In the morning of May 31, Chinese Kuomintang chairman Wu Poh-hsiung, currently visiting Nanjing, accepted an honorary doctorate of law bestowed by Nanjing University. Please take a look at the report from our journalist in Nanjing.
The ceremony in which Nanjing University awarded an honorary doctorate of law to Wu Poh-hsiung took place in the auditorium of Nanjing University's Gulou campus.
While the forum was being held, Taiwan farmers innovation park in Jiangning of Nanjing, Jiangsu also hosted an inauguration ceremony. The total planned area of this innovation park is 100 square kilometers, while its industry focus is in the development of organic fruit and vegetables, recreational agriculture, and agrobiological products as well as developing and promoting new Taiwan varieties and operative technology.
During the promotion, journalists from both sides of the strait successively visited such sites as the Chongqing Xiyong Microelectronics industrial park, known as Western China's Silicon Valley, as well as Chongqing's Taiwan-funded Information Industrial University park, Taiwan farmers innovation park, Ciqikou ancient town, Chongqing's Huguang Guild Hall and Hechuan fishing town's battlefield remains.
From May 26 to 29, the first Cross-Straits retired generals golf invitation open was held in Xiamen.
The first Cross-Straits retired generals golf invitation open was primarily sponsored by the Huangpu Military Academy Alumni Association, with assistance from China Review News Communications.
According to reports, the recent mainland trip by Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu has spawned a wave of visits to the mainland from DPP magistrates and mayors. DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen responded by proposing that guidelines be drafted as soon as possible concerning DPP officials visiting the mainland.
Currently the DPP has reached an internal consensus pushing for "low-profile management" towards DPP public officials heading to the mainland. This "low-profile management" consists of DPP authorities issuing reminders or friendly warnings; there are few restrictions however, and visits will not be banned in principle.
Those DPP public officials intending on going to the mainland must make their own assessment of the legitimacy and necessity of their trip, as well as the risks involved, and shoulder any consequences themselves.
Right now an overriding feeling in the tourist ((pw)) vehicle parking lot at the Taipei Palace Museum, is that the previously jam-packed parking lot now has many empty parking spaces, the drivers of the tourist buses suggested it might be due to the impact of the influenza epidemic.
With Type A H1N1 Influenza cases in Taiwan currently increasing to eleven, the numbers of mainland tourists travelling to Taiwan also plunged to 1700 a day.
However those in Taiwan's tourism industry say that June is university entrance examination time in the mainland and so the number of people traveling is decreased.
The return of mainland tourists to Taiwan might have to wait until the university entrance examinations are over.
According to a Taiwan's Central News Agency report, starting from re-election for Kuomintang party chairman in June, there will be four major internal elections in the Kuomintang this year.
The Kuomintang's plan calls for voting for party chairman reelections to take place on July 26th, and the newly elected party chairman will be announced on July 27th.
One is the deputy general manager of Taiwan's Kuanlin travel service, Mr. Chi Hsing-Chao.
Hello Li Hong, hello everybody.
Since July last year when Taiwan was opened up for mainland tourists, suggestions regarding whether or not mainland tourists should be able to travel independently have continued to pour in.
On May 19, the head of Taiwan's Executive Yuan, Liu Chao-shiuan, indicated that opening up for independent travel for mainland tourists was in keeping with policy direction, and that currently they would first reduce the size of mainland tour groups: five-person groups will be shortly be realized, and this will be followed by negotiation with the mainland to further reduce the size to two to three-person groups.
Liu Chao-Shiuan further intimated that the number of mainland tourists visiting Taiwan should have an upper limit, and that this upper limit ought to be less than five thousand daily, so as to avoid a sudden hike in numbers leading to a drop in tour quality.
Right now, uh, we have relaxed it to a five-person tour group, er, this kind um, this size category travelling in Taiwan, ah, for example say a family, ah, or ah, relatives and good friends, ah, even husband and wife, couples, ah, can all come and travel in Taiwan with this size category.
Ah, this way, uh, relatively speaking, ah, when you come with friends you know, ah, since you know each other well, ah, travelling together, uh, this kind, um, the whole thing of looking out for each other, ah, is that much easier.
But at the same time, once you arrive in Taiwan, because in Taiwan, er, from a perspective of the numbers of tour guides currently available, ah, at the present stage there is a clear shortage.
Ah, as far as the number of days are concerned, right now according to the existing regulations, the maximum stay is, er, fifteen days.
Ah, regarding the issue of, um, tour fees, we can deal with this by looking at the two extremes, if we still want to go down the path of the so-called "high-class" tourism, ah, because this will keep numbers down, ah, costs, uh, will have to rise somewhat accordingly, ah, possibly, uh, um, nightly expenditure, uh, could increase to around 150 U.S. dollars or even higher.
Ah, but if we go down the comparatively budget route, ah, even lower than eighty U.S. dollars is possible, ah, even to a cost structure of around, er, to the tune of sixty U.S. dollars a night.
If you were to come to Taiwan today and travel independently, and we could choose from for example some really unique bed and breakfast accommodation in rural Taiwan, ah, even the house of one's own friends or relatives, ah, then this could all lead to a reduction in terms of accommodation costs.
And then take dining for example, Taiwan actually has a whole lot of famous snacks and such like, ah, all in these so-called night market stalls, ah, or in these kinds of so-called rural, this, um, lanes.
Ah, so tasty morsels can always be found in, er, these, these places.
And this aspect can reduce accordingly, ah, these, these sorts of, er, dining expenses.
So, as for the issue of costs, uh, the issue of expenses, uh, of course they will be accordingly lower.
A very simple example, say you were planning to take a bus, now, uh, with five people, at the most taking a nine-seat minivan is enough.
Of course, if when in the future you have tour groups of two or three people, uh, then if you use the public rapid transportation system, or flag a taxi, should you be travelling yourself, um, downtown or to a spot in the suburbs, not only do you have the luxury of time, but you save a lot on expenses.
So, since Taiwan is going to open up to five-person tour groups, even two to three person tour groups, uh, it gives everyone a lot of flexibility, you design and even alter your itinerary whenever you want.
So my understanding is, this is absolutely possible. In other words, assuming everyone was to come today and travel independently in Taiwan, uh, it wouldn't be necessary to go along with a set tour group and stick to a few designated itineraries - you can make changes at any time.
And you can also do it in more depth, have more of a focus to your sightseeing, travel around the entire "treasure island" of Taiwan.
Apart from that, uh, say you're in Taiwan, uh, actually everyone can imagine this, besides the tourist attractions you hear about the most like Alishan, Sun Moon Lake, [Taipei] 101, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall etc, uh, in actual fact Taiwan's night markets, such as for example the tasteful Liuhe night market, Taipei's Shihlin night market, as well as Raohe Street tourist night market are all really worth a visit.
Taiwan really does have a real profusion of things to eat.
We know that, ah, when our friends on the mainland come to Taiwan, our tacit understanding is that the things they like to eat are not necessarily these fancy dishes that are found in hotels and restaurants.
Some people say, their favorite food is this Taiwan's cream crab, others like to eat Taiwan's Yuyuan red bean soup - well there are even others who are especially fond of Taiwan's pineapple cake and this mochi, in Taiwanese it's called a (())