Author: kht-root
By KHT Staff KAOHSIUNG — Even as demolition crews erase one of Kaohsiung’s most nostalgic commercial landmarks, the land beneath it is already making headlines for another reason: price. The site of the former Datong Department Store (大統百貨) near Wufu Road (五福路) and Central Park (中央公園) has seen a small parcel of land sell for an eye-catching NT$74.7 million, according to Taiwan’s real estate transaction registry. The plot measures just 19.7 ping (about 65 square meters), but the transaction works out to roughly NT$3.8 million per ping, making it one of the highest unit land prices ever recorded in Kaohsiung.…
The initiative is part of a broader effort to turn the area around Kaohsiung Station into more than just a transportation hub, encouraging young people to gather, perform, and interact in public space.
According to a 2024 human resources survey conducted by the county government, unemployment in the island group stood at just 0.1 percent, far below the national rate of 3.38 percent. The extremely tight labor market is creating hiring challenges across sectors, including hospitality, retail, construction, and childcare.
The song was composed by the school’s first principal, Li Chih-chuan (李志傳), a Pingtung native who studied music in Japan before returning to teach. Li later moved to Taipei, where he played an important role in Taiwan’s early music education system and helped organize teacher choirs and orchestras — including a group that later evolved into what is now the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團).
The company also said Kaohsiung leads southern Taiwan in delivery demand for salty fried chicken (鹹酥雞) and that black tea-based drinks are ordered at more than twice the rate seen in Taipei.
On Friday, the husband of the victim, surnamed Li, and their three children returned to the crash site to perform a traditional seventh-day spirit-calling ritual, which in Taiwanese mourning customs marks the first week after a death. Witnesses said the children called out for their mother to come home while kneeling beside her memorial tablet.
The expansion added roughly 270 ping of immigration and customs processing space and 215 ping for baggage claim, along with new passenger corridors and covered walkways connecting the two buildings. The facility now includes 14 manual inspection counters and four automated clearance systems to improve passenger flow.
According to the Taiwan Water Corporation (台灣自來水公司), water service will be fully suspended from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in parts of Fongshan District (鳳山區), Niaosong District (鳥松區), and Sanmin District (三民區). Meanwhile, water pressure will drop across several other districts, including Sinsing District (新興區) and Renwu District (仁武區), along with parts of Sanmin, Fongshan, Zuoying District (左營區), Cianjhen District (前鎮區), and Gushan District (鼓山區).
Real estate agents say Gushan remains one of the city’s most active housing markets, driven largely by developments around the Art Museum district and the Aozihdi redevelopment area. The district also benefits from strong transportation links, including the Kaohsiung MRT Red Line, the circular light rail, nearby TRA stations, and proximity to the high-speed rail station in Zuoying.
Plans call for three towers rising 28 and 31 stories above ground with four basement levels. The development will combine office space, a business hotel, retail shops, and residential units in what officials describe as a mixed-use landmark integrating commercial services with sports and recreation facilities. Construction is expected to begin in August 2027 and be completed by October 2033.
