Hi there! It's time for another episode of News Bites!

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Paz Bueno.

In today's news:

New paint for old gods, and a hero's greatest fear.

And stay tuned for today's Tasty Tidbits at the end of the episode…

Where our animal jokes will quack you up!

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新生代匠師為書院古蹟繪門神

Qing Dynasty School to Reopen in 2026

你的學校門口，有門神守護嗎?

An ancient school in northern Taiwan is being restored (修復).

Hsuehhai Academy was built during the Qing Dynasty.

The school in Taipei's Wanhua District was later bought by a local family.

The family used it as a temple.

"學海書院" 是清朝建的書院，日治時期由一個姓高的家族買下建物作為宗祠使用，現在也是台北市唯一的書院建築古蹟。

Two big door gods (門神) are painted on the doors to the building.

Door gods are gods that guard (守護) doors or gates.

They protect people inside from evil.

There are also door gods who bring in good luck and blessings (祝福, 喜事).

Traditionally, most family temples did not have door gods.

But the family that bought the building was a bit different.

One of the family members was a Qing Dynasty official.

高氏宗祠所有權人說，傳統的宗祠比較少有門神彩繪，不過高氏家族先祖是清朝的官，所以宗祠才會有門神彩繪，

Now, the Taipei government hopes the building can reopen for the public by 2026.

The city government asked a traditional artist, Chou Meng-hsun (周孟勳), to paint new door gods.

Chou is 36 years old, and he is a traditional painter certified by the Ministry of Culture.

To paint the door, Chou says he will use the same art style and same type of paint.

But Chou says his door gods will show how artists from different times paint a little differently.

The old original (原本的) doors will be cleaned and put on display.

Chou says this job is very important to him.

In fact, he says that this is "not just a job" for him.

He says "it is a work of art".

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讓英雄怕怕的秘魯新品種蛇類

New Snake Species Named After Harrison Ford

A hero isn't afraid of anything, right?

This hero has traveled through dangerous jungles.

He's fought evil bad guys (邪惡的壞蛋) and monsters.

And he's even been chased by a giant rolling rock!

He's Indiana Jones, from the famous Hollywood movies.

But this hero has one weakness…he's afraid of snakes!

Indiana Jones is a professor and archaeologist (考古學家) who goes on many adventures.

This movie character is played by American actor Harrison Ford.

And now, Harrison Ford shares his name with a real snake!

Recently, four scientists discovered a new species of snake.

They had to walk through dangerous jungles in Peru (秘魯) to find this snake.

They almost ran into drug traffickers (毒販).

And after a lot of hard work and danger, they found the "Tachymenoides harrisonfordi".

The snake is about 40 centimeters long.

It has bronze and gold scales.

The scientists thought it would be funny to name the snake after the man who played Indiana Jones, who hates snakes.

哈里遜福特曾飾演的電影主角印第安納瓊斯在劇中其實很怕蛇。

And Harrison Ford, who played the character, also works in nonprofit groups (非營利組織) to help protect the environment.

After hearing the news, Ford joked that he and the snake "probably would've been friends in the early '60s."

But seriously, Ford says this reminds all of us that there is still a lot to learn about nature.

He says we must mend (修補) "our broken relationship with nature" and protect living things.

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So, in today's News Bites:

Hsuehhai Academy, built during the Qing Dynasty is being restored.

The city government asked a traditional artist, Chou Meng-hsun, to paint new door gods.

The city hopes the building can reopen for the public by 2026.

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And…

Four scientists discovered a new species of snake, the "Tachymenoides harrisonfordi".

They named the snake after American actor Harrison Ford.

The scientists thought it would be funny to name the snake after the man who played the character of Indiana Jones, who hates snakes.

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趣味小點

Tasty Tidbit

And before we go, here's a Tasty Tidbit to go with your News Lunchbox.

You ready?

How do you get a squirrel to like you?

You act like a nut!

Alright, if that doesn't tickle your funny bone…

Here's two more animal jokes from 11-year-old Ray, Heping Experimental Elementary School in Taipei City.

***

That was hilarious Ray!

If you have a fun fact or a joke you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!