By Eryk Michael Smith. Images via KH City Govt/AI illustrations.
KAOHSIUNG — Nineteen proposed lots at Dalinpu’s (大林蒲) new settlement sit directly in line with roads that end in front of them, an arrangement traditionally considered bad feng shui.
Known in Taiwan as luchong (路沖), the layout is considered undesirable because the road is believed to channel harmful energy straight toward the home. In everyday terms, the road — and approaching traffic — points directly at the property.
The city says no resident will be forced to accept a “luchong” lot.
The dispute is the latest concern in Dalinpu’s long-delayed relocation. Officials nevertheless say they expect to begin allocating replacement land and paying compensation in 2027, more than a decade after the city started formally asking whether residents wanted to leave the heavily industrialized community.
Residents who do not want one of the 19 disputed lots will be allowed to choose land in another part of the new settlement, according to the city.
Construction at the new residential site has already begun. Work on its roads started in June and is expected to be completed in August 2027.
Why Dalinpu is being moved
Heavy industry in Xiaogang goes back to the Japanese colonial era, which made it and the nearby harbor area a major target for Allied bombing during World War II. The post-1945 KMT government continued slowly building up industrial assets in the area.
The Linhai Industrial Park was established in 1972, and by the end of that decade, the area around Dalinpu village was gradually surrounded by oil refineries, petrochemical plants, a steel mill, a power plant, container terminals, and other port facilities.
Residents have long complained about air pollution, noise, and the risk of industrial accidents. Many report that they cannot safely open their windows because of dust, odors, and emissions from nearby industrial sites.
A government health-risk assessment published in 2019 identified benzene, 1,3-butadiene, vinyl chloride, and other hazardous pollutants as major contributors to health risks in the area. It identified both industry and traffic, including ships, as major pollution sources.
The city surveyed residents about relocation several times, beginning in the early 2010s. A more extensive survey completed in 2017 found that nearly 90 percent of participating residents supported moving.
Then-premier Lin Chuan (林全) visited Dalinpu in 2016 with city officials and the heads of several major industrial companies. The delegation apologized to residents for the pollution they had endured and promised action.
The Executive Yuan formally approved a plan for a new industrial park to be built alongside a relocated Dalinpu on Oct. 8, 2019. Of its original, almost NT$105 billion budget, about NT$59 billion was allocated for moving Dalinpu. A revised plan approved in December 2023 increased the relocation budget to NT$80 billion.
The Kaohsiung Urban Development Bureau (高雄市政府都市發展局) said on Aug. 5 that the proposed New Materials Circular Economy Industrial Park, a non-polluting zone to be located near the new Dalinpu site, is under Central Government review.
Tying the relocation to the industrial park provided the necessary funding, but it also became a source of frustration. Residents and environmental groups have repeatedly argued that people should not have to wait for the larger development to complete its environmental and planning reviews before being moved away from the pollution.
Compensation and relocation assistance
The land the people of Dalinpu move out of, if not zoned for residential or commercial use, will be purchased at 40 percent above market value, according to the bureau.
Other measures include bonuses for residents who move or rebuild early, doubled relocation subsidies for disadvantaged households, 2,000 social housing units, and assistance with building replacement homes.
Since 2024, the city has held 63 consultation and survey sessions to discuss the available options with affected property owners.
Close to 95 percent of residential and commercial landowners have reportedly accepted the proposed arrangements.
The city began holding briefings on its negotiated purchase process in April 2026. Fifty-eight of a planned 108 sessions had been completed by the end of July, with more than 2,500 owners signing consent forms.
