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.

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.

One coffee grower in Majia Township (瑪家鄉), a five-time Pingtung coffee evaluation champion, uses drying grounds located on the Hengchun Peninsula. They’ve adapted a traditional local drying method that uses the strong seasonal luoshanfeng, or downslope winds to turn the cherries into coffee beans.

County figures show donated and sponsored car and bus services had handled more than 103,000 passenger trips for this rural area of Pingtung as of the end of January this year.

The newly-expanded Singhai Fishing Harbor (興海漁港) in Manjhou Township (滿州鄉), will improve safety for fishing boats along Taiwan’s southeast coast and provide a more practical shelter option during typhoons, say officials.

The vessel arrived at Donggang Fish Market amid firecrackers, where Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi (周春米), American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Kaohsiung Branch Chief Neil Gibson, and other officials boarded to mark the catch. The tuna measured 214 cm in length and weighed 190 kg.

Preliminary assessments are eligible for subsidies of up to NT$15,000 per case, while comprehensive, detailed evaluations can receive a maximum of NT$400,000. These assessments serve as critical documentation. The application period is open effective immediately and will close on November 1, 2026.

Total pet population: 3.2 million cats and dogs, a rise from approximately 2.79 million in 2024. New registrations: Approximately 250,000 pets were registered last year. Feline dominance: Cats now account for 1.74 million of the total, surpassing dogs and driving a specific demand for localized nutrition.

By Eryk Michael Smith. Information and images courtesy of Pingtung County Government. PINGTUNG — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on April 4 visited…