2025年9月25日 星期四

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 8


There are 38 districts in Kaohsiung City.  The districts discussed here are all east of the Formosa Freeway (#3).  They're much more rural than districts west of the Formosa Freeway, have a much lower population density, and are generally more scenic. 高雄市分為38個行政區 。  這裡文章討論的行政區都位在福爾摩沙高速公路以東 ，  這些行政區和高速公路以西的行政區比較起來: 較鄉下 、人口密度較低 、風景比較好。



1a. Moon World in Tianliao will host a hot air balloon festival during both this weekend and the weekend following.  On the weekend after that this hot air balloon festival will move to the Love River in downtown Kaohsiung. 2025高雄愛 , 月熱氣球 (1)

1b. This is kinda fun.  Kaohsiung's various districts were ranked by average age of homes, and Tianliao ranked dead last, at 54.54 years old.  The "youngest" district is Renwu, where homes are on average 23.88 years old. 高雄市平均屋齡逾34年  仁武區23.88年最年輕



2a. After a local company was found guilty of illegally dumping waste on land in Qishan a cleanup was ordered by the EPA.  The backfill required for this project consists of nearly a million metric tons.  After several delays and an appeal by the responsible company, the cleanup process is now underway and proceeding ahead of schedule.  It should be completed next year. 旗山大林段轉爐石回填案  陳其邁上任後清理進度超前

2b. Qishan residents living along Guangqi Road are blaming the Kaohsiung City Government over a failure to keep a ditch/canal alongside the road clear of dirt, plants and other debris. 旗山廣吉路水溝泥沙雜草淤積超過一年未清 ... (2)

2c. Volunteers associated with the Yuanda Cultural and Educational Foundation recently held an environmental education activity at the old sugar refinery in Qishan.  Students from Shangping Elementary in Qishan and Wutai Elementary in Pingtung were in attendance. 元大志工前進高雄旗山糖廠  陪伴偏鄉學童環境教育走讀



3a. Allegations of vote buying surfaced after a recent round of elections within the Neimen District Farmer's Association.  The incident is under investigation by the Qiaotou District Prosecutor's Office, and several individuals were arrested following the election. 內門區農會選舉爆賄選  檢調搜索帶回10餘人3人交保 (3)



4a. Another case presented to the Qiaotou District Prosecutor's Office (a body which seems to handle most of the legal actions pertaining to Kaohsiung's mountain districts), is the illegal mining of sand and gravel in Meinong, and also the illegal dumping of construction waste in that area.  Many of those involved in the illegal mining have been arrested and fined, but the number of people implicated is high, and seems to extend upwards into the local government.  It's all very, very gangster-y. 高雄 "美濃大峽谷" 爭議發生什麼事 ?  非法盜採 , 濫倒廢棄物還牽扯地方政治問題 ? (4)



5a. Landslide preparedness drills were conducted in Xinzhuang Community. 杉林新庄社區土石流防災順練  強化避災能力



6a. Construction has begun on a new administrative center in Liouguei.  The building presently in use as an administrative center is very old and unsafe.  This project should be completed next year. 高市六龜新行政中心工程  預計115年第一季啟用

6b. A section of Highway 27 was closed in advance of the recent typhoon.  The main worry was rockslides which might occur along that stretch of road. 高雄市六龜區台27線11K+500 - 24K+500...

6c. Liouguei's fire department coordinated with supermarkets and other local stores to set up "disaster response sections."  And yes, most of the "disaster response items" happen to be instant noodles. 六龜消防隊協同賣場設置  "防災專區" 便利民眾整備



7a. The Lover's Valley Hot Spring recently held a promotional event. 拚觀光 !  茂林情人谷溫泉推Spa  Line系列活動 (5)



8a. The Jiaxian Taro and Bamboo Shoot Festival began on September 20th. 2025甲仙芋筍節萌力全開  跟貓店長 "偶泥桑" 玩翻山城

8b. A 4.2 magnitude earthquake registered in Jiaxian around the beginning of the week. 13:01高雄規模4.2地震  最大震度3級  8縣市有感

8c. A section of Highway 20 was also closed in Jiaxian in advance of the recent typhoon. 強風樺加沙影響加劇  今晚起17處省道封閉



9a. Both work and classes in three villages were suspended due to damage from recent heavy rains. 高雄桃源區拉芙蘭3里  明天停止上班 , 上課

9b. Just two days ago road work on a local access road was completed. 高雄桃源梅山一號聯絡道完工  防災強化確保農運順暢



10a. Some residents of Namaxia are complaining that the Kaohsiung City Government has "forgotten them."  Landslides have pummeled the area recently, and typhoon-related erosion poses a serious problem for those living in the area. 被政府放棄的部落 -- 高雄那瑪夏 , 土石不清運墊高河床 , 一條溪整成多條亂竄 (6)

10b. Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Qi-mai recently visited Namaxia to inspect disaster preparedness work there.  He also reiterated the government's intention to revitalize aboriginal areas. 陳其邁市長親臨那瑪夏  關心防災工作並加速原民區復原

10c. Maybe those complaining about the Kaohsiung City Government's lack of concern might want to look closer to home?  A former Namaxia District Mayor was recently sentenced to 15 years for taking bribes connected to local construction projects. 收上千萬回扣 !  前那瑪夏區長 "賄款藏冰箱"  重判15年10月

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Jiading (Qieding) District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市茄萣區
Taitung in the News 台東的新聞 (North 北) 2

1. Hot air balloons on the Love River?  I'm not sure how that's going to work.  The website offers no details.

2. Seems like a mountain being made out of a molehill, and I'm wondering why they're blaming the Kaohsiung City Government and not the local district office.  I'm not familiar with "Taiwan News" (台灣好報), and this article may represent some kind of political attack.

3. Google dates this article at five days before the day I linked it here, though the article itself states that it was posted 6 months ago.

In case you hadn't noticed, many of the elections conducted by the various farmer's associations are marked by this type of fraudulent activity.  In rural areas corruption if often most visible within the local fishing and farming associations.

4. This is a major news story in the area, and has since became the subject of discussion on a national level.

5. Judging by the video this hot spring is better suited to those with kids.  The name "Lover's Valley" doesn't quite align with how this place is being marketed.

6. Some of the complaints expressed in this article may be valid, or it might just be people living in a very remote area expecting too much from a government that is situated very, very far away.  I'm not familiar with the source and this article may also be politically motivated.
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2025年9月20日 星期六

Jiading (Qieding) District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市茄萣區


Is it "Jiading" or "Qieding?"  All I can tell you is that the local signs aren't much help.  The road sign near Hunei announces your arrival in "Jiading District," while the sign in front of the wetland names it "Qieding."  I'm assuming most of the people who live there just refer to it by its Taiwanese name, and that they don't bother much about whatever English spellings are on local signage. 茄萣區的地名有兩個英文拼法 ，  湖內邊界的路牌用Jiading，可是濕地公園用的是Qieding 。 那邊的人大概用台語的名稱 ， 不在意它的英文名字 。

Whatever it's called, "Jiading" is north of Yongan in Kaohsiung and south of South District in Tainan.  It's in the northwestern corner of Kaohsiung City, about an hour north of downtown Kaohsiung by car. 不管茄萣正確的英文名字是什麼 ， 它位於高雄市永安區的北部 、台南市南區的南部 、高雄市的西北角 ，離高雄市區開車一小時左右 。

According to the last census, 28,783 people live in Jiading. 上次的人口統計顯示茄萣的人口是28,783人 。


The Qieding (or is it "Jiading?") Wetland Park is north of the port.  Despite its being in Kaohsiung this is one of the quietest areas I've been to in Taiwan.  According to the signage the black-faced spoonbill, the northern pintail, the purple heron, the tundra bean goose, the common kingfisher, the plain prinia, the eurasian wigeon, the whiskered tern and the northern shoveler can all be found here at different times of year. 茄萣濕地公園在漁港的北邊 。  這一邊屬於高雄， 是我在臺灣到過的幽靜的地方之一 。  公園裡的展示板說這裡可以看到黑面琵鷺 、 尖尾鴨 、 紫鷺 、 凍原豆雁 、 翠鳥 、 褐頭鷦鶯 、 赤頸鴨 、 黑腹燕鷗還有琵嘴鴨 。  牠們各自在不同的季節來茄萣 。


It's MUCH better than the bird watching area in nearby Yongan District.  If you're into birds I'd encourage you to not bother with the place in Yongan and come directly here instead. 這個濕地公園比附近永安濕地公園好很多 ，  喜歡賞鳥的讀者去茄萣就夠了吧 ?








Xingda Fishing Port is located in the southwest corner of Jiading.  It's a sleepy little place, and it's nice around sunset. 興達漁港在茄萣的東南角 ，  這是個悠閒的小漁港， 黃昏的時候海景不錯 。




Lover's Wharf is on the other side of the port.  I didn't bother with it during this trip.  It was too hot, and I visited many times back when my mother-in-law lived in Luzhu. 情人碼頭在漁港的另外一邊 ，  這一次太陽太大了我不想過去 ，  我岳母住路竹的時候我已經去過好幾次 。


There are a few restaurants on the port and also a fish market.  I didn't eat at any restaurants while I was there, but the oyster omelet I had in the fish market was good. 漁港裡有些餐廳跟魚市場 ，  我沒在那邊的餐廳吃飯 ， 我在魚市場裡吃的蚵仔煎滿好吃的。 


West of the fishing port is the Taiwan Strait.  Some of the trees along this section of the coast are impressive, even if the coast, fortified against erosion, doesn't offer much in the way of recreational opportunities. 漁港在台灣海峽上 。  這一段海岸的樹有的很美 ， 可惜防侵蝕的消波塊沙灘比較沒有觀光價值 。


The oceanside parks here are similar to what you'll find in South District, further north.  Does anyone come down here to surf?  It seems possible. 這裡的海岸公園都很像在台南市南區的北邊看到的，  有人來茄萣衝浪嗎 ?  好像可以喔 ...


And this is the northwest corner of the district, right across the Er Run River from Tainan City.  Not exactly paradise, but (again) it is nice around sunset. 這是茄萣區的西北角 ， 位於台南市二仁溪的另外一邊 。  這個地方不是很自然 ， 可是黃昏時的景色不錯 。

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Coastal Kaohsiung, North to South 高雄海岸:

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2025年9月12日 星期五

(Im)Permanence


Last month I finally got my APRC.

This fact might be surprising to those who've known me for a while, considering that I first moved to Taiwan in 1999, and that aside from three years spent in the States I've lived here continuously since that year.

Long story short, it was easier just to renew my marriage visa every 1-3 years.  Around the end of June or July every school year we were always in a hurry to get to the States, and it was just easier to fill out a form and renew the marriage visa as opposed to going "all in" and getting the APRC.

This "APRC," I should add, is the Alien Permanent Resident Certificate.  Foreign residents can apply for one if they've lived here long enough, and have all the required paperwork.  In my case it was the paperwork that always tripped me up, given that you have to submit a lot of photocopies to the Bureau of Immigration.  I could have gotten that paperwork in order long ago, but I was both lazy and in a hurry to be gone.

What blew my mind about this process was looking down at my new card and not finding an expiration date.  I've been operating within a one- to three-year "immigration window" for so many years, and now, suddenly, I have a card without an expiration date.  It's a very odd feeling, knowing that I only need to return to the immigration office if I want to update my picture or if I renew my U.S. passport.  Otherwise I'm free as a bird, able to ignore that office at will.

After picking up my newly minted APRC I thanked the office staff profusely, half afraid they'd change their minds and take it back.  Afterward I stepped outside and stood in the parking lot for a while, wondering why everything around me looked different.  I suppose I was feeling a sudden sense of ownership over, or perhaps a sense of belonging to, this place.  Everything around me looked exactly the same, but different.

Some of those reading this entry might be able to relate.  I'm not, after all, the first expat I know to get an APRC.  I am in fact one of the last.  Most of my longer-term expat friends got their APRCs years ago, and they were often puzzled why I waited so long to get mine.  I guess I like to take things at my own pace.  Besides, forms and government offices make me nervous.

Alien Permanent Resident.  It has a ring to it, you know?  Feels almost like a new lease on life, or an old mode of existence somehow made new.  True, I'm still not a citizen, And true, I still can't vote, but I do feel more a part of Taiwan, even though I'm not a Taiwanese passport holder.

Why no passport, you ask?  Why no citizenship?  To many fellow expats the answer to these two questions will be obvious, but to many of my Taiwanese friends and coworkers it's not so clear.  I'm often asked by Taiwanese people if I can vote, primarily because they conflate having an APRC (or even an ARC) with having a passport and being a citizen.  I do my best to explain the situation, though the nuances are hard to pin down.

By way of brief explanation, in order to gain a Taiwanese passport I'd have to give up my American passport, and doing so is not a matter to be taken lightly.  Giving up your American passport entails a period of statelessness while your Taiwanese passport is approved, and this period of statelessness can involve serious inconveniences if the approval process takes a long time.

There's also the matter of visiting my home country as a foreign national, which is something I'm unwilling to do at this point.  Even with Trump as President I still like being an American, and I hope that I can be proud of being so again.  Will I ever move back there?  Probably not, but I'd rather remain an American just the same.  I might be the father of two Taiwanese citizens, and I might be the husband of another, but I'd prefer to retain my American citizenship regardless.  It's just part of who I am.

There's also Taiwan's own status to consider.  Barring the willingness to "man the barricades" and potentially go down with the ship, I don't think I have any call to claim citizenship in this country, especially when Taiwan often questions its own status with regard to China.  Taiwan's uncertainty in relation to its own identity isn't likely to be dispelled anytime soon, and in the absence of a national consensus (thanks, KMT), forsaking one's own citizenship for the sake of becoming fully Taiwanese seems a risky proposition.  I can't say I haven't considered it, but at the present time I don't think it's for me.

Dual citizenship?  Sure, but that's not an option right now.

All of which leaves me, the permanently resident foreigner, happy to finally have an APRC, and happy to still be living in Taiwan.  I don't know how you feel about this island, but it's given me a great deal, and I can only hope that I'll have more chances to give back to it in the future.

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2025年9月5日 星期五

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (North 北) 8

There are 37 Districts in Tainan City.  These districts are divided into North Tainan and South Tainan, or those "north of the [Dzengwen] river" and those "south of the [Dzengwen] river."  The districts of North Tainan are further grouped into the Xinying Area, the Beimen Area and the Dzengwen Area.  The districts of South Tainan are further grouped into the Fucheng Area, the Xinfeng Area and the Xinhua Area. 台南市分為37個區 ， 這37個地區分成曾文溪北部的北台南跟曾文溪南部的南台南 。 北台南又分為新營地區 、北門地區跟曾文地區 ； 南台南又分為府城地區 、 新豐地區跟新化地區 。



1a. No recent news out of Xinying.



2a. Someone in Yanshui won around 6 million NT in the lottery.  Hopefully they remembered to go collect their winnings. 今彩539頭獎一晚開出4注  每人分得600萬 !  2注來自新北市



3a. A van full of people filming a travel show crashed into a utility pole near Liouying Junior High.  Five of them were injured. 台南柳營廂型車自撞  實境旅遊節目據組人員5傷

3b. The Tainan City Government recently installed an air filtration system at Chongxi Elementary School.  AI-powered "smart monitoring" has also been implemented in and around the school.  Local air pollution from the Liuke Science and Technology Park continues to be a problem in this area. 台南柳科長年飄異味  市府稽查改善空品



4a. A small car drove off of Highway 85 and struck an obstruction on the roadside.  This vehicle caught fire soon after.  Two of the passengers in this vehicle were later rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 台南後壁自小客車自撞起火 !  2人受傷送醫

4b. Classes and work were cancelled in Houbi due to heavy rains. 豪大雨狂炸 !  台南市府宣布了後壁區今停班停課



5a. Residents of Baihe and nearby areas are, according to this article at least, feeling "forgotten" by the Tainan City Government.  Baihe and other northern districts were once part of Tainan County and were later incorporated into Tainan City.  The residents interviewed in this article don't feel that being part of Tainan City represents an improvement in living standards there.  Business is slow and government services in the district could be improved. 台南縣市合併10年城鄉差拒更大  溪北居民苦笑 : 我們被遺忘了 (1)



6a. No recent news out of Dongshan.



7a. No recent news out of Jiali.


8a. Homes damaged by Typhoon Danas are still being repaired in and around Shuejia District.  The first of several sponsored repair jobs was completed, and an 88 year old disabled man was able to return to his previously rain-damaged house. 前進指揮所媒合中鼎幫助修繕  台南首戶88歲長者 "回家"



9a. No recent news out of Beimen.



10a. A music festival is being held in Jiangjun.  This article introduces both the festival and nearby tourist sites. 2025台南夏日音樂節 "將軍吼"  活動內容 , 表演卡司 , 周邊景點美食一次看 !

10b. A local dance troupe performed a dance interpretation of local coastal areas. 台南將軍區展演 "以海之名"  居民共創舞蹈劇場敘說土地故事


11a. No recent news out of Qigu.



12a. No recent news out of Xigang.


13a. Police in Tainan have set up 17 speed checkpoints, 6 of which are in Madou. 騎開車飛快的小心了 !  台南4行政區這17路段下周起測速

13b. The pomelo crop in Madou is down by 80% as a result of recent heavy rains. 颱風 , 豪雨接連重創  今年文旦減產3成5



14a. No recent news out of Guantian.


15a. No recent news out of Lioujia.



16a. No recent news out of Danei.


17a. No recent news out of Xiaying.


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1. I can see their point, but Baihe is very far from downtown Tainan.  It's actually closer to downtown Jiayi.  They could definitely be getting more from their city government, but I think that in this instance stronger community organizations are key.  The City Government can help them promote their crops and tourist sites, it can also help them build roads, but with geography being such a factor I think they're going to have to help themselves more.  Any potential infrastructure projects in the area will take a long time to get off the ground.
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