Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (North 北) 5

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. Police in Pingtung have been working hard to reduce traffic fatalities in the county.  As part of this effort, officers have been stationed at busy intersections to help direct traffic flow.  Recent deployments of officers to Pingtung City, Chaozhou, Neipu, Fangliao and Ligang has resulted in a dramatic reduction in deaths throughout the county. 交通尖峰時段屏東義交路口指揮車禍少8成  即起再廣大到里港等3鄉 (1)

1a. Residents of Ligang are worried about the local water utility's plan to utilize groundwater in the area.  They are concerned about subsidence, the availability of water for agriculture, and the quality of water supplied to their homes.  The water utility is attempting to convince residents that there's nothing to worry about. 里港自來水源將抽地下水  縣府 : 免擔心

2. Gaoshu Township 高樹鄉

2a. Police officers were up late promoting traffic safety during a concert in Gaoshu.  Drunk driving is a big problem in the area. 高樹鄉中秋賞樂晚會  鄉親同歡樂里警不停歇做交安宣導

3. Sandimen Township 三地門鄉

3a. 140 drivers got speeding tickets on Highway 24 through Sandimen during the recent four-day weekend. 台24線三地門 , 霧台彎道多速限30  連假開140張超速罰單

3b. Residents of Sandimen received a temporary reprieve from having to pay the garbage collection fee.  The Sandimen Township Office cited recent covid-related economic hardship as the reason. 屏東三地門鄉紓困加碼  免收垃圾清潔規費

3c. A drunk driver managed to get his car stuck between two trees.  The result was, in some people's words, an impressive display of parking ability. 屏東三地們最強停車 !  車身卡2樹間  眾人驚 : 比賣豆腐還厲害

4. Wutai Township 霧台鄉

4a. Aside from the news regarding Highway 24 above, which also involves Wutai, no recent news.

5. Jiouru Township 九如鄉

5a. Along with "green energy" comes green energy-related crime.  A resident of Jiouru recently stole several thousand NT worth of solar panel cables from an elementary school there.  He was apprehended soon after. 穿雨衣破壞監視器  男子竊校園太陽能電纜仍落網

6. Yanpu Township 鹽埔鄉

6a. An all-ages playground was recently opened in Yanpu's Social Welfare Building. 鹽埔共融遊戲社福館開幕  親子玩翻

7. Pingtung City 屏東市

7a. The Pingtung County Government recently held a "digital life market" in the hopes of attracting young people back to the area.  The government wants to build up more industries and digital infrastructure in Pingtung. 屏東數位生活市集  知性又好玩

7b. The Shengli Star Village, an outdoor market near Pingtung Park in Pingtung City, attracted a lot of visitors during the four-day weekend. 中秋連假迎久違人潮  屏東勝利星村遊客回籠7成

7c. Several neighborhoods (districts) in Pingtung City were merged recently, and the Household Registration Office is urging residents to update their IDs and household registration documents to reflect the change. 屏東市12萬人戶籍資料異動  公所籲抽空改註身分證

8. Chang Jr Township 長治鄉

8a. No recent news out of Chang Jr.

9. Linluo Township 麟洛鄉

9a. The park across from the Linluo Train Station is featured in this article.  It was designed to reflect local Hakka culture. 屏東麟洛鄉公園有特色  結合民間信仰打造花轎遊具

10. Jhutian Township 竹田鄉

10a. No recent news out of Jhutian.

11. Neipu Township 內埔鄉

11a. A cement truck flipped over not far from the Jung Shan Freeway's Pingtung City exit.  This exit is actually in Neipu, on the opposite side of Linluo from Pingtung City.  And yes, some of those guys drive WAY too fast. 屏東縣又有水泥車翻車 !  這次換內埔

11b. A shrine dedicated to unmarried soldiers was recently moved from Jiayi to Neipu. 屏東內埔在台單身亡故榮民遷厝嘉義縣忠靈祠晉塔安厝典禮

Related Entries 相關的文章:

What I've Learned in Pingtung So Far 我在屏東發現的事 2

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 4

People in Pingtung: By the Numbers

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 4

NOTE: Another news item was a heavy rain warning, but the promised heavy rains didn't really happen.  The typhoon veered east, and we still had to work that day.  Sigh.

1. About ten people die in traffic accidents every month in Pingtung.

What I've Learned in Pingtung So Far 我在屏東發現的事 2

1. Kenting is definitely overrated, but the part near Baisha is nice if you get there early. 墾丁不像很多人想的那麼好玩 , 可是如果你早點去到那裡, 白沙附近不錯 .

2. The stretch of the Mountainside Highway through south Xinpi is scary when it rains. 下雨天的時候 , 沿山公路上新埤南部的那一段路況很糟 .

3. When driving to Pingtung City to visit Carrefour, it's much easier to visit the store south of the Pingtung Train Station. 開車去屏東火車站南部的家樂福比較方便 .

4. Wanluan is a nice place to walk around. 在萬巒散步很不錯 .

5. Swimming is possible in Fangliao, it's just that not many people do it. 在枋寮可以游泳 , 只是游泳的人不多而已 .

6. There are many secret waterfalls in the mountains. 山區有很多隱密的瀑布 .

7. Whatever you do, don't bring the Delta variant back to your small village in Fangshan. 無論你做什麼 , 千萬不要把Delta帶回去你枋山的小村莊 .

8. It might seem like some people have a lot of power, but given enough collective apathy their ideas can be minimized. 有些人看起來似乎很有勢力 , 可是只要大眾不理他, 他們的影響力就不足為道.

9. Xiaoliuqiu has never been, nor will ever be, that fun.  It will always be too small for the scene they're trying to create. 小琉球現在不是 , 未來也不會多好玩 .  那個島嶼太小了 , 不符合他們所要塑造的形象 .

10. Watch your ass driving around central Donggang. 在東港市區開車要特別小心 .

11. Ditto for driving around traffic circles in Chaozhou. 在潮州的圓環也要特別小心 .

12. Ditto for driving near department stores in Pingtung City. 在屏東市百貨公司附近也要特別小心 .

13. Nothing is as potentially dangerous as an elderly, unhelmeted person driving a scooter through a traditional market.  Nothing. 沒有比年紀大且沒戴安全帽 , 並經過傳統菜市場的摩托車騎士更危險的人了 .

14. Good manners are wasted on some people. 對有些人保持禮貌真是浪費時間 .

15. There are shades of both "legal" and "illegal." 有時候區分"非法的"跟"合法的"不是一件簡單的事情  .

16. Some older people have a strange loyalty to the powdered "coffee" served at breakfast restaurants. 有些年記大的人對早餐店賣的那種三合一咖啡很有忠誠度 .

17. However strange I become, I will never be as strange as a couple of the other foreign teachers in Pingtung. 不管我變得多奇怪 , 我還是沒有屏東某一兩個外師奇怪 .

18. Many Hakka areas aren't really Hakka anymore. 有些客家人的聚落已經不像客家人的地方了 .

19. Any meal that costs over 200 NT, and which is sold in a restaurant between Pingtung City and Kenting is probably not worth the money. 屏東市與墾丁之間 , 超過200元的餐點就算太貴了.

20. If I'm ever irrationally angry it's probably just the heat.  It gets HOT down here sometimes. 如果我火大不耐煩,真正的原因大概是因為天氣熱 . 這裡的天氣有時候真的很熱 .

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Roaming Around Chaozhou Municipality 潮州鎮遊記

Chaozhou is east of Kanding and north of Xinpi.  It's one of Pingtung's three municipalities.  According to the last census, 53,820 people live in Chaozhou. 潮州位於崁頂的東部 , 新埤的北部 .  上次人口統計表上潮州有53,820人 .

The most "famous" things in Chaozhou are the Forest Park, the green tunnel and Bada Forest Amusement Park.  There's also a beef restaurant that seems very popular with tourists.  I go to Chaozhou fairly often. 潮州最有名的景點是森林園區 , 綠色隧道跟8大森林樂園 .  還有一家似乎很受觀光客喜愛的牛肉餐廳 .  我常常去潮州 .

This sign is across from the Chaozhou Train Station.  The Chinese opera guy is a reference to a local Chinese opera troupe.  There's a Chinese opera museum in town. 這個牌子位於潮州車站對面 .  中間的先生跟當地的歌仔戲劇團有關 .  潮州有一棟戲曲故事館 .

This is downtown, across the street from Chaozhou's "cold hot ice" dessert shop.  The Starbucks and the Culture Park are down the road to the right.  If you're visiting the area, be very careful when passing through these circular intersections. 這是潮州的市區, 冷熱冰店就在這對面 .  右邊那條路是往星巴克跟日式歷史建築文化園區 .  在潮州過這種路口要非常小心 .

An old church near the train station.  Some bible verses for your edification? 車站附近的舊教堂 .  想學聖經嗎 ?

Near the McDonald's.  We usually park in this area and then walk to nearby restaurants for lunch or dinner.  I miss the 85 Coffee Shop that used to be here.  It was a nice place to sit on rainy days. 在麥當勞附近 .  我們通常把車停在這附近 , 然後走路到附近的餐廳吃飯 .  我想念這邊的85度C .  下雨天坐在那邊很舒服 .

Old buildings within the Culture Park.  These buildings were constructed by the Japanese Colonial Administration. 文化園區裡的日式建築 .

Inside one of the buildings.  They'll probably fix it up at some point, but I'd rather they left it like this. 這是一棟日式建築的裡面 .  這大概有一天會被重新整修 , 可是我覺得保留這樣的面貌就好 .

And what's that, you say?  You like old, semi-abandoned amusement parks?  I hereby give you Bada Forest Amusement Park, the creepiest of all Taiwan's tourist attractions.  This place is OLD, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was shut down soon.  They're attempting to run it as some kind of "eco-park" now. 你說什麼 ?  你喜歡奇奇怪怪半荒廢的樂園嗎 ?  我介紹你台灣最奇怪嚇人的8大森林樂園 .  這個樂園超級舊 , 舊到快停止營業了吧 .  8大最近好像朝生態公園發展 .

Call me crazy, but this pool looks like an excellent place to contract a bacterial infection. 這邊的水可以玩嗎 ?  不會有問題嗎 ?  我不太清楚 .

In case any of the staff at Bada see these pictures, no, we didn't ignore the signs telling people to stay out of this area.  It's just that we entered from the other side, down a side path where there were no signs. 以免8大的工作人員看到這些照片以為我們不守規矩 , 我們不是忽視警告牌闖進去的 .  我們順著步道進去卻走到另一邊的入口 .  那邊沒有放任何警示牌.

So yeah, this is what used to be "Water World."  It was probably really fun in the 80s, when this place first opened.  Now it's the abode of iguanas. 這個破破爛爛的地方是當時的水世界 .  現在則是鬣蜥天堂 .

There's some truly spooky stuff in this place.  I'm guessing this tree inspired a lot of nightmares over the years. 這裡有的東西真的很恐怖 .  這棵樹應該曾經讓很多孩子做惡夢 .

For whatever reason someone is keeping silkworms on the property.  About a third of this place resembles a petting zoo, a third is a barbecue area, and the remaining third is a lot of rusting, long-forgotten rides. 有人在這裡養蠶 .  這個樂園的部分像動物園 , 部分是烤肉區 , 還有部分是充滿了生鏽的遊樂器材 .

If the tree wasn't bad enough, how about a spooky octopus? 那棵樹不夠恐怖嗎 ?  那這隻章魚呢 ?

Or a tiny rollercoaster, falling into ruin? 還是快掉下來的小過山車 ?

Or a spooky angel in a bush? 還是嚇人的小天使 ?

Or this CAVE OF TERROR, which even i wasn't brave enough to venture into? 還是這個盤絲洞 ?  我也不敢進去 !

Lastly there's the Forest Park, which is on the outskirts of Chaozhou, toward Laiyi.  This place is very crowded on weekends, and despite its name there aren't that many trees here.  Some of the land is used to grow pineapples, some is grassland, and the land near the park boundaries actually has trees.  Kids love playing in the canals inside the park, and adults enjoy riding bicycles along its trails. 最後有靠近來義鄉的森林園區 .  周末的時候這裡很多人 .  奇怪的部分是這個園區的樹沒那麼多 .  有的地是種鳳梨 , 有的地是草地 , 公園的邊界也有樹林 .  小朋友很喜歡在這裡的水溝玩水 ; 成人喜歡在這裡的單車道騎單車 .

Related Entries 相關的文章:

People in Pingtung: By the Numbers

This Blog in Three Maps 這個blog在三張地圖裡

Roaming Around Kanding Township 崁頂鄉遊記

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 4

NOTE: Do you like abandoned stuff?  If so, Chaozhou is for you.  I'm not encouraging anyone to trespass, but aside from Bada's ruined splendor Chaozhou also has an abandoned hospital, an abandoned elementary school, a huge condemned apartment building and an abandoned kindergarten.

Strangers When We Met

It's 1999.  I'm 25 years old.  I have no idea where I am or what I'm supposed to be doing.  Aside from myself there are nine other people in the room, all sitting in uncomfortably small chairs.  Seven of these people are from countries other than Taiwan.  Two of these people are Taiwanese.  One of the Taiwanese people is the director of our school.

G: I really can't believe this.  In South Africa teachers would never be asked to--

M: We all have to work that Saturday.  And we're not in South Africa.

E: Anybody have one of those coffee packets?

An: I heard _____'s not here because she's having a baby.

P: If we could just start the meeting--

E: She took the month off.

Ad: Yeah I've got one.  Let me go back to my class and get it.

G: But I've told the school again and again that I cannot work Saturdays.  I have other things to do...

E: Thanks man.

P: OK everyone, let's start when he comes back.

M: It's already 2:20.  I need to be back in class.

Ad: There you go.

E: Thanks.

It's 2004.  I'm 29 years old.  I know where I am and what I'm supposed to be doing... it's just a question of whether or not they'll let me do it.  Aside from myself there are five other people in the room, all sitting in comfortable office chairs in front of a TV.  All of these people come from countries other than Taiwan.

Z: So should I request leave before the 4-day holiday?  Or can I just tell you guys that I won't be here?

B: Don't worry about it, man.  No one's working that day.

Z: Cool.

Ad: Can we talk about the Christmas show?  It's coming soon and we should really practice together.

B: When?

Ad: Lunch?  Just after lunch?  Before their nap?

D: When I was at the Experimental School they had a BIG Christmas show.

B:...

N: Are we having the show in the school?

B: Yes.

Z: By the way, my grandpa died.  I'm gonna have to take time off to go back for the funeral.

It's 2006.  I'm 31 years old.  I know where I am and what I'm supposed to be doing.  The trouble is that they don't know who I am, and they don't know what I'm supposed to be doing.  Aside from myself there are about 30 people in the room.  All of these other people are Taiwanese.

K: Should we collect the money for her red envelope?

J: Principal, I was wondering if we'll be joining the curriculum competition.

W: Yes, we will.  What can teacher _____ do?

J: He's already started translating the slides in the PowerPoint.  He says he'll be finished this Friday.

Ad: Yes, I will.

W: Will he be presenting with us?

Ad: Yes, I will.

J: Yes, he will.

W: This is very good.  I have to go to Taipei next Monday, but I'll practice my part and be ready before we go to Kaohsiung.  Any other questions?

R: I have a question--

L: How much should each of us put in the envelope?

K: I don't know.

W: Good.  Well, I have to go to Xinsheng for a meeting.  See you tomorrow.

It's 2009.  I'm 34 years old.  I know where I am but sometimes I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing.  Aside from myself there are four other people in the room.  Three of these people are from countries other than Taiwan.  One of these people is Taiwanese.

R: I'm going to get married.

A: Really?  That's great!

Ad: Congratulations.

S: When is the wedding?

R: During the Chinese New Year holiday.

Ad: Does this mean you're going to settle down in Taiwan?

R: Naw, we're going back to Texas.

A: You're from Texas?  I always thought you were from Seattle.

R: No, it's _____ that's from Seattle.  Weren't you guys talking about this last meeting?

A: Oh yeah...

It's 2020.  I'm 45 years old.  I know where I am but I'm not sure if this is what I should be doing.  Aside from myself there are many other people filling the large meeting room, some foreign and some Taiwanese.  No one has a clear idea who the other people in the room are, or why we've all been summoned there.

S: Hey I remember you.

Ad: You do?

S: Yeah, you were in Taipei giving the speech.

Ad: I hope I made sense.  I was seriously jetlagged.

S: Yeah, you were fine man.

Ad: So... why are we here?

L: Yeah, why?

O: They're talking about the science lesson.

R: The last director had a baby last month.

L: What's the science lesson?

S: It's this thing where we go to another school on Thursday and teach science.

R: I think it was a boy.

Ad: Oh.  Do we all have to do this science lesson?

L: Yeah we do.  Who's this guy talking?

It's some distant, future time.  I might be someone else and I might be doing something completely different.  I might be sitting somewhere.  Aside from myself there might be other people.  Some of these people might be from countries other than Taiwan.  Some of these people might be Taiwanese.

?:

?:

?:

?:

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Cutting It Close

Taiwan 101: First Steps

I realize that with COVID doing the rounds there aren't a lot of new people coming into Taiwan, but I thought it might be fun to take things back to the most basic level possible.  This entry and others like it will be aimed at new arrivals.  Hopefully there will be more of you in the near future.

1. Getting a Job in Taiwan

I am the wrong person to ask about this.  Yes, I've been in Taiwan over two decades, and yes, I have a job teaching English here, and yes, I know potential employers in two different counties, but my knowledge of the local job market is not up to date.

Part of the reason for this is that I've been in the Ministry of Education's FET (Foreign English Teacher) Program since 2006, and even though I've had a few side jobs (with other people's consent, of course) I've been doing pretty much the same thing in the same place for a long time.  I have friends who bounce between private schools, but that's not the same as having to rely on that as a main source of income.

There's also the fact that I moved to rural Pingtung from urban Taitung last year.  I live in the country now, and jobs where I live are few and far between.  I occasionally hear about local gigs, but it's not usually something you could live off of.

So yeah, I can talk generally about working in Taiwan, or more specifically about working in the FET (now referred to as "TFETP") Program, but I'm not a good source of information when it comes to jobs.

2. Getting a Visa

Again, I'm a poor source of information.  WAY back in 1999 I got a tourist visa, and sometime after that the private school where I worked got me a work visa.  Since late 2000 I've been on a marriage visa, and even though I'm eligible for an APRC I have no desire to switch.  The cost per year of a marriage visa and an APRC is the same, and I'm not planning on getting a divorce anytime soon.

If you're overseas, head to the nearest TECRO office.  Just make sure you get the right visa.  I got the wrong visa once and it was a nightmare. 

3. Getting on a Plane

Aside from obvious things like buying a ticket, I can tell you nothing.  I haven't been through an airport since 2018.  From what I've heard airports are a whole other thing now, and that's not even taking things like PCR tests and quarantine buses into consideration.

4. Arriving

Provided you're not a tourist, which is an eventuality even further removed than coming here for employment, there should be someone meeting you at the airport.  If there isn't, and if the reason isn't COVID, this is a huge red flag.

Should you exchange currencies at the airport?  I would say yes.  5000 thousand NT should be enough.  Credit cards also work in Taiwan, even though the banking system is very different.  Cash machine cards from other countries often work too, provided you can find the right ATM.

After the airport I assume it's off to quarantine with you, or, assuming you're reading this in some wonderful, future time when we're NOT worrying about pandemics, it's off to your hotel or wherever else you're staying.

Then, jet lag.  If you're travelling across continents jet lag will hit you very hard.  Especially the first time.  Some people "manage" jet lag with pills, other with coffee, others with alcohol, but however you manage it's going to catch up sooner or later.  You might find yourself "missing a day" after arrival.

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Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 4

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. Linbian Township 林邊鄉

1a. The head of the Linbian Village Association passed away at the age of 74.  He was very popular, and recently worked to promote "tree burials" over more traditional, less environmentally friendly burial practices. 林邊鄉代吳冬白辭世  亨壽74歲

2. Jiadong Township 佳冬鄉

2a. The tall historic building next to the Old Xiao Family Residence will be restored and later opened to the public.  It is regarded as "the last piece of the puzzle" in the local effort to create a more comprehensive historic site in the area. 屏東佳冬87年年豪宅變爛樓  官民賦予老建築新生命

2b. Military drills have interfered with the flow of traffic through Jiadong, specifically the flow of traffic along Jiadong's section of Highway 1, and the access road between Lili and Highway 1.  Additional military drills will occur this month, and these drills, in combination with road construction projects already underway, will cause more traffic jams in the area. 佳冬戰備道戰機演訓半封路  周末車潮激增祭出分流

2c. There was an accident involving a truck in the same area.  The driver of the truck briefly lost control of his vehicle, and collided with a guardrail and a construction vehicle parked nearby.  He received several bruises and was taken to the hospital. 屏東佳冬鄉戰備跑道車禍  曳引車撞擊護欄再撞施工機械車

3. Fangliao Township 枋寮鄉

3a. Traffic jams were prevalent last weekend, the last of summer vacation.  And where is Pingtung's weekend traffic the worst?  Usually in Fangliao, where highways 1 and 17 come together. 暑假最後黃金週  台1線枋寮段湧車潮

3b. Here's an article about restaurants "within walking distance" of the Fangliao Train Station.  枋寮車站 "漁菓之鄉" 西施舌 , 鱔魚麵 , 超人氣美食步行只要10分鐘 ! (1)

4. Chun Rh Township 春日鄉

4a. No recent news out of Chun Rh.

5. Fangshan Township 枋山鄉

5a. Those following the national news may remember a case of the COVID-19 Delta variant which popped up in Fangshan not long ago.  While the government does attempt to protect the privacy of those diagnosed with the coronavirus, the reality is that local infections can cause a lot of tension between the residents of small villages.  This article explains the situation. 小社會裡的替罪羊 -- 幾無容身處的農村感染者 , 艱難復歸路

6. Shrdze Township 獅子鄉

6a. No recent news out of Shrdze.

7. Checheng Township 車城鄉

7a. Members of the Baoli and Houwan communities were invited to a field trip centered around local history and ecology.  This field trip was the result of a recent survey conducted by faculty from Jiayi University. 走讀屏東車城社區  了解 "斯卡羅" 柴成人文 (2)

7b. It's a long and convoluted story, and I feel like there's more to it that what's present in the article, but a dispute over an unpaid loan led to a beating in Checheng.  替女友討債強押老友  為愛放下情與義 !  被害人逃車城消防隊避劫

8. Mudan Township 牡丹鄉

8a. No recent news out of Mudan.

9. Manzhou Township 滿洲鄉

9a. No recent news out of Manzhou.

10. Hengchun Municipality 恆春鎮

10a. The old brick kiln (factory) located near Hengchun's old fortifications will become a tourist site in the near future. 屏東恆春八卦磚窯  變身觀光景點

10b. After the recent success of "Sse Ka Lo," a Netflix show focusing on aboriginal tribes on the Hengchun Peninsula, an aboriginal group not recognized as such by the government renewed its efforts with regard to gaining official recognition. 排灣遺族血綠  被一紙登記卡住 (3)

11. Liuqiu Township 琉球鄉

11a. Students on Liuqiu enjoyed an extended summer vacation during the "Welcoming in the King's Peace" festival there.  They will make up the missed days during winter vacation. 今天開學很反常 !  小琉球迎王祭全校放假  擬晚放寒假補課 (4)

11b. A woman from Liuqiu recently competed in a table tennis competition in Tokyo.  She won a bronze medal. 田曉雯帕奧奪銅  潘孟安 : 展現琉球囝仔的熱情與毅力

11c. As you might expect, tourists also mobbed Liuqiu last weekend.  Around 6000 people visited the island, and I ask you, with that many people riding the ferries and crowding onto that tiny island, what was the point of those epidemic prevention measures? 暑假尾聲玩水勝地全爆棚 !  小琉球逾6千人登島  墾丁湧5萬遊客

Related Entries 相關的文章:

People in Pingtung: By the Numbers

This Blog in Three Maps 這個blog在三張地圖裡

屏東縣鄉土DNA (Pingtung County Hometown DNA) 3

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 4

1. The first dishes pictured are on the menu in 椰們 (Pi Coconut) Restaurant.  If you're looking for Western food in the area it's one of the few options.  In my opinion it's edible but grossly overpriced.  The eel noodles pictured are sold in this restaurant, which isn't bad but too far from the Fangliao Train Station to walk to.  The iced dessert in the last picture is to be found here.  It's not far from Pi Coconut.

2. It's an overlooked area.  Most people speed through it on their way to Kenting, but Checheng has a lot to offer tourists.

3. I'm not a fan of that show.  I tried watching it recently.  It seemed like a lot of bad acting and people mouthing words in a language they'd never really spoken.

4. This is an important festival in Liuqiu, Donggang and Nanzhou.  It usually attracts many tourists to these areas, but with COVID the number of visitors has fallen dramatically.