This year’s theme, “Holding the land, returning to our roots,” reflects the community’s efforts to rebuild after the 2009 disaster while reconnecting with Taivoan traditions. Organizers say the event will include reenactments of traditional rituals, an environmental theater performance based on residents’ own life stories, concerts, and a local market.

The long-delayed National Freeway No. 7 project is showing new signs of movement, with parts of the 23-kilometer Kaohsiung route entering the tendering process after years of planning, environmental review, and local opposition.

The Highway Bureau said plans call for the expressway to run about 22.6 kilometers from the Zuoying High Speed Rail Station (高鐵左營站) area, passing National Freeways No. 7 and No. 10 before crossing the Kaoping River and connecting with National Freeway No. 3. The four-lane route is planned to include three system interchanges and five local ramps.

The Liberty Times reports that Kaohsiung has 68 road sections or intersections equipped with automated traffic enforcement systems. From January to March, the Jhongjheng 1st Road location recorded 1,883 violations, the highest in the city.

Kaohsiung City Councilor Huang Wen-yi (黃文益) says the district’s street character makes it suitable for outdoor seating and night-time activity. He suggested allowing shops to place tables and chairs on sidewalks, provided pedestrian access and public safety are not affected.

The city press release didn’t give a full list of languages tested, but participants specifically mentioned in the text took exams in Isbukun Bunun and Amis. Officials said many older participants were strong in speaking their Indigenous languages but needed more practice with computer use and Romanized spelling.

The planned extension would run 26.2 kilometers south from Zuoying Station through Kaohsiung and into Liukuaicuo (六塊厝) in Pingtung. Most of the route would be built using shield tunneling, with other sections using cut-and-cover tunnels and elevated structures.

Fortunately, the occupants of the three vehicles struck by the police car did not report any major injuries and did not require hospitalization

Transportation Bureau Director Chang Shu-chuan (張淑娟) said the trial is aimed in part at helping owners of medium and large dogs, who have had fewer options for taking their pets on public transportation because of size restrictions.

Aubs Takisvilainan (阿布斯), head of Kaohsiung’s Indigenous Affairs Commission, said many residents farm on the mountainside across from the bridge, growing green plums, red-fleshed plums, and high-mountain vegetables. He said the wider bridge will make it safer and easier for trucks and transport vehicles to move in and out, increasing shipping capacity and helping local industries.