Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (South 南) 9

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 。

1. 安南區 Annan District

1a. Housing prices in Annan continue to rise alongside the development of the nearby Qigu Science Park.  New housing in the area will cost you between 30-40 thousand NT per ping. 七股科工區將創6千個就業機會  安南區房市續受惠  大樓與電梯華後站3字頭

1b. A park dedicated to Koxinga was renovated recently. 台南安南區鄭成功紀念公園翻新啟用  文化與遊態憩功能全面升級 (3)

2. 中西區 West Central District

2a. Two scooters collided on Fuqian Road.  Three people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries. 台南中西區府前路二段機車對撞  3人受傷送醫幸無生命危險

3. 安平區 Anping District

3a. There will be a religious activity honoring Matsu at the Queen of Heaven Temple on April 22. 市定民俗活動  安平開台天后宮 "上香迎媽祖"  將在4/22登場

4. 南區 South District

4a. Two people running for positions in the Tainan City Government posed as video game characters Mario and Luigi for a promotional billboard.  Many praised this billboard as "innovative," while others worried about copyright infringement and creating the appearance that Nintendo was somehow endorsing the two candidates. 台南議員周麗津看板 "模仿瑪利歐"  疑侵權不排除撤除

4b. A woman under the influence of drugs struck several vehicles with her car, only coming to a stop after driving into a nearby median.  Three scooter riders were sent to the hospital, but no one was seriously injured. 毒駕女下班時間直直衝連撞4車  正面對決分隔島才停下

5. 北區 North District

5a. Two teenagers riding an electric scooter collided with a car in North District.  The teenager riding on the back of the electric scooter suffered a brain hemorrhage, and is in very serious condition. 台南市北區少年違規載人車禍  少女腦出血重傷

6. 安定區 Anding District

6a. Two vehicles collided on the #8 Expressway.  One of the drivers was found unresponsive and sent to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.  The other driver fled the scene and an investigation is underway. 台南清晨重大車禍  駕駛OHCA送醫另一人失聯 (1)

6b. There was another accident, this one involving five vehicles, on the same expressway.  One person was sent to the hospital afterward. 國道嚴重事故 !  5車 "撞成一團"  零件碎滿地 , 1人送醫

7. 東區 East District

7a. A new arts hall will open on the 18th of this month.  This venue includes an outdoor stage.  One or two events will be launched there every weekend. 明華園台南打造戲巢藝術館  訂4/18開幕

8. 善化區 Shanhua District

8a. A driver collided with a row of scooters parked next to a road.  No one was injured. 妳累了嗎 ?  台南賓士女恍神暴衝  路旁15部機車倒一排

9. 新市區 Xinshr District

9a. Despite the cost of a house rising in some areas, the overall housing market in Tainan slowed recently.  A recent reduction in transaction volume shows that residential properties in areas such as Xinshr were overvalued, even if the overall market remains stable. 台南房市兩樣情 !  "1行政區" 交易量暴增751%  新市慘跌6成

10. 永康區 Yongkang District

10a. There was a fire at an Indian restaurant in Yongkang.  A nearby adult toy store was also damaged.  No one was injured. 台南印度料理店深夜  鐵門內竄橘紅火光 , 濃煙  波及情趣店

11. 仁德區 Rende District

11a. Many residents and business owners are opposed to a plan to create a pedestrian walkway along Zhongzheng Road as it passes through the district.  Such pedestrian-friendly plans, they protest, should reflect local traffic conditions. 台南仁德鬧區擬設人行道引反彈  居民 : 推人本交通也要顧現實 (2)

12. 歸仁區 Gueiren District

12a. This article introduces a beef soup restaurant in Gueiren with a 5.0 rating on Google. 小周家牛肉湯Google擁有563則評論獲得5.0顆星評 ...

13. 關廟區 Guanmiao District

13a. A hundred tables are up for grabs at the 2026 Tainan Master Chef event, held in Guanmiao this year.  Tables at the banquet-style event are highly sought after.  The menu will incorporate ingredients from the mountains, the sea, the plains and the hills.  Tables are going for 10,000 apiece. 台南四季辦桌回歸  5/2關廟首場席開百桌

14. 新化區 Xinhua District

14a. It's pineapple and bamboo shoot season in Xinhua, Guanmiao and Longqi.  Farmers in those districts will be taking part in several markets and promotional events to be held in that area.  The first of these events will take place at Shanxi Temple in Guanmiao on April 25th. 台南鳳梨好筍季  25日關廟打頭陣

15. 龍崎區 Longqi District

15a. Chen Long-zheng was recently reassigned to the position of Longqi District Chief. 台南市戶政與區政人事異動  陳龍政接任龍崎區長

16. 左鎮區 Zuojhen District

16a. The local development association in Gongguan Village recently transformed a public area into a "Bamboo Weaving Cultural Station," and an exhibition was held at this venue to showcase items made from bamboo.  The area has a long history of both growing bamboo and creating agricultural products from this crop. 左鎮堊地生活文化驛站  竹編展

17. 山上區 Shanshang District

17a. The Shanshang Farmer's Association held an activity introducing the various uses of pineapple in Daqiao Village. 鳳梨飄香進社區 !  山上區農會首場鳳梨食農教育活動於大橋里盛大開跑

18. 玉井區 Yujing District

18a. This article introduces a new "secret spot" in Yujing where you can see pink shower tree blossoms. 台南玉井花旗木秘境曝光 !  玥園恩親步道粉色花海浪漫綻放中

18b. A lot of land was recently auctioned off in Yujing.  Nearly $10 million NT in property changed hands at the event. 南署法拍熱 !  入帳近千萬  玉井3筆土地658萬拍出

19. 楠西區 Nanxi District

19a. The "Firefly Flower Hot Spring Festival" began in the Gueidan Hot Spring Area last week.  The event included performances, a magic show and lower prices on tickets to the local hot springs. 春遊台南楠西  2026螢光花泉季周末登場

20. 南化區 Nanhua District

20a. Here's a gruesome one.  A 62 year old man drove over his wife after an argument.  The collision caused her internal organs to rupture and she died at the scene.  Respect to first responders - that couldn't have been an easy thing to deal with. 台南殺妻命案 ... 丈夫開車加速輾過妻子內臟破裂死亡  檢聲押獲准

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Nanxi District, Tainan City 台南市楠西區

Taitung in the News 台東的新聞 (North 北) 4

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 9

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (North 北) 9

1. Is driving a car or scooter in Tainan City dangerous?  Yup!

2. They have a valid point.  There are some truly baffling crosswalks and pedestrian walkways in Tainan, and many of these crosswalks and walkways seem to make walking around Tainan MORE dangerous, not less so.

3. Just a suggestion: while we're making all these "improvements" to parks maybe we can consider the importance of SHADE.  Kids, like all other mammals, generally prefer to avoid direct UV exposure for extended periods of time.

Nanxi District, Tainan City 台南市楠西區

Nanxi is north of Yujing and west of Nanhua.  It's also just over the city/county line from Jiayi and very close to the Dzengwen Reservoir. 楠西位於玉井北部 、 南化西部 。  楠西也靠近台南市和嘉義縣的邊界附近的曾文水庫 。

According the last census, 8359 people live in Nanxi. 上次人口統計顯示楠西的人口是8359人 。

This pineapple field is behind the now-defunct "Mango Sightseeing Factory," which once greeted visitors traveling north from Yujing. 這鳳梨田在以前的芒果農創玫瑰綠柏園觀光工廠後方 ， 它以前營業的時候，從玉井方向來的遊客可以在這裡休息一下。

The Xuankong Temple, which also serves as a monastery, is on the other side of Central Nanxi from the "Mango Factory."  This building has been under construction for ages, but many other parts of the adjoining temple complex have been finished and are open to the public. 玄空法寺在楠西的另外一邊 。  這棟建築物已經處於施工階段一段時間了 ， 可是後面已經完工的部分開放給民眾進去 。

The highlight of this place is the statues, of which there are many. 這裡有許多雕像 ，  是這座佛寺的特色 !

The Buddha's life in globular form.  This is, in my opinion, the most impressive thing there.  I can't imagine how many hours of labor it took to complete it. 球形的佛生 。  我覺得這個東西是最酷的 ! 它的完成一定花了許多的人力 。

I wouldn't come here on a rainy day, but if the weather's good it's extremely interesting.  You can also eat lunch here.  The (vegetarian) lunch is free for all, though of course donating a hundred or so as thanks for the food is the right thing to do. 我不會在天氣不好時來這裡 ， 可是晴天的時候這裡很有趣 。  雖然這裡免費供午餐 ，可是我們覺得捐點餐費表示感謝才好，我們也這麼做了。

Behind the temple, on the Dzengwen River, is the Yongxing Suspension Bridge.  This is the longest such bridge in Taiwan. 曾文溪上的永興吊橋位於玄空法寺的後方 ， 是台灣最長的吊橋 。

There weren't many other tourists when we were there.  A lot of people don't bother with the bridge, and instead leave after they've seen the temple. 我們在吊橋的時候沒有其他遊客，  很多遊客參觀完玄空法寺之後直接離開 ， 沒有下去吊橋 。

Looking down on the Dzengwen River to the west.  For most (not all) of its length this river divides "North Tainan" from "South Tainan."  It's really muddy. 在曾文溪上往西邊看 ，  大部分的曾文溪為台南北部和南部的邊界 ，  這條溪很渾濁。

Looking north, toward Jiayi (Chiayi) County. 往北邊看 ，  遠處是嘉義縣 。

There are drinks and local agricultural goods available on the other side of the bridge. 吊橋的另外一邊有賣飲料跟農特產的攤販。

Some of the signs around here say that these farms are under the supervision of the Shanhua Farmer's Association.  Maybe the Nanxi Farmer's Association isn't a going concern? 附近有善化農會的告示牌 ， 這個地區不是楠西農會的嗎 ?

Lunch is also possible on the opposite end of the bridge.  I can't remember what this restaurant sells, but there was a sign for beef noodles across from it. 吊橋另外一邊也有午餐 ，  我忘記這家賣什麼 ， 可是對面有牛肉麵的牌子 。

The Meiling Scenic Area is in eastern Nanxi.  It's one of the more broken-down scenic areas I've been to.  In some respects it reminded me of Guandzeling to the north.  There are a couple popular restaurants in the area, but most of the local businesses aren't exactly flourishing. 梅嶺風景區位於楠西區的東部 ，  這個風景區的旅遊設備比較差 ， 風景有點像北邊的關仔嶺 。  附近有兩家生意比較好的餐廳 ， 其他商店的生意沒那麼好 。

If you're driving here be sure your vehicle is reliable.  The road into Meiling gets VERY steep, very fast.  At one point our engine started smoking! 你開車來之前需要先確認車況 ， 因為梅嶺的馬路很陡 ，  我們汽車一度開始冒煙 !

Overall it's... kind of pretty.  The scenery didn't blow me away, but it's OK just the same.  My chief impression was that there are prettier places which are easier to get to. 我覺得這裡風景還好 ，  想法是其他地方有比較容易到達的優美景點。

On the way back to Yujing we visited the Old Jiang Family Residence.  It made for a nice walk, even if the coffee shop was closed. 我們開車回去玉井的路上停靠江家古厝迷彩屋 。  那一天那裡的咖啡館沒開 ， 但是在附近散步不錯 。

The local government seems to be putting a lot of time, money and effort into restoring the surrounding buildings.  It will probably be more of a tourist site in the future. 區公所在這些建築上花了很多時間 , 金錢跟人工 .  過了一段時間這裡比較像觀光景點吧 .

Oh, and we visited the Gueidan Hot Spring Area while we were in Nanxi.  As it turned out it's neither especially scenic nor especially interesting.  If you're just looking to soak in a local hot spring it's fine (and cheap), but the area as a whole is very run-down and not particularly inviting. 對了 ， 我們逛楠西的時候也去了龜丹溫泉區 。  那裏的風景一般，也比較無趣 ，  但是如果要就近泡溫泉的話可以去， 不貴 ， 可惜的是龜丹溫泉區有點落後並散發出封閉的不歡迎感。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Luye Terrace (Gaotai) 鹿野高台 (Taitung 台東)

Daliao District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市大寮區

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (North 北) 9

Nanhua District, Tainan City 台南市南化區

Pros and Cons: The Taitung County Government

The Taitung County Government has its share of reviews on Google Maps.  Below are 5 good and 5 bad reviews I found there.  The 5-star reviews tend to be tourists passing through the county, while the 1-star reviews tend to be either locals or people disappointed with their visit.  Below each review I humbly offer "My Two Cents."

1. (five stars)

"Good government in the East"

My Two Cents: IS it a "good government in the East" though?  It's certainly more keen on development than the Hualien County Government, but all of this development comes at a cost.  The Taitung County Government, for example, doesn't seem especially concerned about protecting the local environment.  

Some of the recent infrastructure projects are, I freely admit, things that local people want and moreover things that local people voted for, but one gets the feeling that wealth speaks volumes in this town, and if someone has the magistrate's ear and money to invest odds are that whatever project they have in mind will get pushed through regardless.  Witness, for example, the "Beautiful Bay Resort" and its continued existence.

2. (one star)

"Garbage trucks are allowed to park outside the school for several days every year, then come back and scold people who dump trash, refusing to collect it because there's too much trash. Are we paying them to go on a safari with our tax dollars? Are they just like elementary school students who want to park outside the school? What is the county government doing? Garbage trucks bully the people of Taitung, and the government just sits back and does nothing? Especially recycling trucks who curse people who dump trash everywhere! It's okay if they don't collect the cardboard boxes; we can sell them and keep the money. We give you the boxes, but the money goes into your pockets, but is it really giving back to society?" 垃圾車每年都可以校外觀摩好幾天，回來就罵倒垃圾民眾，垃圾多就不收，我們納稅錢是給他們出去玩的嗎？他們像小學生一樣要校外觀摩是嗎？縣政府在幹什么？垃圾車欺負臺東百姓，政府坐視不管嗎？尤其是資源回收車隨地罵倒垃圾的民眾！不收紙箱沒關係，我們也可以拿去賣，得到錢算是我們的，我們紙箱給你們，結果換來的錢進你們口袋有回饋社會嗎？

My Two Cents: This guy's a major league complainer. His Google reviews read like a list of ways in which various service workers have let him down. The staff at one restaurant were rude to his mother, the workers at a 7-11 neither greeted him nor said "Thank you" after his purchase, the garbage man dared to ask him why he had so much trash to dispose of.

I can't say that I've ever felt bullied by the sanitation workers of Taitung City, and I dumped A LOT of trash in those trucks just before Chinese New Year.

3. (five stars)

"Thank you to the county government team and all the staff at the New Year's Eve event for your hard work! ❤ Thank you to the county magistrate for his gracious demeanor and for not putting on a show; that's a big plus! 👍 Giving the stage to the performers 😊 This kind of county magistrate is admirable. He even praised tourists from other counties for their good taste; it's the best way to promote tourism." 謝謝縣府團隊，跨年現場工作人員都辛苦了❤謝謝風度滿滿的縣長不刻意作秀，很棒加分👍把舞台讓給藝人😊這種縣長很讚，還誇外縣市遊客好眼光，最好的觀光傳播

My Two Cents: The "he" in the English translation was inserted there by Google. The current County Magistrate is a woman, Rao Ching-ling by name. If I ever meet her I really want to ask her about the restrictions she helped lift on the development of mountain areas.

4. (one star)

"We made a special trip from Taichung to take our kids to see Doraemon's hot air balloon. The kids were so excited to see the hot air balloon point collecting game that they spent half a day scanning QR codes at various locations. Finally, we arrived at Luye Highland to see the hot air balloon. We thought we'd be able to complete the activity smoothly, but the staff said that the exhibition hall was closed due to the typhoon and we couldn't enter to scan the QR codes. They did say that the souvenir exhibition hall was open as usual. These little things were not worth much, but we felt like we were being fooled. The kids were also very disappointed. The giveaways were closed, but the vendors continued to operate regardless of the weather. How short of money is the Taitung County Government?" 為了帶小朋友看多拉A夢的熱氣球，特別從臺中跑來旅遊，小朋友看到了熱器球集點遊戲非常開心，也特别花了半天的時間去各個地點掃QR扣，最後到鹿野高臺看熱器球，本以為就可以順利的完成活動，但工作人員說因為颱風展場封閉，無法進入掃QR扣，但有說賣紀念品的展場正常開放，一點點小東西值不了兩個錢，但感覺就是被耍，小朋友也很失望，送贈品的封鎖，販物的不畏風雨持續營業，到底臺東縣政府是有多缺錢啊！

My Two Cents: This one sounds more like sour grapes. Taichung is on the other side of the island, and they should have done their research ahead of time. Expecting to go from Taichung, to downtown Taitung City, to Luye smoothly is expecting a bit too much. By their own admission a typhoon was either on the way out or had just left the area, and you can't assume a lot in that situation.

5. (five stars)

"Some of the decorations and equipment are very new. It is not far from the airport and next to Tiehua Village." 有些裝潢設備很新，離機場不遠，在鐵花村旁邊

My Two Cents: Actually the Taitung County Government IS far from the airport. It's on the other side of the city from it. It's also NOT next to Tiehua Village, which is several streets away.

6. (two stars)

"Green Island is a very relaxing and leisurely place, but there are more and more guesthouses, and the harbor is getting uglier and uglier. Besides, what era are we living in? The maximum speed limit on the two main provincial highways, Provincial Highway 9 and Provincial Highway 11, is still stuck at 60 km/h. No wonder it takes so long to drive to Taitung; people are too tired to even go… The most bizarre thing is that the newly planned Mahengheng Avenue has a slower lane that's larger than the faster lane! What's with that?! Is the slower lane for tanks?!" 綠島是一個很休閒、很放鬆的地方，但民宿愈來愈多，而且港口愈來愈醜；而且，都什麼年代了，二個最主要的省道台九線、台11線最高速限還停在60km，難怪到台東要開那麼久，嫌累的都不想去了…

最詭異的是，新規劃出來的馬亨亨大道，慢車道比快車道還大是什麼東西呀！？慢車道是給戰車開的嗎？！

My Two Cents: They seem to have conflated Green Island and the rest of Taitung County. I haven't been to Green Island in a while, but 60 km/hr. around Green Island sounds more than reasonable to me.

As for the rest of the county, yeah, speed limits and traffic stops are a problem. I'm all for safer roads, but the drive south from Taitung City to Daren is like a bad joke. The county depends on tourism, the Bureau of Transportation spends a lot of money to improve roads in the county, and once "improvements" are finished they impose the same old speed limits and install still more traffic lights and speed cameras on the newly renovated roads. It makes no sense.

I agree on Mahengheng Boulevard. I haven't seen any tanks on it, but it's a strangely designed road for sure.

7. (four stars)

"There is no Education Department, Culture Department, or Social Affairs Department in the government. Please don't make a wasted trip." 府內一級單位並無教育處、文化處、社會處喔，請洽公民眾別再白跑一趟囉

My Two Cents: I don't know why this person felt the need to tell us that the Education Bureau and other parts of the local government are elsewhere. A search on Google Maps would make that immediately obvious. Are people randomly setting of in search of government offices that aren't at this location? I kind of doubt it.

8. (one star)

"There are countless speed cameras throughout the county, and you'll be charged extra for a domestic trip to Taitung! Speeding tickets are issued on rural roads! Locals in the city park get away with illegal parking! Guanshan Water Park hasn't been developed or maintained in 3 or 4 years; it's a complete mess! And countless other places are still unmanaged! Is soaking in hot springs like soaking in tap water? No wonder the indigenous people all go to the US to play professional baseball! My advice to everyone is to never spend money in Taitung! Only help the indigenous people reclaim their original homeland! Taitung is despicable because you can't see the sunset! Only the sunset is infinitely beautiful! Being an official is even better!" 縣內多到數不盡的測速照相，去台東幫助你國旅要被臨時加價！要鄉間小路要罰超速！市區當地人違停不抓！關山親水公園3，4年都沒整理發展，亂七八糟！還有不剩其數的地方都沒整頓！泡湯是泡自來水嗎？難怪原住民都去美國打職棒！此生建議大家絕不進台東消費！只幫原住民討回原住地！看不到夕陽西下的太麻里隔鄙！只有夕 陽無限 好！當官更好！

My Two Cents: Speed cameras aside, there's a lot to unpack here.

1) The Guanshan Water Park is definitely undermanaged. I don't know if its present state is more the fault of the County Government or the Guanshan Municipality Office, but a lot more could be done with that particular tourist site. It's like they can't decide whether it's a regular tourist site or some kind of ecologically protected area. I don't know what the answer is, but that park has only deteriorated in the years I've lived here.

2) "Is soaking in hot springs like soaking in tap water?" I have no idea what this is supposed to mean. Maybe the hot spring they visited wasn't hot enough? If so they should have named the place. They might be talking about the Journey to the East Hot Spring Resort in Zhiben, which I've heard is actually run on tap water, but without further information it's impossible to know. I'd like to emphasize the fact that I only heard Journey to the East is run on tap water, this may not be the case.

3) "No wonder the indigenous people all go to the US to play baseball!" This borderline racial/racist comment is nonsense. There simply aren't that many indigenous Taiwanese baseball players in the States.

4) "Despicable Taitung" made me chuckle. Not entirely sure what their issues with non-indigenous people in Taitung are, (maybe they don't really know, either), but they definitely had a less than enjoyable visit.

9. (five stars)

"It coincides with the 2025 Hot Air Balloon Carnival, and this time it is co-branded with Doraemon, so I came to check out the location to take photos with Doraemon, and also wish the event a smooth and successful success☺️☺️" 適逢2025熱氣球嘉年華，這次與小叮噹聯名，所以來踩點找小叮噹拍照，也祝福活動順利圓滿☺️☺️

My Two Cents: Yes, Doraemon was a big thing. I missed a lot of that because I was in Kaohsiung at the time.

10. (one star)

"I parked in the county government parking lot while attending a class. I didn't hear the staff ask about it. When they did, they immediately responded with the reason for parking. His tone was quite rude, indicating that he hadn't asked and kept skipping. Thank you so much." 來縣府上課停縣府停車場

只是沒聽到有管理人員詢問 聽到後馬上回覆停車原因 …

My Two Cents: There's a lot of parking-related rage to be found in the County Government's reviews. I can remember a time when you could find a parking spot anywhere, but those days are, sadly, long gone.

I strenuously avoid driving north up the coast during big holiday weekends. I'm also very careful about when I drive back to Taitung from Kaohsiung or other parts of the west coast. The tourist traffic is definitely predictable, but even so it can be a problem when you just have to get somewhere and it seems that half of Taiwan is driving the same way.

As you might imagine, the supply of parking spots downtown has diminished with the increase in traffic over the years. As a result there can be road rage, often directed at whatever power or powers seem to be responsible for the dearth of parking spots.

11. (three stars)

The Taitung County Government does what it can, when it can, for whom it can. Or it doesn't. Whether it does or it doesn't is for the residents of Taitung County to decide. Hopefully these residents vote accordingly and without fear of coercion.

My Two Cents: The above comment is extremely profound, and reflects both a deeper understanding of the Taitung County Government and its constituents. The author of the above comment should definitely write a blog about Taitung, perhaps including information on neighboring counties and cities into the bargain.

Oh wait, he already does! Here's the link:

https://acidolphilus.blogspot.com/

Have a great day?

Related Entries:

Taitung in the News 台東的新聞 (North 北) 4

Luye Terrace (Gaotai) 鹿野高台 (Taitung 台東)

A Few More Pictures 多一些照片 5

What Name Which Someone Finds

NOTE: If there's Chinese below the original comment that's because it was the language in which the comment was posted in.  The English translations of Chinese language comments were cut/pasted from Google.