Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (North 北) 8

There are 29 townships, 3 municipalities and one city in Pingtung County.  It's exhausting to include news from every township, municipality and Pingtung City every time, so what I'll do instead is include news items from eleven different townships or municipalities in each entry.  This way I should be able to work my way through Pingtung County every three entries. 屏東縣包含了29個鄉, 3個鎮還有屏東市.  每次討論所有鄉鎮的新聞太累了, 所以我會每次討論11個鄉鎮的報告.  這樣子我每三篇新聞文章就會涵蓋到全縣內鄉鎮的新聞.

1. Ligang Township 里港鄉

1a. There will be a public hearing on the construction of a new road from Ligang to Meinong District in Kaohsiung. "國道10號里港交流道至新威大橋新闢道路美濃至六龜段 (9K + 860 ~ 17K + 989) 工程" 第1次公聽會

1b. An oddly placed turn zone for scooters was painted in front of a convenience store in Ligang.  The white square, lying on the other side of utility poles and nearly invisible to those coming from the opposite direction, is -- according to some residents at least -- making the intersection more dangerous, not less. 這要怎麼轉啦 ?  待轉區設 "超商門口" 民 : 轉不進去

1c. The Ligang Branch of the Pingtung County Police Bureau has been cracking down on the production of amphetamine in that area.  Several arrests, seizures and the shutting down of production facilities have been part of this effort. 屏東警方溯源追查  再破獲1製毒工廠

2. Gaoshu Township 高樹鄉

2a. According to Hakka tradition women are given "a day off" on Lantern Festival.  This aspect of Hakka culture was recently celebrated in Daluguan Village, Gaoshu Township, where many Hakka people live. 元宵節全台唯一客家傳統屏東高樹鄉大路關  "細妹過年"

2b. The Gaoshu Jujube Festival was held in connection with Lantern Festival.  A local park was opened and a three-day market was also held during this time. 高樹蜜棗節開幕  免費試吃加碼送萌兔花燈

2c. The police have also been breaking up meth labs in Gaoshu. 藥犯栽了  屏破製毒廠  高逮毒鴛鴦

3. Sandimen Township 三地門鄉

3a. Police and firefighters had to rescue a man from a drainage ditch in Sandimen.  He'd fallen into the ditch early in the morning, and the depth of the ditch made rescue difficult. 摸黑率落3米深水溝 !  屏東三地門1男子 "警消協助爬出" 驚險脫困

3b. A former elementary school principal was elected to the office of Sandimen Township Mayor in the last election.  The newly elected mayor, representing the KMT, promises to provide more opportunities for young people in the area. 新科鄉鎮長點將 / 三地門鄉長曾有欽 : 扶植各部落青年會

4. Wutai Township 霧台鄉

4a. Some of the blossoming trees along Highway 24 are becoming popular with tourists. 台24線粉紅美景  吸引遊客霧台追櫻

4b. Wutai also has a new mayor.  This mayor, a former teacher, promises to take care of the elderly. 新科鄉長點將 / 霧台鄉長巴正義 : 做好長照

4c. This article introduces a couple who operate a coffee shop and sell essential oils in Wutai. 咖啡結合精油  霧台部落年輕夫妻返鄉創業

5. Jiouru Township 九如鄉

5a. Even married female deities get to return to their parents' home during the second day of Chinese New Year.  The statue of Wang Ye's wife, an idol housed in a temple in Jiouru, was recently taken from there to another temple in Linluo.  County Magistrate Zhou Chun-mi was on hand to witness the deity's visit. 九如王爺奶奶年初二轉外家  周春米主祭恭送

5b. A deranged woman was found wandering on the road in Jiouru.  Police were alerted and she was returned to her home safely. 九如警鷹眼發現 "特製名牌"  助夫智老婦返家

6. Yanpu Township 鹽埔鄉

6a. Over ten thousand chickens were slaughtered on a poultry farm in Yanpu.  The chickens were diagnosed with a from of avian influenza. 屏東鹽埔鄉土雞場感染禽流感  動防所撲殺上萬隻土雞

7. Pingtung City 屏東市

7a. A woman robbed several Pingtung City drink shops.  Her method involved ordering large quantities of drinks to go, and then telling those in the shops that she was taking part of her order, and that she would be right back to settle her account.  Needless to say, she wasn't in the habit of coming back.  She has since been arrested. 誆 "等一下來結帳" 屏東 "騙餐大盜" 詐數千元

7b. The county government has given up on the "Pbike" (Pingtung Bike) service, and will be replacing the old Pbike bicycle rental stations with YouBike 2.0 stations across the county.  New YouBike stations have already been set up in Pingtung City and Chaozhou. 屏東YouBike2.0潮州增站  即日起騎乘費率再優惠

7c. Construction of a covered basketball court in Guangxing Park was recently completed.  This project took two years and was delayed several times, drawing many complaints from residents.  An array of solar panels has yet to be installed on the roof. 屏東市廣興公園風雨球場  工程施2年終於完工

8. Chang Jr Township 長治鄉

8a. The Chang Jr Township is under investigation and one of the workers there has been arrested.  The investigation is centered on the forging of official documents and the misappropriation of public funds. 屏東長治鄉公所遭搜索  涉核銷不實1公務員收押 , 鄉長請回 (1)

8b. The Chang Jr Township Office sponsored a job fair on February 10.  Representatives from 27 companies attended. 屏東縣長治鄉2月10日舉辦徵才  27家廠商釋出與逾300個職缺

9. Linluo Township 麟洛鄉

9a. This article celebrates the biodiversity found within Linluo's Wetland Park. 屏東麟洛及濕地生物多樣性豐富  周春米 : 歡迎民造眾造訪休憩品味自然美景 (2)

9b. Construction of an animal control facility in Linluo is underway.  It will be operating by the end of the year.  Other animal control facilities in Pingtung are running at capacity.  The new facility will also feature a special hall introducing the site's history as a Japanese POW camp. 屏東麟洛流浪犬貓收容中心年底啟用  周春米視察

10. Jhutian Township 竹田鄉

10a. No recent news out of Jhutian.

11. Neipu Township 內埔鄉

11a. A "green corridor" will be constructed along the Longjing River in Neipu.  The project's stated aims are arresting erosion of the riverbanks, providing better drainage, and providing a new tourism and recreation site for residents of Neipu.  Efforts have been made to bring the project into aesthetic harmony with local temple architecture. 內埔鄉龍頸溪水岸綠廊  打造客庄蔭水畔微風亮點

11b. A community care center was recently opened in Neipu.  The facility will offer child and maternity care. 屏東內埔社福館啟用  全國首創室內 "森林小火車"

11c. Several lanterns were suspended above a road in Neipu, blocking a traffic light along a local road. 屏東內埔鄉燈籠裝置藝術擋紅綠燈  用路人超困優

Related Entries 相關的文章:

A Few More Pictures 多一些照片

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (West 西) 2

Restaurants I Like 我喜歡的餐廳: Pingtung 屏東 1

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (South 南) 2

1. Most of the corruption cases in Pingtung County seem to take place around Pingtung City, not in the city itself.  I suppose it amounts to a lack of oversight.

2. This park is under a freeway, so don't get TOO excited.

Yanchao District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市燕巢區

Yanchao is east of both Gangshan and Ciaotou.  The western half of Yanchao is a mix of factories and farms, while the eastern half is where the mountains begin. 燕巢位於岡山和橋頭的東部 。  燕巢的西部是工廠跟農地 ，東部是山區 。

According to the last census, 28,956 people live in Yanchao. 上次的人口統計表示燕巢的人口是28,956人 。

There are also pictures of the Agongdian Reservoir in the Gangshan District entry.  This reservoir is divided between the two districts. 高雄市岡山區那篇文章也有阿公店的照片 。  水庫位在岡山 和 燕巢二區。

Yanchao is where the visitor's center is located.  From the entrance there's a path leading to this suspension bridge. 水庫的遊客中心在燕巢 。  進大門就有步道連接到這座吊橋 。

There's another suspension bridge to the north, on the other side of the reservoir. 水庫的北部有另外一座吊橋 。

That greyish patch to the left is a solar panel installation that floats over the surface of the water.  In the background is Little Gang Mountain. 左邊灰色的部分是水上的太陽能板 。 後面的背景是小崗山。

This is near the Yanchao Scenic Area.  It can be a scary place to explore by car.  All of the roads are very narrow, and none of them are straight. 這在燕巢風景區附近 。  開車到這個地區很恐怖 ， 一路上道路除了狹窄之外， 也彎彎曲曲的。

Jian Mountain is the most prominent landscape feature. 尖山是這附近最顯著的地形 。

Unfortunately the trail to the top is broken.  I would've liked to walk all the way to the top.  It would have been an impressive view. 可惜這個步道斷掉了 ， 沒辦法走上去 。  山頂的風景大概不錯 。

In the same area you'll find the Yanchao Mud Volcano.  This picture isn't the mud volcano, but rather a hole dug into the soil to reveal the bubbling mud beneath. 附近也有燕巢泥火山 。  這個照片不是泥火山 ， 這是遊客可以看泥漿冒出氣泡的小洞 。

It's a dry and dusty place. 乾燥多塵的地方 。

And here's the mud volcano.  There are many similar spots in Taiwan.  We tend not to notice it, but geological forces are always changing the landscape slowly over time. 這個是泥火山 。  台灣有很多這種景點 。  我們通常沒注意到這種景象 ， 可是地質的力量一直在改變地球的面貌。

I also meant to visit Yangnu Lake while I was there -- but it's gone!  Apparently the lake just "dried up" one day.  "New Yangnu Lake" is nearby, but given the unimpressive nature of the Yanchao Mud Volcano I didn't see much point in trying to find it. 我也想去這個地區的養女湖 ， 後來發現它因為慢慢變小後，  附近就有了新養女湖 。 可是參觀完泥火山之後，覺得不用找新養女湖了 。

If you visit this place be aware that you need to sign in upon entry. 來這邊的遊客記得要當場登記。

To the west of the mud volcano is the Yu-Ho Beef Tourism Factory.  My daughter was very excited about having lunch in this place, but it turned out to be a disappointment. 泥火山西邊有裕賀牛觀光工廠 。  我的女兒很想在這裡吃午餐 ， 後來吃完了之後覺得很失望 。

I strongly urge against visiting it.  The restaurant is slow and the food is overpriced.  On top of that they have the audacity to charge an entrance fee.  It's totally not worth it. 我覺得最好不要去 。  餐廳的服務很慢 ， 料理太貴了 ，  最不可思議的是進去要買門票 ，  真是不值得 !

The first floor is a store/restaurant, while the second and third floors are an exhibition area explaining what the company does and how their products are made.  There are guided tours available. 一樓是商店跟餐廳 ， 二 、 三樓是展示館，介紹他們公司及產品製造過程 ， 也有導覽的服務 。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

A Few More Pictures 多一些照片

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (West 西) 2

Xinhua District, Tainan City 台南市新化區

Linluo Township, Pingtung County 屏東縣麟洛鄉