The winning list of the Top 10 Handy Gifts Contest in Taichung City 2017 was announced today at 5:00 pm after evaluation by experts in respective fields and the voting session that took place on the sixteenth and the seventeenth. The first prize winners, 10 in total, for the Top 10 Handy Gift Contest are Shang Meng Enterprise, Joy Joy Golden, Yule Taro Big World, Ah-Tsung-Shih Pastry Idea, Mushroom Guru, HWC Roasters, Chia Wia Sina, Fu Chi Artifacts Studio, Xiyuan Wedding Cookies, and Hellomit Enterprise. Vice Mayor Ling-San Lin appeared on the site of the Top 10 Handy Gift Event today. In addition to announcing the Top 10 handy gifts in Taichung of 2017 and the winners of the Quality Halal Award, the Golden Reputation Award, the Most Popular Award, and the Rater Award, and presenting the trophies to all winners, he presided over the auction of large goods. Celebrities such as General Director Shi-Yan Cai of the Taichung Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Committee, Chairman Tzu-Liang Chou of the Taichung Bakery Association, and Chairman Nai-Hung Wang of the Hondao Senior Citizen's Welfare Foundation attended the event, too. Vice Mayor Lin indicated that the Moon Festival is around the corner and that the City Government and the Committee are jointly organizing this Top 10 Handy Gift Event in Taichung to allow the general public and the rating committee to jointly select trustworthy and delicious pastries so that consumers can make their purchases with assurance. Vice Mayor Lin mentioned that besides the Moon Festival, the Taichung World Flora Exposition is coming up next year. There will be many visitors coming from overseas and this will offer them an opportunity to choose award-winning commodities. In addition to encouraging the vendors to seek advancement and pay attention to food safety, the general public can make purchases and enjoy what they have bought with assurance. General Director Shi-Yan Cai of the Taichung Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Committee thanked people for their proactive involvement. The two-day event was received with fierce competition. It helped boost the popularity of the products and also inspired consumption. The Moon Festival is around the corner and people are invited to buy their favorite handy gifts to share with their friends and relatives. The Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Committee indicated that large goods available this year for the auction include the “Large Bat Blue Dye Hanging Scroll” that is two meters high and one meter wide and symbolic of the local characteristics of Taiping, Taichung from the Watersource Cultural and Educational Foundation and the “100-jin Flora Exposition Golden Cake” prepared by Chia Wia Sina. Members of the audience competed with one another in making offers. Eventually, they were sold at NT$60,000, respectively, that is, NT$120,000 in total. The income from the two-day auction came to NT$327,850 and the 100-jin Flora Exposition Golden Cake from Chia Wia Sina will be donated completely. The Committee indicated the award presentation ceremony also included the three winners of the Quality Halal Award and the winners were Catamona Trading Co., Ltd., E-Noon Bio-tech Food Co., Ltd., and Shalu District Vegetables & Fruits Marketing Cooperative Association. The six winners of the Most Popular Award were Little Devil Sherry Bear DIY Cake and Ice Cream, Catamona Trading Co., Ltd., Xinmu Handmade Workshop, Shalu District Vegetables & Fruits Marketing Cooperative Association, Mushroom Guru Co., Ltd., and HWC Roasters. The only winner of the Rater Award was Chia Wia Sina. The six winners of the Golden Reputation Award were Top Stand, Xinmu Handmade Workshop, Dong Yang Food Corporation, Gold Brick, Shalu District Vegetables & Fruits Marketing Cooperative Association, and Mountain Cake. The two-day voting session brought about a large number of visitors. There were long lines of people in front of each stand and it brought a production value of NT$2 million for the handy gift business owners throughout Taichung. For more information about the event, please visit the website of the Top 10 Handy Gifts in Taichung (http://bit.ly/2xD4fe6). Mei-Jin Li in Taichung

Kong Chou Construction Staff and Their Family Gathering Over a Meal on August 13, 2017

The Army Hukou Three Barracks Areas and Air Force Hsinchu Base Buildings Turnkey Project groundbreaking ceremony was completed successfully on July 14, 2017!

The Pingtung S013 Project groundbreaking ceremony was completed successfully on July 05, 2017!

The Company works with the civil engineering and construction departments at respective major colleges and universities throughout the country by organizing the summer internship program. This year, as recommended by faculties at the Civil Engineering Department of National Chung Hsing University, the Construction Department at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Civil Engineering Department of Feng Chia University, and Construction Department of Chaoyang University of Technology, a total of 12 quality students officially began the 8-week internship program in July. The internship program mainly deals with the management of construction projects in the field. High-ranking supervisors are arranged to provide intensive personal guidance on quality management, labor safety and health, drawing reading and trial, among other practices long with field observation and hands-on sessions. The theory is the foundation while field practice is the aid. Emphasis is placed on passing down experience and developing fundamental engineers. This collaborative project not only helps students combine theory and practice in one but also offers ideas and advice about employment in the future. Every student indicated upon completion of the internship program that they benefited significantly.

The beam-raising ceremony took place this morning (the 16th) for the Taichung Marine Biology and Aquarium. The whole building’s exterior is made of rocks and stones from the Dajia River and combines the image of white dolphins and ideas about conservation and recovery. Inside the building is a large tank that is nine meters deep and holds up to 700 tons of water to showcase the jelly fish and local marine creatures and plants that are the most abundant in Taiwan. Mayor Chia-Lung Lin indicates that in addition to ecological education, the marine biology aquarium combines restaurants and outdoor coffee shops. The beautiful Taiwan Strait will also be visible. Various scenic spots such as the coastal line dual star and MITSUI Outlet are combined so that the world can see the beauty of Taichung.

A Thousand People Participate in the Family Clay Contest In order to answer to the aesthetic education policy, the Taichung City Government and Kong Chou Construction hold the Family Clay Contest each year together. The theme this year is “Miracle With Flowers and Chickens”. “Flowers” are combined as part of the theme particularly because of the 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition. By playing with clay, children receive aesthetic education. This contest was open to families; it helped boost family relationships and promote clay art. The 19th Kong Chou Cup Family Clay Contest and Grandparent Clay Work Creativity Contest took place today (the 6th) at Shalu Elementary School. There was the evergreen group for grandparents, the Hongyu group for slow growers, the children’s group, the lower-grade group, mid-grade group, and high-grade group for elementary school students, six groups in total, with more than 1,000 participants. It was a noisy and heart-warming occasion. The Education Bureau indicates that clay art is the education proactively promoted throughout Taichung City. It has the first art syllabus in Taiwan. It is promoted among teachers to form a clay art community to advance their teaching skills. Seed schools researched and developed the City’s exclusive clay art aid and teaching approach. In addition, teachers are being developed through empowerment seminars for clay art teachers on campus. There are also clay artists and clay art volunteers on campus that jointly promote clay art. On holidays, there are family clay-making events, too, to allow clay art to reach out to families and communities to become a national movement. The Education Bureau expects to complete an official kiln in the Dajia District of Taichung City next year to serve as the outdoor teaching site for students and the clay art teaching promotion center. It is hoped that by learning clay art, it will help build confidence in the students and enable them to apply diversified intelligence and affection. The aesthetic education begins during childhood to develop a taste and for the balanced development of the body, the heart, and the mind. NOWnews Rong-Jun Liu/ Taichung 6:13 pm, May 6, 2017

The groundbreaking ceremony took place in the Houli Horse Ranch, presided over by Mayor Chia-Lung Lin and Director Sheng-Shan Chen of the Tourism and Travel Bureau. Vice Director-General Mao-Xiang Su of the Agriculture and Food Agency, City Councilors Ben-Tian Chen and Mei-Chun Weng, Legislator Ci-Yong Hung, and City Councilor Jacky Chen's office representative were invited to witness the ceremony; it was a noisy event. The 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition was determined to be a national major construction project. The three exhibition areas are the Waipu Park Area, the Houli Horse Ranch & Forest Park Area, and the Fengyuan Huludun Park Area. The Houli Horse Ranch & Forest Park Area spans around 30.04 hectares in area. The Taichung World Flora Exposition trial operation began in September 2018 and it was officially opened in November 2018. The Tourism and Travel Bureau indicates that the Horse Ranch Park Area is built on existing horse ranch space with renovations. Related facilities in the horse ranch were restored to match the Flora Expo and the historical traces of the horse ranch were retained. By reproducing the essence of the site, the Houli Horse Ranch came to life again significantly and enables people to have an innovative recreational experience. The park area consists of two permanent exhibition halls, namely the Gorgeous Flowers Hall and the equestrian obstacle race field. Taking advantage of the 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition, horses and flower, the two elements, were combined to shape the theme park, horse ranch floral paradise.