On January 20th, six young firemen were killed as they battled a blaze engulfing a bowling alley in Taoyuan. The men, all in their 20s, were trapped and killed by a “sudden burst of flames” that caused the collapse of the building.

An initial investigation revealed that the fire could have been started by a faulty electrical conversion system illegally installed on the second floor of the bowling alley.

Around 90 firefighters were sent to the scene as they rescued two workers uninjured. However, the fire soon turned into an inferno too great to be contained and the firefighters did not have enough time to evacuate before the fire brought down the building.

Taoyuan mayor Cheng Wen-Tsan ordered the operators of the illegal bowling alleys to be punished and called for the demolishment of other similar structures in the county. The mayor expressed his sadness over the loss of firemen and wrote on his Facebook page: “Great sadness. Six firemen unfortunately died in the line of duty.”

150123 RDT

After receiving a watch as a gift from British Baroness Susan Kramer on Monday, Mayor Ko told reporters he would find ways to dispose of the gift as it was "useless" to him. "I will re-gift it to someone else or sell it to a scrap yard for some cash since it will be useless to me," he said. 

Giving someone a clock or watch as a present is traditionally taboo in Chinese culture due to the similar pronunciation of “giving a clock” and “seeing someone off in a funeral”.

The British minister apologized after learning she had made a cultural blunder. She said: “I’m sorry. We learn something new each day. I had no idea a gift like this could be seen as anything other than positive. In the UK a watch is precious – because nothing is more important than time”.

On the other hand, Ko, who has been in the job for just one month, came under fire in Taiwan following his off-the-cuff remark that is considered highly inappropriate in his capacity as the head of the capital city. 

But Mr. Ko apologized for his gaffe on Tuesday. "I would like to apologize to Mrs. Kramer for what I said, which was inappropriate from the diplomatic protocol and etiquette perspective," he said at a press conference.

Though ties between Britain and Taiwan have not been damaged by this episode, it might have highlighted the need to develop a deeper cultural understanding between the two governments.

150130 RDT

Forty-eight people are now known to have died after a passenger plane crashed in Taiwan's Penghu archipelago. The plane, carrying 58 people, banked sharply on its side shortly after takeoff from Taipei, clipped a highway bridge and then careened into the Keelung River. 

Dramatic video clips apparently taken from cars were posted online and aired by broadcasters, showing the ATR 72 propjet as it pivoted onto its side while zooming toward a traffic bridge over the river.

The crash is the worst disaster TransAsia has experienced since the company was founded in 1951 as Taiwan's first private civil airline. But the air carrier had suffered at least one other accident in the same area a few years ago.

While it's too early to say what caused the crash, engine trouble or weight shifting were unlikely to be causes. Nevertheless, it's too early now to speculate on whether it was an issue with the aircraft or crew.

However, the accessible crash site should allow for a swift investigation, and an initial report should be available within about a month.

150208 RDT

The nation held a slew of events including a festival in Taichung and a grand release of sky lanterns in New Taipei City to celebrate the annual Lantern Festival.

Attended by President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Mao Chi-kuo, this year's Taiwan Lantern Festival features a record 23.4-meter-high giant goat lantern.

The event, with a quarter century of history, attracted a record showing of visitors this year, totaling just north of 8 million, according to government estimates.

The Taiwan Lantern Festival was rated by Discovery Channel as one of the top tourism festivals in the world. Six minutes of fireworks were seen during yesterday's opening ceremony, projecting the Chinese word “goat” into the sky.

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je and New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu made a joint appearance at the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival yesterday evening, where they prayed for the good fortune of the nation.

The two mayors pledged future cooperation by each writing down the words “Cooperation between Two Taipeis” on a 20-foot-tall grand lantern, before releasing it into the sky along with 200 other smaller lanterns. Collaboration between the two city governments will improve the lives of the Greater Taipei's 7 million residents, Chu said.

By sponsoring these events, the government aims to provide a rich religious cultural itinerary to tourists who come to visit during the festival.

Courtesy of The China Post:
http://goo.gl/4Xco7R

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