The Friday letter · No. 06
Health tokens open October 1 for NHI adults redeem from December
Friday, October 9, 2026 · From the Taipei desk
Checkups, cancer screenings, and flu shots earn points worth NT$1 each in principle. Foreign nationals on NHI are included. Redemption starts December 1 after a 1,000-token minimum.
Continue reading01 · Living
The Double Ten weekend starts on Friday
A substitute holiday, two fireworks, and a city that mostly stays open.
02 · Culture
Beef noodle weekend at the Flora Expo grounds
The city festival runs Friday through Sunday, with bowls you can actually eat.
03 · Travel
Getting to the Taitung fireworks without a same-day miracle
The national show is on the east coast Saturday night. The trains fill before the fuse.
This week in Taiwan History
The bomb on the day before the uprising
October 9, 1911, is why October 10 became the holiday. Taiwan was not in that room.
Continue readingUntil Friday.