The Taipei Exchange (TPEx) [證券櫃檯買賣中心] is moving closer to southern Taiwan’s startup scene by co-hosting the third 2026 Kaohsiung Startup Investment DEMO DAY [高雄創業投資 DEMO DAY]. The program combines GISA fundraising rules, investor practice, and pitch deck training, aiming to shorten the path from product validation to capital market readiness.

One of the project’s most talked-about features will be an aquarium and ice rink on upper floors. Those may not open until 2028.

A new traffic diversion lane designed to separate heavy construction vehicles from smaller commuters has come under fire after three accidents occurred within a single hour of its opening. The dedicated lane on Zuonan Road (左楠路) was implemented to manage heavy truck traffic heading to the massive TSMC plant construction site in nearby Nanzih District.

While the market sees moderate traffic from out-of-town tourists, particularly from Kaohsiung and Tainan, Pingtung locals have largely ignored the venue, leading some critics and city councilors to label the project a “mosquito hall” [蚊子館].

Since the new rules came into effect on Jan. 1, builders and haulers have warned that real-world capacity is lagging behind the policy’s scope, citing shortages of compliant vehicles and limited legal destinations for soil disposal and reuse.

The operator spent three years drilling to a depth of about 995 meters, where workers struck geothermal water measuring 42 degrees Celsius. Laboratory testing confirmed the source as a bicarbonate spring, commonly known in Taiwan as a “beauty spring” due to its mineral content.