Author: Eryk Michael Smith

With the Democratic Progressive Party’s Kaohsiung mayoral primary entering its final stretch, four DPP lawmakers are intensifying outreach efforts.

When Japan took control of Taiwan in 1895, it inherited a financial mess: a chaotic mix of chopped silver, copper cash, and foreign coins. The new colony also cost far more to subdue and administer than it brought in. Yet during that demanding first decade, able administrators such as Gotō Shinpei turned things around, bringing monetary order and eventual profitability.

The 2025 tea expo showcases Chiayi’s signature product in a stylish venue, with the lovely people who make “high mountain tea” happy to answer questions — and offer visitors copious amounts of all kinds of tea (and coffee).

Next Digital founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying (黎智英) and three companies linked to the now-closed Apple Daily were charged with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to print and publish seditious materials, including allegations of requesting foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China.

Following a 156-day trial, three judges designated under Hong Kong’s national security law, Esther Toh Lye-ping (杜麗冰), Susana D’Almada Remedios (李素蘭), and Johnny Chan Yung-ban (李運騰), delivered their verdict after more than two months of deliberation.

The court found Lai guilty on two counts of collusion with foreign or external forces and one count related to seditious publications. The three associated companies were each convicted on one count of conspiracy to print and publish seditious materials, as well as conspiracy to collude with foreign or external forces endangering national security.

The case has been adjourned until next month, when Lai and other defendants are scheduled to make sentencing submissions. The sentencing date has yet to be set.

Civic groups argue that the forested land surrounding the former sugar refinery represents one of northern Kaohsiung’s most significant remaining green spaces, supporting both wildlife habitat and public use. They say large-scale development would not only disrupt the historic setting of the sugar factory but also erase an irreplaceable urban forest.

Kaohsiung officials say the Christmas Festival at Central Park now ranks as southern Taiwan’s largest year-end cultural gathering.

By Eryk Michael Smith / Staff Kaohsiung’s international creative will gather on the evening of December 19, as Second Space teams up with Nomad Taiwan to host what is being billed as a cross-border mixer for remote workers, founders, designers, and other float-friendly digital talent who already call Taiwan home — or are just settling in. The time and place are Friday, December 19, 18:30–21:00, at Second Space (高雄新興區中山一路12-5), and the event promises the two things digital nomads secretly want but rarely get in one package: low-pressure socializing and people who understand the difference between “working from home” and “working…

By Eryk Michael Smith / KH City Govt Kaohsiung officials were in Busan, South Korea, last month for the first Global City Tourism Summit, an event organized by the Tourism Promotion Organization (TPO), the Busan Metropolitan Government, and the Busan Tourism Organization. The meeting brought together about 1,200 representatives from 22 cities in 13 countries. Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau Director-General Kao Min-lin (高閔琳) attended the mayor-level roundtable, held bilateral talks with Busan officials, and promoted the city to tourism and aviation partners from South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Kao met with Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon (朴亨埈) and Busan Tourism…

Structural work and exterior walls are largely complete, and the store is scheduled to open in mid-2026, replacing Costco’s existing Kaohsiung founding location.

The exhibition, titled “Sacred Waters: Cultural Beliefs and Folklore in the Gaoping River Basin” (這條河很神！高屏溪流域的信仰故事), opened Monday at the Kaohsiung Museum of History.