Taipei: Taiwan's Presidential Office will resume its monthly holiday tours on Sept. 20 after a seven-month pause caused by budget cuts, the office announced on Saturday. The suspension, which began on Feb. 15, followed a 13 percent reduction in the office's annual operating budget by the central government in January, resulting in NT$214.12 million (US$6.94 million) being frozen.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Legislative Yuan approved the release of the frozen funds on May 21, paving the way for the tours to restart. The first tour event will coincide with the National Day for Cultural Heritage and will include two special programs-a movie screening and a seminar on Taiwanese manga-alongside nine permanent exhibitions on the first floor. Online reservations will be open from 10 a.m. on Sept. 13 to noon on Sept. 18.

Further tours are scheduled for Oct. 18, Nov. 1, and Dec. 6. Areas open to the public will include the main entrance, entrance hall, reception hall, south and north courtyards, exhibit areas, and selected corridors. Visitors are required to enter through a checkpoint near the Baoqing-Bo'ai Road intersection and undergo a security inspection. While recording devices and large backpacks are prohibited, cameras and smartphones are permitted but must not be used to record or disturb others.