By Eryk Michael Smith
KAOHSIUNG — The Zuoying District Office (左營區公所) announced a revision to the planned re-zoning of Fushan Village (福山里) following public discussion regarding the homophone associations of the proposed name “Fubin Village” (福檳里). The re-zoning, which splits the current district into four new administrative units, is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.
The primary reason for breaking up Fushan Village (福山里) is its extremely high population density, which has rendered it administratively unmanageable for a single village office.
Kaohsiung Civil Affairs Bureau statistics rank Zuoying District’s Fushan Village as the most populous citywide — and nationally — with 45,261 residents. For comparison, official district population stats show there are entire rural districts of Kaohsiung with fewer residents: Meinong District (美濃區) – 36,010, and Hunei District (湖內區) – 29,277.
The Zuoying District Office (左營區公所) and the Kaohsiung City Government initiated the split as effectively providing services for some 45,000 people was deemed too difficult for a single Village Chief (里長), and one village office.
Additionally, under the current system, funding is often allocated on a per-village basis. Splitting Fushan into four smaller units allows for a more equitable distribution of city resources and personnel. There were also public safety concerns, as in the event of an emergency or evacuation, a smaller administrative scale allows for more precise communication and coordination between neighborhood captains and residents.
Finally, smaller administrative units ensure that local representatives are more accessible to their constituents, addressing the “diluted representation” currently experienced by Fushan residents.
The split, effective July 1, 2026, will finally dissolve the “Super Village” status of Fushan, bringing its administrative scale closer to the average found in Kaohsiung City.
The Problematic Character “Bin” 檳
The name “Fubin” was originally selected by a naming committee to honor the Fubin Community (福檳社區), the historical birthplace of Fushan Village. However, the Zuoying District Office began consultations after resident concerns.
Some objected to the idea of Fubin Village as the character Bīn (檳) is the first character in “Betel Nut” (檳榔 – bīnláng), leading to concerns that the neighborhood would be nicknamed “Betel Nut Village.” “Fubin” is also a homophone of “扶殯” (fúbìn, meaning funeral escort), clearly an inauspicious term.
Others reportedly also noted near-homophones such as 扶貧 (fúpín, “poverty alleviation”) or 服兵 (fúbīng, “to serve in the military”), which, while linguistically distinct, are close enough in casual speech to invite creative wordplay.
Following a committee meeting, the current chief of Fushan Village agreed to use the “Fushan” name for the area originally designated as “Fubin,” citing the presence of prominent landmarks Fushan Junior High School (福山國中) and Fushan Elementary School (福山國小).
Consequently, the area originally intended to retain the name “Fushan” will now be renamed “Fu-ai Village” (福愛里), a reference to the major local thoroughfares Bo-ai Rd. (博愛路) and Chong-ai Rd. (重愛路).
The Zuoying District Office said the final decision will be submitted to the Kaohsiung City Government and the Ministry of the Interior, with the new names officially implemented on July 1, 2026.
