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Discount offers for seniors and multi-day travel on Taiwan Railways. In-depth analysis of the 'Statutory Senior Discount Ticket' and 'TR-PASS' options: 1. Statutory Senior Discount Ticket (50% Off): Seniors aged 65+ with Republic of China nationality are eligible for a 50% discount on one-way tickets for all classes of Taiwan Railways trains. A valid ID must be presented when boarding. 2. TR-PASS Multi-Day Pass: Calculated by consecutive days, available in two main versions: • Standard Version (Seat Reservation Available): Available as 3-day and 5-day passes, including options for individuals, seniors, and groups of four. Allows free seat reservations on reserved-seat trains (e.g., Puyuma Express requires advance reservation and prohibits standing tickets) within the validity period. • Student Version (No Seat Reservation): Available as 5, 7, and 10-day passes. Seat reservations are not provided. Limited to Tze-Chiang Express and local trains; strictly prohibits riding trains like the Puyuma Express which are fully reserved. • Important Notes: TR-PASS is not applicable to sightseeing trains (e.g., 'Riding Sun' train). The group ticket for four requires all members to enter and exit together.

Taiwan's CPC Corporation announced that gas prices will remain unchanged in October as part of its policy to stabilize living costs. The key points are as follows: • Scope of Price Freeze: Effective from October 2, 2026, at 00:00, prices for household bottled gas (liquefied petroleum gas), industrial propane, butane, mixed propane-butane, and vehicle liquefied petroleum gas will remain completely unchanged. • Reason for Price Freeze: Due to instability in the Middle East geopolitical situation, international imported gas costs have significantly increased. According to the liquefied petroleum gas price adjustment formula, prices should have increased by NT$2.9 per kilogram in October. • Government Policy and Absorbed Costs: In line with the government's policy to stabilize domestic prices and alleviate the burden on households, CPC has decided to absorb this price difference itself to support all households and restaurant users across Taiwan. • Cumulative Absorbed Costs: As of the end of September 2026 (Year 115), CPC's cumulative absorption amount for liquefied petroleum gas products is estimated to have exceeded NT$11.9 billion. CPC stated that it will continue to closely monitor international oil and gas market dynamics and conduct rolling reviews.

Napoli Pizza & Chicken officially launched its super value carnival season promotion in October, spanning the entire Double Ten holiday period, offering several classic combinations with prices under 100 Yuan and up to 50% off: 1. 199 Yuan Carnival Trio (Save over 50%): From now until the limited-time event ends, three of our most popular core products are available for a special price of 199 Yuan, no identity restrictions. • 6-piece Fried Chicken Bucket/Roast Chicken Bucket: Original price 390 Yuan, save 191 Yuan, includes 3 chicken wings. You can also upgrade to a whole chicken leg bucket for an additional 30 Yuan. • Large Pizza (approx. 13 inches): All flavors at the original price of 390 Yuan are now 199 Yuan. You can also upgrade to new flavors like Golden Mullet Roe for an additional 100 Yuan. • Classic Original Egg Tarts (6 pcs): Original price 270 Yuan, also 199 Yuan, a versatile choice for dessert after your meal. 2. 199 Yuan Duo-topping Snack Set: From now until October 15th, simultaneously launching a 'Small Pizza + Herb Roasted Chicken Wings (4 pcs)' combo for a special price of 199 Yuan, an ultimate anti-inflation set for individuals or couples. 3. Group Feast Sharing Set: Take-out one large pizza + 6 pieces of fried chicken + 6 pieces of roast chicken + 1.25L large Coke. Original price heavily discounted to just 929 Yuan, plus a free brand-exclusive keychain. 4. Channel Restrictions: The above 199 Yuan flash sale promotions are only valid for dine-in and take-out at the store. Delivery platforms are not applicable for these special offers.

To welcome the holiday dining crowd for the Double Ten holiday, Sanshang Fried Chicken is launching the 'Popular Fried Chicken Season' with three limited-time promotional offers: • Promotion Period: From October 1, 2026, to November 4, spanning the entire Double Ten holiday. • Group Dining Deal (Buy 5 Get 5 Fried Chicken Bucket): Purchase a '5-piece Fried Chicken Bucket' and receive another '5-piece Fried Chicken Bucket' for free. A total of 10 pieces of fried chicken for a special price of 325 NT (original price 650 NT, equivalent to a 50% discount). Flavors can be freely chosen from Italian, Crispy, Original, or Spicy, specifically targeting holiday takeout and group dining needs. • Bold Flavors Make a Heavy Return (Sichuan Peppercorn Fried Chicken): The past crowd-pleaser 'Sichuan Peppercorn Fried Chicken' is back for a limited time at a special price of 199 NT for 6 pieces (original price 420 NT). It includes 2 drumsticks, 2 thigh pieces, and 2 wings, aiming to capture the taste buds of those who love a numbing and intense flavor. • Solo Diner's Small Bite (Bao Set): Targeting the single diner market, a 99 NT anti-inflation set meal is launched. Choose between the 'Classic Beef Don Bao' or the 'Sriracha Kimchi Pork Bao', paired with 1 chicken wing and a drink (original price 194 NT). • Channel Restrictions: All three of the above great deals are only applicable for dine-in and takeout at the store. They are not valid for delivery platforms (such as Uber Eats, Foodpanda).

Taiwan's first local fast-food brand, Top Quick, is bringing back their 'Classic Chicken Chunks (one jin of chicken)' for a limited 11-day event. The promotion runs from October 1, 2026, to October 11, 2026. • Event Price: A full jin (600g) of classic Taiwanese-style fried chicken for a special price of $299 NTD. Available at all stores except Taoyuan Airport and Songshan Airport. • Original Cutting Method: 'Chicken Chunks' was the early name for their jin-sized chicken. This time, they're recreating the brand's original unique method of manually cutting a whole chicken into appropriately sized pieces, a more complex process. Because the pieces are smaller, the signature marinade can coat them more thoroughly and deeply, resulting in an extra golden and crispy exterior after frying. • Random Mix of Parts: Each order includes a random assortment of chicken breast, thigh, and wing parts, allowing diners to enjoy a variety of textures, from tender to chewy, in one meal. • God-Tier Add-on Deal: With the purchase of one Classic Chicken Chunks, you can add on the 'God-Tier Snack Box' (original price $154 NTD) for a discounted price of $99 NTD. This box includes 1 serving of chicken necks and 1 serving of sweet potato fries, a must-have for fans (limit one add-on set per purchase). • New Service Launch: During the event, Top Quick's 'Brave Order' online ordering system will also launch its 'Delivery' function starting October 1st. Prices are the same as in-store (delivery fee separate), so you can easily order from home.

Here's a summary of the eco-friendly recycling campaigns offering shopping vouchers at major retail stores in Taiwan: 1. A.Mart Recycling Offers: • Old Clothes: Until October 31st, APP members who recycle 5 or more pieces of used clothing will receive a 'NT$50 off coupon for purchases over NT$500'. • Old Phones: Until October 27th, recycle specified old phones at 6 designated stores to get an additional 'NT$100 electronic coupon for purchases over NT$1000'. • Lighting Fixtures: Recycle 5 light bulbs or tubes to receive a NT$20 electronic coupon. 2. ECOCO Smart Recycling Machines: • Located at stores like PX Mart, Carrefour, and Xiaobei Department Store. Accumulate points by recycling PET bottles, aluminum cans, etc. • PX Mart: Exchange 1000 points for NT$50 in shopping credit. • A.Mart: Exchange 300 points for NT$60 in shopping credit. • Wanjiafu, Lejiakang: Exchange 500 points for a NT$50 discount code.

According to the latest animal research published in the top journal 'Nature' in September 2026, 'slimming needles' (GLP-1 drugs) may possess anti-aging and longevity potential beyond weight loss. Here's a summary of the key findings from the study: • Significantly Extended Lifespan: In experiments conducted on elderly mice, equivalent to human seniors, mice treated with GLP-1 drugs saw their median lifespan extended by nearly 100 days. • Reversed Signs of Aging: The test mice showed significant improvements in spatial memory and motor coordination, with new neurons growing in the hippocampus. At the cellular level, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and stem cell exhaustion were greatly reduced. • Superior to Traditional Fasting: Previously, anti-aging was thought to require fasting or calorie restriction, which often led to decreased metabolic rate. GLP-1, however, maintained normal metabolism without triggering hunger signals and showed better performance in blood sugar control and memory. This indicates it activated an independent anti-aging pathway. • Potential Side Effects and Reminders: As this is currently an animal study, strict monitoring for potential side effects, such as muscle loss, will be necessary if applied to humans in the future. 💢💢💢 This is for sharing new medical knowledge only. For individual medical treatment and drug use, please be sure to follow the clinical guidance of a professional doctor.

III. Why Design This 'Symmetry'? The core of the ancients' design for these two rituals lies in the psychological mechanism of 'Boundary Crossing'. • The Bride is 'Half-Human, Half-Deity': On her wedding day, the bride possesses extreme sacredness (the so-called 'bride god is supreme'), but she is also a 'stranger' entering the clan from an outside group, carrying unknown external energy. Therefore, a series of rituals like crossing a fire basin, stepping on tiles, and using a rice sieve are needed to 'purify' and 'filter out' evil spirits, allowing her to safely integrate into her husband's family. • The Deceased is 'Half-Human, Half-Ghost': The moment the coffin is carried out the door, the deceased is transforming from a 'family member in the living world' to an 'ancestor (or ghost) in the underworld'. This transitional space from the hall to outside the main gate is extremely dangerous. Smashing bowls and scattering money are meant to sever the deceased's attachment to the earthly home and protect the living present from the invasion of yin energy.

II. Mirror Symmetry in Core Rituals 1. Head Coverings (Not Competing with Heaven) • Auspicious Occasion (Bride's Descent): Rice sieve or red umbrella • Inauspicious Occasion (Coffin's Departure): Wansui umbrella or black umbrella Symmetrical Interpretation: On this day, both hold the highest status, thus they cannot directly face the heavens and must be covered to ward off celestial malevolence. 2. Taboos Underfoot (Purification and Severing Ties) • Auspicious Occasion (Bride's Descent): Stepping over a fire basin, stepping on roof tiles • Inauspicious Occasion (Coffin's Departure): Burning foot-of-the-bed paper, smashing the mourning bowl Symmetrical Interpretation: The bride steps over fire to purify and shatters tiles to break evil spirits; the filial son smashes a porcelain bowl symbolizing the deceased's irreversible separation from the living world. 3. Threshold Taboos (Reverence for Household Deities and Fortune) • Auspicious Occasion (Bride's Descent): Absolutely must not step on the threshold • Inauspicious Occasion (Coffin's Departure): The coffin must never touch the threshold Symmetrical Interpretation: The threshold is the home's defensive line. The bride stepping on it is inauspicious; the coffin colliding with it will disturb the door gods and the earth deity, taking away the living family's fortune. 4. Carriage Decorations (Life and Death Metaphors of Bamboo) • Auspicious Occasion (Bride's Descent): Green bamboo and sugarcane hung on the carriage • Inauspicious Occasion (Coffin's Departure): Filial son holds a soul-summoning banner made of bamboo Symmetrical Interpretation: The green bamboo used for a wedding symbolizes continuous life with a beginning and an end; the bamboo used for a funeral guides the soul to the afterlife. These must never be mixed. 5. Warding off Evil Along the Way (Dispelling Misfortune and Paying the Road Toll) • Auspicious Occasion (Bride's Descent): Groom shoots three arrows, scatters grains along the road • Inauspicious Occasion (Coffin's Departure): Firecrackers are set off along the way, 'road money' is scattered

In the traditional Chinese view of life and death, auspicious events (marriage) and inauspicious events (funerals) are seen as two sides of the same coin. The rituals of 'the bride's descent from the palanquin and entry into the home' and 'the coffin's exit from the door' possess an extremely precise, mirror-like, complementary relationship between yin and yang in their ceremonial design. These two sets of rituals, one symbolizing 'the introduction of new life' and the other 'the farewell of the soul,' form a perfect symmetry in terms of space, warding off evil, taboos, and the use of objects. I. Yin-Yang Symmetry of Space and Direction • Bride's Descent from Palanquin: A reverse 'entry.' The bride enters from the 'outside' to the 'inside.' After dismounting, the bride, supported by a matchmaker or a 'good fortune woman' (好命婆), proceeds towards the groom's family gate, symbolizing the 'introduction' of external bloodline, blessings, and reproductive capacity into the family. • Coffin's Exit from the Door: A forward 'exit.' The deceased moves from the 'inside' to the 'outside.' During the funeral procession, the coffin must be carried out from the main hall (or mourning hall) towards the main door. The direction of movement for both is completely opposite—one entering, one exiting—completing the yin-yang metabolism of the family's population.