It's time for today's new episode of News Bites.

I'm Nancy Sun…

And I'm Brody Halverson.

In today's news:

Taipei's best spots, and the world's heaviest pumpkin.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…

They might be the biggest birds in the world, but they’re a bit short on something else…learn all about it at the end of the episode!

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台北推出 2023「最強私房景點」

Taipei Names Top 20 Tourist Attractions

Have you enjoyed all the long weekends we've had recently?

If you're still looking for fun things to do, the Taipei City government has some recommendations (推薦).

The city government just announced its top 20 tourist attractions in Taipei.

The city asked people to give their recommendations for places to have fun in Taipei.

The city wanted to know about the best spots for people to visit, for shopping, dining, and activities.

People sent in 179 suggestions.

臺北私房景點票選活動邀民眾推薦私房景點，收集到179件精彩遊程。

Then the city asked people to vote for their favorites for four categories (種類)…

They are "Nighttime Attractions", "Arts and Culture", "Green Lifestyle", and "Family Fun".

Over 38,000 people voted.

接下來市政府請民眾票選出四大主題中最喜愛的景點遊程，吸引超過3萬8千多人參加。

One winner of the "Nighttime Attractions" category was the Dadaocheng Summer Festival Fireworks.

Many people visited the area for the festival over the summer.

The National Palace Museum won in the "Arts and Culture" category.

The Xiao Yintan Waterfall on Yangmingshan won for the "Green Lifestyle" category.

And one of the top spots for "Family Fun" went to the Taipei Children's Amusement Park.

Some other popular spots include the Taipei Zoo, the Beitou Hot Spring Museum, and Xinzhongshan Linear Park.

The Taipei City government hopes this list can help people enjoy visiting the city.

They feel there is something fun to do in Taipei for everyone.

市政府希望推臺北景點外，也可以帶動觀光人潮、不管是想親子出遊、或享受大自然，台北樣樣都有。

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超級巨無霸南瓜 刷新世界紀錄

Pumpkin Smashes Records

Halloween is coming up soon…

And a record-breaking pumpkin has grown just in time for the holiday!

A teacher in the U.S. named Travis Gienger has grown a giant pumpkin.

Travis' pumpkin weighs 1,247 kilograms!

That's about as heavy as a small car!

It's big enough for Travis to lay down on top.

Travis named his pumpkin "Michael Jordan".

這顆冠軍南瓜還有個暱稱「麥可·喬丹」。

He says when the pumpkin was just 10 days old, it looked a lot like a basketball.

And he says Jordan wore a jersey with the number 23.

He thought that matched this year, 2023.

Now, Travis says "the greatest basketball player of all time is now the greatest pumpkin of all time"!

Many people asked him how he grew his pumpkin to be so large.

He says he takes extra care of his pumpkin.

He waters the pumpkin 12 times a day.

And he says he spent about $15,000 US dollars on care and feeding.

Travis說每天澆水12次以外，還花了$15,000元美金增加施肥的頻率和份量。

His pumpkin won first place at the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off.

It's a competition held in California every year, for big pumpkins.

Travis got $30,000 US dollars in prize money.

And Travis' pumpkin also broke the world record for heaviest gourd (瓜類).

Travis has been growing pumpkins since he was a teenager.

And his pumpkins have won the competition three times.

美國一位園藝教師種出一顆重達1,247公斤的巨無霸南瓜，刷新了世界紀錄。

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So, in today's News Bites:

The city government just announced its top 20 tourist attractions in Taipei.

The city asked people to give their recommendations for places to have fun in Taipei.

People sent in 179 suggestions, and over 38,000 people voted for their favorites.

One winner of the "Nighttime Attractions" category was the Dadaocheng Summer Festival Fireworks.

The National Palace Museum won in the "Arts and Culture" category.

The Taipei City government hopes this list can help people enjoy visiting the city.

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And,

A teacher in the U.S. named Travis Gienger has grown a giant pumpkin that weighs 1,247 kilograms!

Travis named his pumpkin "Michael Jordan".

He says he takes extra care of his pumpkin, by watering it 12 times a day.

And he says he spent about $15,000 US dollars on care and feeding.

His pumpkin won first place at the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off.

And Travis' pumpkin also broke the world record for heaviest gourd (瓜類).

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趣味小點

Tasty Tidbit

In today’s Tasty Tidbit, the ostrich is the biggest bird in the world. And it’s also the only bird in the world that has two toes.

All other birds have three or four toes. These birds need more toes to grab their prey. But the ostrich only needs two toes: one large toe to hold up its body weight, and a smaller toe that helps it balance.

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!

Tune in again next time for an all new episode of News Bites!

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!

Tune in again next time for an all new episode of News Bites!