Taipei Travel

Article ＿ Xie Yingjie
Photos ＿ Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government
 
The 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade will begin in less than 500 days! To fulfill his heavy responsibilities promoting the event, Bravo has been working hard to raise awareness of this competition and to make people fall in love with Taipei.
 
From Parkour to Archery, Bravo Likes to Have Fun
Taipei City Government personnel have been working hard in preparation for this event. April 6th marked the 500th day before the opening ceremony of the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade. On this benchmark day, the Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government (台北市府觀光傳播局) held a press conference, with Qiu Kun-wei (邱坤輝), an athlete who served as a torchbearer for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, as a guest speaker. Qiu was responsible for bringing the Olympic flame to Taiwan. During the press conference he shared his personal testimony regarding that honor 50 years ago, along with his training secrets.
 
Have you ever seen people practicing parkour, leaping over rooftops and scaling walls, their bodies seemingly as light as that of swallows? For this press conference the ADD Academy, focused on the emerging extreme sport parkour, was invited to perform. The graceful transition from running to tumbling was especially powerful and beautiful. Bravo was on hand to witness the performance, and was eager to try things for himself. He pleaded with the coach to teach him a few techniques. Although his wish went unfulfilled, he still felt a sense of satisfaction.
 
Hsiung Mei-chien (熊梅茜), a member of the national archery team, as well as national speed-skating team members Yu Hung (游虹) and Yu Pen-che (游本徹), were also in attendance. All three athletes, in addition to sharing their training hardships, expressed their confidence regarding next year’s games. When Bravo saw Hsiung (whose last name means “bear”), he wanted to express his warmth as a member of the same clan. After Hsiung showed him some archery techniques, Bravo immediately assumed an archery pose, aiming at the sun as if playing the part of Hou Yi (a mythical archer who, according to legend, shot down nine of ten suns that once circled the sky).

1. Bravo cheers on the players during the intense HBL championship game.

 
Visiting School Campuses, Creating Fun Moments
Recently, a bear has been appearing on elementary school campuses in Taipei City. Bravo took to the stage at a physical-education demonstration at Shuanglian Elementary School (雙蓮國小). In a show of endurance, Bravo accompanied student athletes in a run around the track. During the pre-event warm-up exercise period, his apparent confusion sparked laughter–fun competitions are the perfect stage for showing of his natural charm. In addition, Bravo did not forget to share the importance of black-bear conservation with the children, hoping that everyone will work together to show care for and protect the critically endangered Formosan black bear.
 
The day before the Children’s Day holiday, Bravo once again set off on a mission, this time a visit to the National Taipei University of Education Experimental Elementary School (國立台北教育大學附設實驗國民小學). Here, Bravo and the students jumped rope and participated in sumo wrestling. Bravo, who had never tried sumo wrestling before, gave it his all, but was still unable to bring down his opponent. Instead, he unexpectedly turned around and showed his backside to the crowd, resulting in bursts of laughter. Finally, Bravo and some of the students participated in a thrilling game of three-on-three basketball, Bravo again putting in a mighty effort, and cheered on with great enthusiasm.

2. Bravo makes an appearance along the Zhuzihu Creekside Trail, and poses for photographs with passersby.

 
Intense Basketball Tournament, Exciting Sports Event
 
The High School Basketball League (HBL; 高中籃球聯賽) brings together high-school athletes from all around Taiwan in a fervent and sweat-filled battle for honor on the court. Bravo, being the fun-loving bear that he is, was at this year’s HBL finals at the Taipei Arena (台北小巨蛋) to cheer on the players. The shouts and excitement of the fans during the competition were like radiant fireworks, and Bravo got caught up in the fervor!
 
The competition on the court was fierce. Activities held at booths outside of the event venue included a free-throw competition. Those who made a basket won a small Summer Universiade gi_. _e basketball event of 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade will also take place at the Taipei Arena, giving the Chinese Taipei team will have home-court advantage. It is hoped that large crowds will be in attendance to cheer on the Chinese Taipei team.
 
Bravo Hiking Groups, Ready to Go
 
Who says that every sport is a different experience? For true “Bravo” Formosan black bears hiking is easy, as it entails basic instinct. Over the next few months, to promote sports travel, Bravo will make surprise appearances along some of Taipei City’s many hiking trails. If you catch sight of any of Bravo , take a photograph with you and this bear in it as a souvenir, and receive a small gift. To date, Bravo has appeared along the Zhuzihu (“Bamboo Lake”) Creekside Trail (竹子湖溪畔步道) and Hushan (“Tiger Mountain”) Hiking Trail (虎山親山步道), attracting much attention and requests for photographs.

 

3. Bravo visits a school campus and plays an exciting three-on-three basketball game with the students.

 
Universiade Tips – Weightlifting Competition
◎ Weightlifting competition points are awarded for two types of lift, the cleanand jerk and the snatch. Total points are the sum of the two types, and both types of lifts must be performed.
◎ Three attempts at both the clean and jerk and the snatch are allowed. After a competitor has grabbed hold of the barbell, the judges will determine if the attempt is successful or not. If successful, a white flag will be raised or a white light will be turned on. If unsuccessful, a red flag will be raised or a red light turned on.
◎ For each successful attempt, at least one kilogram of weight will be added. The total-score ranking is determined by adding the highest weight successfully lifted in the clean and jerk with the highest in the snatch total.
◎ If there are identical scores, the winner is the competitor who is lighter in weight. If competitors are of identical weight, the winner is the first to successfully complete a lift. For more information about the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade, visit the official website: sportcity.2017.taipei
 
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