Photo Essay
The Face of Victory: Tsai Ing-wen and Her Supporters
- 2016-01-18
- Politics
- 2016-01-18
Tsai Ing-wen won the 2016 Taiwan General elections and becomes the first female president on the island. She beat the Kuomintang' candidate Eric Chu Li-luan in a landslide victory by grabbing more than 6.5 million votes. She said today's victory is the first milestone for reforms, promising to unify all parts of Taiwan and strengthen the country to defend the people: "We will not be divided by the elections but we will be more unified by democracy." Supporters of Tsai Ing-wen, the president elected of Taiwan, celebrated outside the headquarter of Democratic Progressive Party. More than 30,000 people used their mobile phones to "Light up Taiwan". That has been the slogan of Tsai's electoin campaign. The DPP also took about 60 percent of the seats in the parliamentary election held on the same day. Jeffrey Chiu Shien-yu, 26, one of the supporters of the new president, waved a rainbow flag at the moment of victory. He believed Tsai will be willing to listen to the public. "She understands the needs of the minority, such as LGBT, ethic groups and indigenous people, he said. "We are proud that she is elected. She is the first female president of Taiwan. It's not only men in politics." Chu Li-luan conceded defeat when Tsai had a commanding vote count and resigned as the president of the Kuomintang. "We have not tried hard enough and failed supporter' expectations." "We are facing unprecedented challenges," said Mr Chu. "We have to remember the lessons so that we can come back the next time." Pan-green camp, led by the DPP takes at least half the seats in parliamentary elections, wresting control of the 113-member parliament away from the Nationalists. Chiang Wan-an, son of former president Chiang Ching-kuo, was elected as legislator of Taipei. As the first parliament member …
Final days of the fabric bazaar
- 2016-01-10
- Photo Essay
- The Young Reporter
- 2016-01-10
by Flavia Wong Chan Yu-tung, also known as "Uncle Tung", 82, is the oldest hawker in the Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar in Sham Shui Po, where he has worked for decades. He still enjoys his work in the market, although he says the environment is not ideal – the small fabric market was built with plastic and iron sheets and is packed with fabric bolts. But that all may soon come to an end if the government gets its way. In August, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department sent letters to hawkers saying it was planning to resume the land for building 200 units under the Home Ownership Scheme, according to a report by local media Apple Daily. Hawkers with a license may have the choice of compensation of $80,000, lower than the normal $120,000, if they return the licenses back to the government, or they will be offered a stall in other markets. Yet, among the 190 tenants, only 21 of them actually have government licenses, according to Cable TV's report. These hawkers will receive no compensation. Tung has no license. "The government has not talked to us, the tenants, yet. We have no idea how they would settle us, or if they would compensate us," he said. He added that he will miss the market if it is closed. Since the 1970s, the fabric market has been the paradise of fashion students. They have also expressed their reluctance to part with the market. Some university graduates even take photos in the market in their graduation gown. "We can find varieties of fabrics here and they are very cheap. Hawkers are also very nice to us. It actually nurtures many students," said Chee Ka-po, a graduate of Bachelor of Fashion and Textile Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. …