Officials said the project was recognized for its attempt to solve a familiar problem: how to keep a major cultural venue from becoming an island. The design aims to extend Weiwuying’s cultural activity beyond the concert hall and into everyday city life.

She acknowledged that Kaohsiung remains a city where the DPP has more support than the KMT, and said she does not deny that Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) has maintained strong approval ratings. Ko also said previous mayors, including Han, deserved credit for parts of their work. She said Han’s administration, though short-lived, made improvements to roads, drainage, and flood prevention.

Drivers on a stretch of Jiangong Road (建工路) in Sanmin District (三民區) are now subject to a reduced speed limit of 30 kph as construction continues on Yellow Line (黃線) Station Y8, part of the city’s second MRT line.

Mayor Chen said the city would expand contracted counseling institutions, provide funding for stress-management and emotional-support courses in schools, and use the employee assistance program to connect teachers with medical and mental-health resources. He also said the KH Education Bureau had been asked to identify problems reported by frontline educators and bring in cross-departmental resources, including psychologists, social workers, and medical institutions.