsal in central Taiwan Skyborn Renewables completes 80 piles for Taiwan wind farm Roller coaster riders in Yunlin left hanging 30 meters up after malfunction Taiwan president attends Coast Guard frigate handover