Why couldn’t the Mataian Creek barrier lake simply be blown up? It wasn’t overlooked—the real reason involved “2億 cubic meters of earth and rock”
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
In September 2025, a barrier lake overflowed at Matai'an Creek in Hualien, Taiwan, causing damage downstream. Blasting to drain the lake had been considered in advance, but was ruled out because it was a natural dam made up of 200 million cubic meters of unstable earth and had a high risk of collapse.
Zhang Linghe’s character in The Pursuit of Jade is named Xie Zheng, so why is he also called “Jiuheng”? Why did people in ancient times have both a given name and a courtesy name, and what was the difference?
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
Xie Zheng, a character in The Pursuit of Jade played by Zhang Linghe, is also known as “Jiuheng.” This is a courtesy name, an alternative name used by adults in ancient China, distinct from a person's given name. The differences among given names, courtesy names, aliases and titles of nobility are explained to avoid confusing viewers.
With the polls closing in, the campaign is in a furious sprint! Shen Boyang joins “Yangliu” for a packed Ironman itinerary and criticizes Chiang Wan-an for “constantly seeking hostility”
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
Summary not yet available
Facts
66 days to go
Trailing by just 1.2 percentage points
Trailing Chiang Wan-an by 24 percentage points
Trailing by 16.5 percentage points
Trailing by 15.8 percentage points
A total of 1076 valid samples were collected
The maximum sampling error is plus or minus 3.0 percentage points
“Godfather and godmother” help bring it to life! Hebe Tien’s What Should I Go Where goes live on 9/24, available on 5 major streaming platforms
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
Singer Hebe Tien has released her 6th album, What Should I Go Where, her first in 6 years. It will launch simultaneously on 5 major streaming platforms worldwide on September 24. Inspired by the Faroe Islands, the album reflects her creative journey and life experiences, and has a high degree of artistic cohesion.
Awkward! Lai Ching-te praises opponent Chang San-cheng while campaigning for Huang Shih-chieh; Facebook post meant to “make amends” backfires
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
Taiwan’s 民进党 chair Lai Ching-te accidentally praised his opponent, Chang San-cheng, while campaigning for Taoyuan mayoral candidate Huang Shih-chieh, calling the two “fellow sufferers.” Lai later posted on social media to support Huang, but mistakenly wrote that Huang had served as a section chief in the Taoyuan City Government, prompting netizens to mock him after taking screenshots.
風傳媒 poll on Zhubei mayoral race released: Wu Hsu-chih leads the field in support and electability!
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
風傳媒 has released its latest poll on the 2026 Hsinchu County mayoral election. Wu Xuzhi of the Kuomintang leads with 27.8% support, followed by Tseng Shengkai of the Democratic Progressive Party at 23.3% and Chiu Chenyuan of the Taiwan People's Party at 15.7%. Wu leads in both support and favorability, while support among younger voters is divided.
Can Taiwan stocks top 50,000 points in Q4? Investment advisers single out “these stocks as potential runners,” saying the bull market isn’t driven by 台積電 alone
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
Capital Securities Investment Consulting has released its Q4 outlook for Taiwan stocks. Against a backdrop of AI demand and supply chain growth, it forecasts the index at 43,000–53,000 points. Stocks beyond 台積電 are also drawing attention, with advanced packaging, thermal management and optical communications cited as growth sectors.
Even quitting the party didn’t spare him! Guo Zai-qin gets 8 and a half years in slag case involving 21億; 民進黨 expels him, saying he “doesn’t love his hometown”
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
Former 民進黨 Central Executive Committee member Guo Zai-qin was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in prison over the slag case in Xuejia, Tainan. Although he had already left the party, 民進黨 still expelled him. Ethics Committee Chair Chiu Chun-yen criticized him for not loving his hometown.
Cheng Chao-fang overtakes Hsu Hsin-ying; former blue-camp legislator warns that blue-white tensions are widening: even if young Taiwan People’s Party supporters won’t vote green, they’re unwilling to back blue
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
In the Hsinchu County magistrate election, Democratic Progressive Party candidate Cheng Chao-fang leads Kuomintang candidate Hsu Hsin-ying, 35.1% to 28.7%, with the impact of the blue-white rivalry becoming apparent. Some Taiwan People's Party supporters were found to be leaning toward independent candidates.
It’s not the United States or Europe! Tourists from “this country” spend the most in Japan, while Taiwan still trails China by a wide margin
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
An analysis of average spending by foreign tourists visiting Japan found that Mexican visitors ranked first at 515,000 yen, far exceeding visitors from Taiwan and China. Spending patterns varied by region, and affluent travelers were found to tend to spend large amounts.
116 health insurance budget tops 1 trillion，safety reserve secure and premiums will not rise
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
Summary not yet available
Facts
The health insurance budget officially surpassed 1 trillion for the first time，reaching 1.043447 trillion yuan
The health insurance budget growth rate reached the approved ceiling of 5.5%
The cumulative year-end balance of the safety reserve was 81.9 billion yuan
A total of 5.7963 billion yuan was allocated to improve nursing staff compensation
A new 1.6695 billion yuan Whole-Person Integrated Care Program for Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome (CKM)
A total of 8.6235 billion yuan to expand the family doctor program，hospital-at-home acute care，rehabilitation wards and other services
The oral care program for high-risk diseases was allocated 5.0919 billion yuan
An additional 10.344 billion allocated for new medical technologies, changes to reimbursement rules for drugs and special medical materials, temporary payments and other items
Continued allocation of 23.4833 billion for drugs for rare diseases and hemophilia
Is the Trump-Xi meeting losing its edge before it even begins? Trump’s alienation of allies benefits China
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 鉅亨網
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on trade, military affairs and geopolitical issues. The deterioration in the Trump administration's relations with traditional allies has worked to China's advantage, while tensions over the supply of rare earth resources are a key focus.
Last week’s rate hike wasn’t enough! Fed Governor Barr hints at at least two more hikes
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 鉅亨網
Federal Reserve Governor Barr suggested that further rate hikes may be needed to curb inflation. Last week's rate hike was only a step in the adjustment process, and at least 2 more hikes may be necessary, he said.
Yield curve inversion sets off alarm bells! Fed rate hike expectations resurface; Wall Street names the two sectors hit hardest
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 鉅亨網
Rising oil prices and inflation concerns have boosted expectations of a Fed rate hike, and the U.S. Treasury yield curve is moving toward inversion. Financial and utility stocks could be hit.
Companies mentioned：Janney Montgomery Scott、Goldman Sachs、Wells Fargo Investment Institute
Netflix is spending big to poach talent! YouTube rolls out a new AI weapon to keep creators.
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 鉅亨網
YouTube has announced new tools, including AI editing and instant voice translation, in response to Netflix's competition for creators. It is seeking to maintain creator loyalty through its ad-revenue-sharing model.
First time since SpaceX went public! President plans to sell 340,000 shares, cashing out $52 million.
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 鉅亨網
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell plans to sell more than 340,000 shares, marking the first sale of shares by an executive since the company went public. The planned cash-out of about $52 million has drawn attention because it comes just before a Starship test.
Trump just said “completely destroy”! Iran’s president fires back forcefully at the UN: We are the victims of terrorism.
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 鉅亨網
At the United Nations, Iranian President Pezeshkian condemned attacks by the United States and Israel and claimed his country was a victim of terrorism. The remarks were a rebuttal to former President Trump's “total destruction” comments and aimed at winning international support.
A short-lived viral hit or Meta’s “ChatGPT moment”? JPMorgan: Muse could become the most widely used AI app since ChatGPT.
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 鉅亨網
Meta's AI agent Muse surged to No. 1 in the U.S. App Store's free app rankings within 2 weeks of its release. JPMorgan called it “the first consumer AI app since ChatGPT” and sees it as a potential new source of revenue beyond advertising.
Companies mentioned：Meta、摩根大通、PayPal、Plaid、Amazon、Shopify、OpenAI、Google、Facebook Marketplace、Instagram、The Information、Oppenheimer、American Express、LPL Financial、Morgan Stanley
U.S. business activity in September hits a more than 5-year high! Strong demand fuels inflation, and bets on another Fed rate hike next month are gaining steam.