South

Chiayi City Councilor Wang Hao (王浩) said site visits showed that some of the “new” spaces were not so much “born” as renamed. In several areas, he said, cars had already been parking along the roadside before sidewalk improvement projects or line-marking work turned the same curbside areas into official parking spaces.

The job is not easy to reach. Paiyun Lodge is accessible only by hiking about 8.5 kilometers from the trailhead, with no vehicle access available. The notice said applicants must be able to handle high-altitude conditions and “endure loneliness.”

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.