Latest news with #Hualien
LBCI
2 days ago
- Climate
- LBCI
Magnitude-5.9 earthquake rattles Taiwan
A magnitude-5.9 earthquake rattled Taiwan on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, with AFP journalists reporting buildings shaking in the capital, Taipei. The quake struck at a depth of about 31 kilometers (19 miles) off the east coast, 71 kilometers south of Hualien City, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Taiwanese authorities said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. AFP
CTV News
2 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Strong earthquake strikes Taiwan near east coast city of Hualien, agencies say
An official points to Richter scale graphs in this file photo. (AP Photo) Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwan was struck by an earthquake about 71 kilometres (44.1 miles) south of Hualien City, monitoring agencies said. The quake hit seconds after cell phone alarms went off at 7:01 p.m. Wednesday. The United States Geological Survey reported the quake had a magnitude of 5.9 and was detected at a depth of 31.1 kilometres (19.3 miles). Taiwan's Central Weather Administration gave the magnitude as 6.4. Such variations are common given differences in sensitivity and detector locations. Buildings in Taipei shook for about a minute. There were no immediate reports of major damage. Hualien, located 154 kilometres (95.6 miles) south of the capital Taipei, is relatively thinly populated compared to the highly congested western side of the island of 23 million people, which is frequently struck by quakes. Taiwan lies along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean from Chile to New Zealand where most of the world's earthquakes occur. Taiwan's worst modern quake, a magnitude 7.7 temblor that killed 2,415 people and damaged buildings in 1999, led to tightened building codes, better response times and coordination and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety. Schools and workplaces hold earthquake drills, while cellphones buzz whenever a strong earthquake is detected. Earthquake damage since then has been significantly reduced. The Associated Press
CTV News
2 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Taiwan struck by 5.9 magnitude earthquake Tuesday evening, USGS says
An official points to Richter scale graphs in this file photo. (AP Photo) Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwan was struck by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake Tuesday evening, the United States Geological Survey reported. The earthquake was detected about 71 kilometres (44.1 miles) south of Hualien City at a depth of 31.1 kilometres (19.3 miles), the agency said. Hualien is relatively thinly populated compared to the highly congested western side of the island of 23 million people, which is frequently struck by quakes. The quake hit seconds after cell phone alarms went off at 7:01 p.m. Buildings in the capital of Taipei shook for about a minute. There were no immediate reports of major damage. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration gave the magnitude as 6.4. Such variations are common given differences in sensitivity and detector locations. Taiwan lies along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean from Chile to New Zealand where most of the world's earthquakes occur. Taiwan's worst modern quake, a 1999 magnitude 7.7 temblor that killed 2,415 people, damaged buildings and led to tightened building codes, better response times and coordination and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety. Schools and workplaces hold earthquake drills, while cellphones buzz whenever a strong earthquake is detected. Earthquake damage since then has been significantly reduced. The Associated Press
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan's Truku tribe showcases its culture and traditions – except for facial tattoos
It is April in Hualien, a county on the east coast of Taiwan, and visitors on a Truku tribe experience tour, led by guide Dai Xinzhe, are sweating from the oppressive heat and humidity. We are here to learn more about the Truku people, one of the island's 16 recognised indigenous groups. Misclassified by scholars and academics as part of the Atayal tribe, the Truku were officially recognised in 2004. The tribe have been keepers of traditions, warriors against colonisation and quiet architects of Taiwan's cultural identity. Their history is written in flax fibres, battle scars and the very stones of the mountains they once called home. At the start of the tour, the clothing of the Truku tribe is explained. For them, weaving (pronounced tminun) is a spiritual practice woven into life's milestones. Using hand-spun flax dyed with mountain pigments, women create textiles in five sacred colours: forest green, sunrise red, millet yellow, ancestral black and spirit white; each hue carries meaning. The laborious process, from harvesting flax to operating backstrap looms, can take months to produce a single garment. Traditional tools – warping machines, bamboo clippers and wooden beaters – become extensions of the weaver's body. More than craft, tminun marks a woman's passage to adulthood. Traditionally, mastery of it earned the facial tattoos (ptasan) that symbolised maturity and qualified her for marriage.
