Kaohsiung is tightening enforcement of Taiwan’s local amusement tax as year-end dining demand rises. After a city website update on Dec. 15, 2025, and Finance Ministry guidance on Dec. 19, restaurants offering karaoke and TV or projection screens may be treated like KTV venues for tax purposes.

Kaohsiung’s Transportation Bureau has set traffic controls for the city’s 2026 New Year’s Eve show at Dream Mall, with phased road closures starting 3 p.m. Dec. 31, no car parking on site and extended late-night service on metro and rail to move crowds quickly.

One widely supported revision is the announcement at Kaohsiung Main Station, where the Taiwanese term was changed from “tshia-tsam” (車站) to “tshia-thau” (車頭), a form many speakers consider more natural.

MRT extended to 2 am, Light Rail to 1:30 am, and TRA trains will keep on chugging until 2:30 am.

A towering column of black smoke was seen for kilometers. Initial reports cite 33 trucks and 65 responders dispatched and roads cordoned. No trapped workers had been reported by afternoon.

Pedestrian crossings are being adjusted. Crosswalks are being set slightly farther back from intersections, and striped markings are being re-angled so drivers can see pedestrians earlier as they approach.

Local Mega Mall Plans Firework “Firsts” to see in 2026.

According to the city, the error originated from a 29-year-old research assistant who altered testing instrument settings.

The port company [港務公司] on Nov. 20 promoted a highlight commercial bid for the New Ya-wan Twin Towers development [新亞灣雙子星大樓開發案]. The sequencing signals a push to speed investment and execution.

On Nov. 28, the Pingtung County Police Bureau [屏東縣警察局] rolled out a holiday traffic playbook for Taiwan’s southern tourist corridor, pairing smart signals and CMS alerts with targeted lane reversals and a night pedestrian zone on Kenting Street [墾丁大街].