Author: Eryk Michael Smith

By Eryk Michael Smith/Pingtung County Govt. PINGTUNG — Officials are hopeful about the prospects of a long-dormant industrial site in Pingtung (屏東) becoming one of southern Taiwan’s most ambitious new art spaces. The Pingtung Art Museum (屏東縣立美術館) was once Warehouse No. 14 at the former Pingtung Tobacco Factory (屏菸). On Friday, March 27, it reopens as part of the Pingtung 1936 Cultural Base, another milestone in the county’s journey to turn its industrial heritage into facilities that serve the public. County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi (周春米) got an early look this week, walking through the space with architect Shih Chao-yung (石昭永)…

By Eryk Michael Smith/Staff KAOHSIUNG — Additional details have been released for Kaohsiung’s upcoming Children’s Day “Dinosaur Park” (恐龍酷樂園) event at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying, 衛武營國家藝術文化中心), including confirmation that all activities will be free to attend. Organizers said the four-day event, running April 3rd to April 6th, will feature a full-day program across multiple themed zones, with activities beginning around 11 a.m. and continuing into the evening. The headline attraction, a performance by Japan’s DINO-A-LIVE troupe, will run three times daily, with shows scheduled at 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 7:20 p.m. Each performance lasts approximately…

By Eryk Michael Smith/Staff. AI image for illustration only. KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung International Airport (高雄國際機場) is easily reached by the city’s MRT Red Line (紅線), which also links to TRA trains at Kaohsiung Main Station (高雄車站), as well as the Zuoying High Speed Rail Station (左營高鐵站) further north on the line. One major inconvenience, however, is the lack of in-town airport check-in services, which means travelers must carry their luggage onto the Kaohsiung MRT (高雄捷運). A report from UDN says local officials and transport observers are asking why Kaohsiung doesn’t have the same services as the Taoyuan Airport MRT (桃園機場捷運),…

The city hopes to position Kaohsiung’s mountainous regions as a key domestic tourism draw, particularly as interest in camping and outdoor recreation grows.

A brief meeting between the KMT’s Ko Chih-en and the TPP’s Ko Wen-je is drawing attention amid ongoing speculation over a possible KMT–TPP alignment in Kaohsiung, where the race between Ko and the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) will likely narrow despite Lai currently enjoying a large lead in many polls.

The STJSC emphasized that institutional support is vital for ensuring that global experts can “root themselves” in Taiwan, a theme also highlighted on the Talent Taiwan website: “Taiwan is no longer just looking for ‘workers’—it is looking for residents.”

Industry insiders say the March 10 launch from Singapore of the first Disney cruise ship based in Asia, Disney Adventure, highlights both the rapid growth of the regional cruise market and the structural challenges facing cities like Kaohsiung as they try to capture a larger share of it.

The dispute reflects a broader tension across southern Taiwan, where rapid industrial expansion tied to the semiconductor sector is increasingly intersecting with environmental concerns and long-standing land-use plans.

Company representatives said the priority is bringing people into the space and building familiarity with the station area ahead of the larger retail and office complex expected to open in 2028.

One current exhibition, running through May 10, 2026, explores how East Asia was represented in historical maps and images from the 14th to the 19th centuries, offering visitors a fascinating look at how the region understood the wider world.