By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — An 83-year-old woman registered Friday, Sept. 4, to run for Kaohsiung City Council, saying she wants to protect a forest near the Ciaotou Sugar Refinery grounds after hearing that trees could be removed for a road project, the Liberty Times reported.
Chiang Huang-nü (蔣黃女) filed her candidacy with the Kaohsiung City Election Commission, the local election authority, for the city’s third electoral district. The constituency includes Gangshan District (岡山區) and five other districts in northern Kaohsiung.
The report described Chiang as potentially the oldest candidate in the Kaohsiung council race. She was accompanied by her son, Chiang Yao-hsien (蔣耀賢), and Forest City Association Chairman Chuang Chieh-jen (莊傑任).
Her son, who helped establish the Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Art Village and the Golden Sugarcane Film Festival, said Chiang grew up near the refinery. She cut sugarcane there when she was young and later worked with her husband in masonry.
He said Chiang began helping maintain the area while he was involved in efforts to preserve the refinery and develop the art village, caring for green spaces she had known since childhood.
Chiang continues to walk each day around the refinery and neighboring forest, where she talks with local residents, her son said. He said she became alarmed after hearing that a wide road could be built through the area and trees could be cut down.
The source report did not identify a formal road project, construction timetable, or government agency responsible for the reported plans.
Chiang said the forest was important and beautiful and should not be cut down carelessly. If elected, she said she would work to protect its trees and invite residents to walk through the area and watch the sunrise.
