Author: kht-root

The civic Facebook page 高雄好過日 (@takaogooday) reported that NT$150 million has been secured for the restoration of the Imperial Crown-style old station building (帝冠車站), with the Kaohsiung City Bureau of Cultural Affairs (高雄市政府文化局) expected to handle the project on behalf of Taiwan Railway Corp. The project is expected to be tendered as early as July, with restoration taking about 18 months to two years and possible completion in 2028, according to the post. The restoration funding and timeline were also reported by Yahoo News, citing local reporting.

Kaohsiung City Councilor Chang Po-yang (張博洋) pointed out that cruise passengers often have only a few hours in the city before returning to their ships. Chang said that means shops need to be easy to identify, easy to reach, and ready to serve foreign visitors.

Arrivals from Korea could reach 115,000 this year, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 104,000 and generating more than NT$2 billion for local shopping districts.

Local officials argue that Fongshan, Kaohsiung’s most populous district with over 350,000 residents, should be considered as a future transport hub. Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) and several Fongshan representatives previously suggested that a high-speed rail station could be integrated with the existing Taiwan Railways Fongshan Station (鳳山車站).

Officials say the plan was expected to receive final approval by the end of July, with the central government approving NT$12 million in funding, including more than NT$9 million in subsidies.

Organizers highlighted that this year’s APG included several inclusive initiatives, such as gender-friendly restrooms and enhanced gender awareness training for staff. The competition categories deviated from traditional binary divisions. For instance, bodybuilding included a “non-binary physique group.”

The Pingtung County Government said the project is intended to ease traffic through central Fangliao, where heavy holiday traffic, frequent traffic lights, and local congestion have long slowed vehicles moving through southern Pingtung.

Public Health Bureau Director Chang Hsiu-chun (張秀君) said mosquitoes can breed in as little as 0.5 centimeters of standing water.

Motorcyclists are calling on Kaohsiung officials to change traffic rules at the Y-shaped intersection of Jhongjheng 1st Road (中正一路) and Sanduo 1st Road (三多一路) near Weiwuying (衛武營), saying the current two-stage turn requirement is inefficient and creates safety conflicts.

The dispute highlights a familiar problem behind Kaohsiung’s “pedestrian hell” label: even after a deadly crash, officials, residents, and businesses are still arguing over what counts as walkable public space, who is responsible for keeping it clear, and whether painted fixes can protect people when sidewalks are missing or compromised.