AI-driven, Future Taipei – Co-creating a Brand-new Blueprint for a Future Smart Taipei

 Mayor Chiang remarked that the theme for this year’s Taipei Pavilion is “AI-driven, Future Taipei.” From tech-based disaster prevention to smart traffic to AI healthcare to 1999 AI smart customer services, the city government is able to highlight its efforts in boosting urban safety, traffic and commute, healthcare, and public services through technologies that apply to various day-to-day life integrated with AI technologies and innovations. At the same time, it also unveils a brand-new blueprint on the City’s strategy for building a smart city. 

Taipei City Government and Hon Hai Precision Industry Collaborates to Co-create a City of the Future for Taipei’s Residents

 Kathy Yang pointed out that Hon Hai plans to initiate a long-term, strategic partnership with Taipei City Government. The company has currently introduced its flagship CityGPT-powered smart city platform, which integrate software-hardware solutions such as robots, electric vehicles, and GenAI technologies. They offer ways to raise city management efficiency and disaster response speed. The group looks forward to working with city government to help citizens implement the vision of a future capital while strengthening the global competitiveness of Taipei City. 

Connecting Taipei City Government Pavilion and Hon Hai Technology Pavilion to Showcase 17 Smart City Project Achievements

Taipei City Government Department of Information Technology Commissioner Jack Chao remarked that Taipei City Government Pavilion will spotlight 17 smart city public service applications. Through the integration of AI technology, we are able to comprehensively improve and strengthen Taipei’s emergency response capabilities as a City of Resilience. It also provides convenient, precise, and highly efficient solutions for aspects of day-to-day life spanning fire and disaster rescue, health and medical care, and education. In addition, this is the first time for city hall to partner with tech giant “Hon Hai Precision Industry” in coordinating a joint exhibition. Devices displayed at the pavilion include CityGPT, AI-agent-powered City Services, electric vehicle, and other integrated solutions. Visitors will have a chance to take part in challenges and fun games, through which winners can bring souvenirs home. We welcome everyone to come and visit the pavilions during the expo.

● Venue Information

Date: March 18 (Tue.) – March 21 (Fri.), for a total of 4 days

Time: 10 AM – 6 PM (Exhibition closes at 5 PM on March 21)

Venue: 1F at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2 

Taipei City Government Pavilion - Booth P1013

Hon Hai Precision Industry - Booth P1001

To Learn more about Taipei Smart City Project Showcase: https://smartcityonline.org.tw/scheme.php?id=1251

Deputy Mayor Chang Wen-te attended the press conference for the expo on March 11. He noted that this year’s exhibition features numerous AI tech applications playing a role in the creation of smart services that citizens can experience, which are realized through the cooperation between city hall and industry members. Taipei has been proactive in the promotion of AI development, and “AI” can be found embedded in the city’s genes – T”AI”PEI. The city government will continue to support and we welcome everyone from across the fields to join hands with us in transforming Taipei into a city of the future.   

At this year’s exhibition, Taipei City Government’s pavilion will display the latest AI applications in the realms of security and healthcare. These include the Fire Department’s use of AI for real-time data analysis and disaster prevention simulation for the purpose of improving the accuracy and efficiency of disaster response. Such application helps strengthen disaster-fighting capabilities with technology, creating a safer living environment for citizens. As for AI Healthcare, the service provides a more accurate and highly efficient medical care solution to boost citizens’ well being and health through AI-assisted health management.

At the same time, the exhibition also spotlights city services and smart traffic applications. There will be a demonstration of the contents of “Program for Real-time Speech-to-Text Transcription and AI Utilization to Improve Service Quality of 1999 Citizens’ Hotline.” By employing AI speech recognition and smart FAQ system, we are able to boost the service efficiency of the city hotline and reduce waiting time to ensure that answers can be looked up rapidly and promptly. In addition, Taipei City introduced the “Smart Dynamic Traffic Light Control Strategy Program” to automatically adjust traffic lights and optimize street traffic flow efficiency with the help of AI real-time analysis of traffic flow data, hoping to create a less disruptive commute environment for citizens.

During the period of the exhibition, there will be 8 free seminar sessions at the main stage of the pavilion, and we invite residents to come and try out the convenient services offered by smart city programs. At the same time, the 2025 Taipei Smart City Summit will be held on March 19. The event invites city representatives from around the world to exchange views and experiences on smart governance and innovative applications, as well as exploring the rising trends in the field of future smart city development.

Information on Taipei City Government Pavilion

• Date: Tuesday (March 18, 2025) to Friday (March 21, 2025)
• Time: 10 AM – 6 PM (Closing time is 5 PM on March 21)
• Venue: Booth P1013 on the 1^st floor of Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2
• Website: https://smartcityonline.org.tw/scheme.php?id=1251

After the impressive dashboard presentations by the teams, Mayor Chiang expressed his gratitude to the participants and encouraged the teams: “From disaster prevention to climate change issues, each dashboard component provides crucial information to citizens. Not only does it bridge the gap between the government and the public, but it also demonstrates that Taipei has world-class talent. These achievements will extend beyond City Hall and, starting with district offices, gradually integrate into the daily life of residents.”

During the hackathon, to make the results more relevant to the public, DoIT invited the departments of civil affairs, transportation, fire, environmental protection, and urban development to provide professional insights based on their respective expertise as scenario challenges for the teams. The winners included students from the National Taiwan University Department of Electrical Engineering and Chung Yuan Christian University Department of Information Management, as well as teams from private companies such as Vpon Big Data Group, Hon Hai Technology Group, as well as contenders from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Each team was able to showcase their respective advanced technical skills and practical innovations. The project entries spanned important topics like climate change and net-zero emissions; real-time road control information and traffic imagery, and even predicting trends and issuing warnings based on gastroenteritis outpatient data – all designed to assist people in their day-to-day life.

Commissioner Chao Shih-Lung of DoIT made the following remarks: "As the first government agency to embrace open-source, the Taipei City Government aims to enhance service quality and efficiency through innovation. The Taipei Codefest serves as a platform for this purpose. In addition to the spring hackathon, we will host another hackathon in the fall highlighting the theme “City Microservices” to continue this tradition. By disseminating data application techniques under the open-source framework, we hope to attract passionate programming talents who share the same vision of serving the public. Together, we can create high-quality digital public services and set an example of collaboration between the public and private sectors. In the second half of the year, DoIT will redouble its efforts on open-sourcing TaipeiPASS and expanding the scope of open-source resources. We look forward to more people participating and become a part of Taipei’s progress."

Mayor Chiang emphasized the city's commitment to a service-oriented government, prioritizing citizens' needs and promoting digital transformation to improve public services. Hosting this conference allowed Taipei to share experiences and showcase its innovative capabilities and smart city achievements to the international community. 

Over 180 experts from industry, government, and academia from more than 30 countries attended the award ceremony. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) emphasized the city government's commitment to a service-oriented approach, prioritizing citizens' needs, and promoting digital transformation to improve public services. The conference enabled Taipei to exchange knowledge with global experts and showcase its innovation and smart city achievements to the international community.

The 2024 dg.o call for papers received significant attention from the international digital government community, with 297 submissions. The DGS review committee rigorously evaluated and accepted 197 papers. The dg.o Best Paper Award was recommended by the review committee. Additionally, all accepted papers are compiled and published by ACM Press in the conference proceedings, included in the internationally renowned academic databases ACM Digital Library and DBLP. This not only acknowledges their outstanding academic research but also provides broader dissemination channels for their work, enabling increased reading and citation to expand their academic influence.

This year, four academic papers related to Taipei were accepted by the dg.o review, as follows:

• "Exploring Government-Citizen Relationships through TaipeiPASS and TaipeiOn Platforms " Using the Taipei Programmers' Festival Hackathon as a case study, this paper explores how the government promotes open-source technology and open innovation practices.

• " Exploring the Motivations of Open Innovation: An Empirical Case of Open-Source Hackathon Taipei" This paper summarizes the Taipei Smart City Proof of Concept (PoC) projects into 22 technical fields and constructs a strategy for integrating artificial intelligence technology into the municipal framework.

• " Development of the AI Implementation Framework in Taipei City" Analyzing Taipei City's digital platforms "TaipeiON" and "TaipeiPASS," this paper examines the transformative potential of digital platforms in simplifying administrative services and promoting public participation within four types of dynamic relationships between the government and citizens.

• " COVID-19 Control and Prevention in Taipei: A Data-Driven Approach: Utilizing data on pandemic prevention" This paper discusses the importance of data-driven strategies using big data for decision support in city prevention or disaster situations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the conference, the Taipei City Government hosted two AI-Driven Smart City Forums. The first forum focused on "Smart Cities, Artificial Intelligence, and Improving Citizens' Quality of Life," featuring experts from various sectors discussing issues related to enhancing municipal service efficiency through technological innovation and practical applications. The second forum, centered on "Achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions: Integrated Pathways of Strategy, Technology, and Policy," explored combining multiple strategies and innovative technologies to promote environmental sustainability and economic transformation, providing valuable insights and inspiration for future smart city development and environmental protection.

The award ceremony was attended by over 180 experts from industry, government, and academia from more than 30 countries or regions worldwide. Mayor Chiang Wan-an stated that the city government's team always upholds the spirit of a service-oriented government, prioritizing the needs of citizens and actively promoting digital transformation to enhance the quality of public services. The conference provided an opportunity for Taipei to exchange and learn from global experts and scholars in the digital government field, while also showing Taipei's innovation capabilities and smart city achievements to the international community.

As a continuously advancing smart city, Taipei promotes AI-Driven Smart City initiatives, driving urban innovation with artificial intelligence toward three major visions: safety, mobility, and the future. By integrating new entrepreneurial strengths and creating citizen-friendly public environments, Taipei is committed to building a service-oriented government centered on citizens' needs. According to the 2024 IMD Smart City Index released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Taipei ranked 16th globally and 5th in Asia, showcasing significant achievements. The Taipei City Government will continue integrating innovative technologies to build a forward-looking smart city.

Information Technology Commissioner Chao Shih-lung went over the rules of the contest in detail and joined Commissioner Ho Ya-juan of the Department of Civil Servant Development to kick off the event. The Spring Season Codefest covered five subject areas, including “EOC Dashboard,” “Citizen Service Dashboard,” “Disaster Resilient City Dashboard,” “Traffic Safety Dashboard,” and “Climate Change Dashboard.” The teams each selected one of the topics and explored the website data.taipei for relevant open data to be included. After acquiring the information, the teams will analyze and identify key factors that have a significant impact upon citizens’ daily life and come up with an adequate presentation method by developing appropriate tools that can be configured into the city dashboard. Despite the highly challenging scenario, each participant was fully prepared ahead of time – by reviewing the online development instruction video and attending the workshop before showing up at the heated competition.

To ensure the top performance of team members under long hours of planning and development, the organizers have set up snack bars and lounge areas on site. In addition to providing food from nearby Shilin Night Market, Taipei City Foreign and Disabled Labor Office has arranged for visually-impaired masseurs to provide services to the contestants, allowing them to rest up before returning to their strenuous tasks. As for the snacks, in addition to endless supplies of treats and desserts, there are also self-serve popcorn and cotton candy machines to help contestants refresh and fill their stomachs before heading back to coding. 

A number of heavyweights from academia, government, and industries are serving as jury members of the hackathon. They include National Institute of Cyber Security Consultant Kiang Fin-jon and JavaScript.tw founder Wang Ching-hung (TonyQ). The jury listened to team presentations on the data and technologies employed in the respective projects and selected 13 teams to advance into the finals. The jury members of the finals comprised Director Huang Yen-nun of Research Center for Information Technology Innovation at Academia Sinica, New Taipei City Information Management Center Director Chen Fu-tien, CIO Michael Kung of Hon Hai Precision Industry Corporation, and Professor Huang Chung-yang from National Taiwan University’s Department of Electrical Engineering. Following the live demos by the finalists in the afternoon, the top three teams and honorable mention winners were selected. The works of these teams will be incorporated into the Taipei City Dashboard Open Sourcing project in the future, and their innovations will be disseminated across the world along with the open-source dashboard application.

　

　　Leading in the call to open-source city service systems, the Taipei City Department of Information Technology (DOIT) hopes to push forth its agenda of strengthening the utilization of city administration data in support the decision-making process of city officials. At the same time, through the holding of Taipei Codefest, the agency also encourages programming talents from the private sector to take part in the process of creating a better platform for digital public services and realizing its vision of “Co-creation, Co-benefits”. The current contest adopts the perspective of citizens and integrates important topics such as disaster response, traffic safety, climate change, services for borough residents, and household registration services, which ensures that the City Dashboard can be more easily introduced into the daily life of citizens. To provide the teams with an overview of trending topics and development highlights, DOIT joined hands with DCSD to co-organize the contest workshop and invited agencies – the Department of Civil Affairs, the Department of Transportation, the Taipei City Fire Department, the Department of Social Welfare, and the Department of Urban Development – to support the event. The workshop offers in-depth analysis and explanation on the following topics: the need of local residents and young workers from other municipalities for information and social services; the ‘pedestrians’ hell’ phenomenon and plans for dealing with the problem; Taipei’s disaster response measures and how the resilience-oriented mechanism helps to reduce the loss of life and property, as well as comprehensive overviews on global issues spanning climate change to net zero. The organizers hope that the programming teams will be able to convert elements from the topics covered into new dashboard components,making the data readily available with the help of visualization tools.  

　　As a pioneer of open-source policy in Taiwan’s public sector, DOIT open-sourced the Taipei City Dashboard last year. As a continuation of the endeavor, the city government further released the back end and data end codes of the city dashboard as open source this year. With the kicking-off of the 2024 Spring Season Taipei Codefest, a total of 209 individuals hailing from schools, private companies, and community groups have signed up to compete in the hackathon. The competition will pit top coding teams against each other, and we look forward to witnessing the exciting clashes co-create promising public services platforms, carrying forth the spirit of ‘Co-creation, Co-benefits’.

　

　　The annual index released by IMD is one of the most highly regarded smart city rankings in the world. The evaluation process is based upon the two pillars of ‘Structure’ and ‘Technology’. For the 2024 report, IMD conducted surveys for 142 cities around the world. Taipei’s performance across the board has been well-received by its residents – especially basic sanitation, recycling services, and medical services, which fall under the ‘Structure’ pillar. As for the ‘Technology’ pillar, apps allowing online ticketing services for cultural events and making medical appointments were also popular among respondents.

　　In addition to the aforementioned global smart city evaluations, Taipei City Government has also achieved high marks at various rankings and awards with City projects related to smart city governance and transformation. For example, among the six direct-rule municipalities, Taipei took first place at the 2023 Government Open Data Golden Quality Award. In the same year, the City’s submission for ‘Taipei Government Enterprise Architecture – Evolution of TaipeiPASS as an Example’ won the Award of Distinction at the Open Group India Awards. Furthermore, the “Data-driven City Governance – Taipei Urban Information Center” also claimed the Innovation Application Award at the 2024 Smart City Summit and Expo. 

　　As it continues to pursue smart city transformation and digital equality, the Taipei City Department of Information Technology remains dedicated to the policy of open sourcing the Taipei City Dashboard at the same time. The agency first held the “Taipei Codefest and City Dashboard Competition” in 2023, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community. In 2024, it plans to organize Codefest events in during both the spring and fall seasons, starting with the Spring Season Codefest Workshop today (April 21). There is also a “Grand Hackathon Competition” slated for May 11 and 12. By increasing interaction with the civic community through the organization of similar contests, the city government seeks to implement its vision of “co-creation, co-benefits” by garnering the innovative energy of the private sector while boosting the transparency of city management. 

　　In the future, DOIT will continue to work on promoting private-public-partnership and strengthening digital resilience. It has adopted “AI-driven Smart City” as its focus of development to create an AI-driven, futuristic Taipei. Through the integration and utilization of AI, the city government hopes to increase the efficiency of city operations and improve the quality of citizens’ daily life, as well as enhancing smart city innovative technology and introducing them into more applications. These initiatives will significantly contribute to Taipei’s endeavor to distinguish itself as an innovative and visionary capital for the future. 

Theme 1: Sports City - Smart Taipei, Host: Deputy Spokesperson Yin-Lan Kuo

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Theme 2: AI-Driven - Capital of the Future, Host: Deputy Spokesperson Wan-Rong Tsai

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　　If you haven't had a chance to visit, here's a summary of the highlights!

　　 Mayor Wan-An Chiang transformed into Three AI Metaverse Virtual Tour Guides: Using Mayor Wan-An Chiang as a component, the “AI Taipei Navigation Station” features his virtual counterpart, the “Metaverse Mayor”, acting as the visionary guide. Through real-time generative artificial intelligence calculations, his three avatars conduct different types of tours and immersive MR interactive experiences, allowing visitors to feel as though they were standing in front of the mayor and experiencing the infinite possibilities brought by future technology.

　　5G Ambulance - Mazu Ensures Your Safety: The collaboration between the Taipei City Fire Department and Far EasTone introduces the “New Vision for Emergency Medical Services - 5G Joint Emergency Rescue and Video Surveillance” using 5G technology, which enhances pre-hospital emergency care services. This innovative application of 5G's high-speed transmission and low latency improves the accuracy of paramedics' identification and enhances the quality of emergency care.

　　 AI Gym - Testing Training Intensity: Drawing inspiration from the upcoming “2025 World Masters Games Taipei & New Taipei City”, scheduled for Taipei next year, this concept blends a myriad of sports elements with track design to inject vibrancy and dynamism into the exhibition. Furthermore, it introduces AI Gym equipment that fuses technological innovation with the sports field to assess training intensity. Coaches from the sports center provide guidance on using this equipment, making it one of the event's most captivating highlights, enticing visitors to give it a try. Also, a friendly reminder that until April 17, you can enjoy a 30% early bird discount on registration for the 2025 World Masters Games! Let's encourage everyone to actively participate and embrace the challenge of the world!

　　Beautiful Green Exhibition Hall: The design of the exhibition hall extends curated themes of “sustainability” and carbon footprint reduction, with a primary focus on utilizing eco-friendly reusable materials. Collaborating with Taipei Flower Auction Co., Ltd., and the Parks and Street Lights Office, Public Works Department, Taipei City Government, the exhibition hall features abundant plantings, creating a lush green environment while emphasizing and strengthening key display points. This results in a high-quality and immersive exhibition space that showcases Taipei's commitment to environmental sustainability and guides everyone towards a vision of livable sustainability.

　　 Smart Pharmacy: Taipei City Hospital has implemented various technological applications to create a smart pharmacy dedicated to safeguarding public medication safety and providing a higher quality healthcare experience. The smart pharmacy includes intelligent dispensing counters, precise dispensing from medicine cabinets, automated inventory management, and big data analysis to prevent medication shortages. Additionally, the public can use the “Slow Prescription Reservation App” for mobile appointments to pick up prescriptions in advance, enjoying convenient medical services.

 　　Enriched Short Talk Activities: Focused on Taipei's innovative achievements and future focal points, these series of talks include AI technology, RPA applications, award-winning project results, and friendly new startup mechanisms. Through sharing and exchanging ideas with the public, important topics for Taipei's future development are constructed, deepening public understanding of the city government's information infrastructure and Smart City development vision. In particular, the AI-focused talk highlights Taipei Metro's significant technological advancements, showcasing AI implementation and big data utilization in the metro network and train dynamic scheduling. This demonstrates Taipei's leading position as a technology-driven city and opens the curtain to a more sustainable future for Taipei.

　

　　On the same day, Taipei City Mayor Wan-An Chiang, and Selangor State Administrative Councilor Sihan Huang, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Commissioner of Department of Information Technology, Taipei City Government and the Chief Executive Officer of Selangor State's Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (Sidec). The Selangor delegation's participation in the 2024 Smart City Expo is expected to deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, with hopes for further enhancement of collaboration.

　　For this year’s exhibition, MomentX has been invited to integrate Microsoft's ChatGPT technology in the development of AI virtual tour guide “Metaverse Mayor” and the virtual tour scene, “AI Taipei Navigation Station”. The appearance of the “Metaverse Mayor” is created by using Aemass 3D Cloud Map AI algorithm, capturing Mayor Chiang's holographic image and enabling real-time interaction and Q&A with the virtual avatar. The “AI Taipei Navigation Station” utilizes Mixed Reality (MR) technology, in collaboration with OURSTEAM International, to provide citizens with an immersive interactive tour experience, injecting a wealth of future technological energy into the exhibition.

　　After the opening ceremony, Mayor Chiang toured and visited the various innovative municipal services displayed at the venue. Additionally, the “Capital of Future” exhibition areas showcased numerous innovations. They include the Taipei CooC-Cloud AI Smart Teaching Assistance Platform - the CooC AI system which supplements the rich and diversified teaching resources of the city. The Network Transit Display System(NTDS) of Taipei Metro provides real-time integration for the entire metro network's status. Smart pharmacies improve medication service efficiency to enhance healthcare for citizens. Taipei buses have also integrated the ADAS advanced driving assistance systems, boosting driving safety with access to AI smart networks. 

　　Among the displays, the “Capital of Sports” exhibition area serves as a rich source of information on the World Masters Games 2025 Taipei & New Taipei City, hoping to boost public participation in the upcoming international competition. From now through April 17, there's a 30% early bird registration discount for those interested. The exhibition also spotlights multi-functional sports training equipment integrating AI and big data, which we invite everyone to try out and join the ranks of individuals exercising on a regular basis.

Furthermore, at the “Capital of Safety” zone, users witnessed how city hall promote a new “vision” for emergency medical services by utilizing 5G technology to improve the pre-hospital emergency service disposal rate in remote areas. With the approach of rainy season, the “Taipei Hydraulic Engineering Office (TaipeiHEO)” provides real-time water situation information search services, offering citizens a convenient channel to access rainfall, river water levels, stormwater sewer levels, and other information through LINE app, creating a communication and response channel for disaster prevention in real-time.The smart water meter application service enables autonomous management and water usage alerts for citizens, providing convenient and user-friendly services.

For those who don't want to miss this exhibition, the Taipei City Department of Information Technology will use its Facebook page to bring smart city technology and convenience to all online viewers during the exhibition period.

Taipei City Government Exhibition Information

Date: From March 19 (Tuesday) to March 22 (Friday)

Time: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (closes at 5:00 PM on March 22)

Location: Booth P1033 on the 1st floor of Hall 2 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (Taipei Pavilion)

Department of Information Technology, Taipei City Government Facebook page

For more information on Taipei Smart City exhibition cases

　

　　During the 2024 SCSE, the Taipei Pavilion has showcased the “World Masters Games 2025 Taipei & New Taipei City Digital Venue Platform” to the public. The platform has allowed visitors to quickly locate competition venues within Taipei Dome's event space, improving the efficiency of digital event services. On-site early bird registration for sports events has also been available at a 30% discount through April 17. The exhibition has also featured multi-functional AI Gym training equipment provided by AIFIT. We have invited everyone – especially sports enthusiasts – to experience the convenience of AI and big data-powered sports training equipment during workouts!

　　In the process of building a smart city, safety has remained the primary consideration for citizens. The Taipei City Government has introduced three innovative municipal services, including the “New Vision for Emergency Medical Services” - 5G Joint Emergency Rescue and Video Surveillance, the “Taipei Hydraulic Engineering Office” (TaipeiHEO), and the Smart Pharmacy, hoping to create a safe and comfortable living environment for citizens and to reaffirm Taipei as the Capital of Safety.

　　In the “Capital of the Future” exhibition area, visitors have been able to witness demos of Taipei CooC-Cloud AI Smart Teaching Assistance Platform - CooC AI System, Network Transit Display System (NTDS) for the Taipei Metro network, ADAS combined with AIoT, smart water meter application services, and the introduction of the AI virtual tour guide “Metaverse Mayor” which uses Mayor Chiang as its model. The Taipei Pavilion has showcased elements of an AI-driven smart city, working together to enable a citizen-centered, service-oriented government.

　　This exhibition has injected more dynamics and technological elements into the new face of Taipei Smart City. We have welcomed the public to participate actively and witness the future development and transformation of Taipei.

More information on Taipei Smart City project

　　The dg.o conference, initiated in 2000, is organized by the global interdisciplinary organization "Digital Government Society". The society originated from the advocacy of the National Science Foundation in the United States and is dedicated to researching issues such as digital governance, technological innovation, and citizen participation. The conference has been held alternately in Europe, the Americas, and Asia in previous years. The 25th edition marks the first time it will be held in Taiwan, with joint organization by the Graduate Institute of Public Affairs, National Taiwan University and Taipei City Government in collaboration with institutions such as the Department of Public Administration, National Chengchi University and the Department of Public Administration, Chung Hua University. Through this internationally influential academic event, it creates a platform for professional knowledge exchange in Taipei.

For more details about the event：https://dgsociety.org/dgo-2024/。

　　Taipei City sincerely invite experts and scholars from various fields to actively participate, jointly promoting the exchange and development in the field of digital governance.

• theme.pdf

　　During the press conference, Mayor Chiang remarked: “Taipei City Dashboard has always analyzed problems from the city government’s perspective. This year, the city government seeks to examine city governance issues from the perspective of those from the private sector through the Taipei CodeFest – City Dashboard Hackathon, ensuring that our policy decisions are more closely aligned with the thoughts and needs of citizens. By organizing the competition, we hope that participating teams will take advantage of our open-source framework to develop more, better, and stronger functions, bringing these achievements beyond the parameters of city hall and into the life of residents.”

　　At the venue, Mayor Chiang joined DOIT Commissioner Jack Chao in trying out some of the interactive dashboard elements introduced by the competing teams, including data and graphic features such as “Flood Prevention and Rainfall,” “Distribution Map of Permeable Pavements,” and “Rainfall and Flooding Simulation Map.” Thanks to technological integration, open data from the public sector can be rearranged and presented in the form of color-coded block graphs, speeding up the decision-making process for disaster prevention governance. One of the competing teams even utilized their map integration skills to visually present information such as “Distribution of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics and Hospitals,” “Distribution of Nursery Rooms,” and “Maternity Benefits Contracted Hospitals.” By incorporating various data and functions, this project transforms rows and rows of numbers into information with clarity and purpose, which helps to make the process of location selection even faster. This demonstrates that the City Dashboard not only provides important references for policy decision-making, but can also be adopted to providing information applicable in people’s day-to-day life.

　　Characterized by flashes of inspiration and clashes among technologies, the competition attracted 55 teams and 243 programmers to pit their skills in coding design and problem solving over a 32-hour period. The participants spend their time discussing and exchanging opinions with each other, as well as putting their knowhow to work to come up with solutions.  The process not only challenged the professional knowledge of individuals, but it also highlights the spirit of co-creation. From the pool of outstanding solutions, a total of 7 works were chosen as winners. The winning teams include four student teams and three teams comprising members from the industry.

Regarding the winning projects, Mayor Chiang, Commissioner Chao, Deputy Commissioner of Health Li Pi-hui, and principal Chiu Yin-hao of the University of Taipei activated the merging and linking of the respective modular blocks at the press conference, symbolizing the first steps for the integration of open-source applications into the Taipei City Dashboard. DOIT will continue to work on improving the organization of the contest, as well as choosing different open-source-related themes to encourage public innovation and creativity. We believe that the City Dashboard is not only a powerful tool for policy decision-making, but also a platform for public participation. In the future, the efforts will focus on expanding the domain of open-source and the integration of existing dashboards such as the Visual Database for Citizen Services.  Hopefully, this will encourage more innovative applications and boost the trend of civic tech, working together to create a more open and transparent Taipei City which emphasizes co-creation and shared benefits.

MediaTek Research, the unit responsible for research on artificial intelligence under the Global MediaTek Group, signed a memorandum of understanding with Taipei City Government Department of Information Technology (DOIT) and National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) on November 23.  Under the MOU, MediaTek licenses its independently-developed, large-scale Mandarin language model to DOIT, which is working with NTUT on the deployment and applications of the technology. By introducing generative artificial intelligence (AI), we seek to create a smart working style for city employees characterized by strengthened cybersecurity and high productivity. This is also an important milestone in promoting the development of Mandarin large-scale generative AI, made possible by a partnership among the industry, the academia, and the public sector. 

Dr. Shiu Da-shan, the managing director of MediaTek Research, noted: “As generative AI promises to become a new and powerful tool in enhancing production, MediaTek Research seeks to speed up the process of delivering this tool to those who needs it by tapping upon our capacity in research and development.”  NTUT views the partnership among the three entities as highly important, with vice president Thomas Yang attending the signing ceremony in person on behalf of the university. During his address, Yang pointed out that: “In recent years, NTUT has not limited its capacity solely to the research and development of industry hardware. It is proactively exploring the fields of digital transition and generative AI software. As a member of the academia, NTUT is collaborating with Taipei City Government and MediaTek Research on this project. It seeks to contribute its research capacity to assist in areas such as optimizing prompts, upgrading office automation, improving public services, and diversifying smart city applications. The development of generative AI through academic innovation has the potential of producing results which may exceed industry expectations, and we look forward to numerous collaboration cases to bring about more successful developments in the field of digital transition.”

With Taipei City serving as the project’s living labs, Commissioner Chao Shih-lung remarked: “In addition to serving the public, Taipei City Government also places an emphasis on the management of internal work-related knowledge. At the current stage, city employees who need to carry out their work by searching for data and regulations across different platforms will have to invest significant time and effort to familiarize themselves with the workflow and contents of the respective interfaces. To help city employees reduce the work burden, we seek to introduce generative AI as a tool to facilitate such processes, allowing users to look up information on related regulations or rulings through natural language inquiries. DOIT also utilized the “Guideline on Generative AI Utilization for Executive Yuan and Subsidiary Agencies/Institutions”  as reference, hoping that city employees can take advantage of innovative generative AI tools safely to help them improve administrative efficiency.”

The three-party collaboration will be carried out under the Proof-of-Concept framework, building upon the foundation of MediaTek Research’s large-scale Chinese language model to develop a data-searching chatbot that will assist city employees in raising work productivity. This will go a long way to replace the traditional, time-consuming approach for document searches and verbal inquiries by taking full advantage of AI assistance. The model adopts on-premise licensing, allowing the data to remain at city hall to ensure the confidentiality and security of citizens’ personal information. Furthermore, with the exception of classified information, Taipei City Government can provide related feedbacks to MediaTek Research as reference for future fine-tuning and improvements, utilizing actual use experience to promote future development of the language model.

(About MediaTek)

MediaTek Inc. (TWSE: 2454) is a global fabless semiconductor company. It is a leader in markets spanning smart mobile device, smart home application, wireless connection technology, and IoT product. There are roughly 2 billion devices and end products equipped with chips made by the company entering markets around the world every year. MediaTek pursues the innovation of technology, hoping to provide highly-efficient, low-power computing technology and advanced multimedia functions for smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, STBs, wearable devices, and automotive electronics. MediaTek inspires to make tech products more widely available, because the company believes that technology can improve the life of mankind and connect them to the world, while all people have the potential to access infinite possibilities through technology. For more information, please visit the company’s website: https://www.mediatek.tw 

(About NTUT)

The collaboration project is coordinated by director Lee Da-sheng of NTUT’s AI Digital Transformation Research Center (DTRC). The Center currently comprises 7 full-time assistants and 1 post-doctorate researcher, leading a team of 5 doctoral students and over 20 graduate students to conduct research work in the fields of AI and digital transformation in energy. Over the past 5 years, DTRC has published 24 papers across journals cited in the Science Citation Index, with research topics ranging from chiller plants temperature control to universal workflow of AI for energy saving. The Center’s research is highly-praised by the industry. It has also undertaken a total of 35 industry-academia collaboration projects over the past 5 years, receiving project fundings reaching NT$80 million. Over the past 5 years, the Center has carried out technology transfers to industries in areas such as machine failure detection device and method, helping it secure an amount exceeding NT$3.5 million.  In addition to being one of the research institutions receiving a high mark in the assessment conducted by NTUH, the Center performs on par with other digital transformation research institutions in both Taiwan and abroad. For more information, please visit the Center’s website: https://www.ntutdtrc.org/

During his address, the mayor noted that the city government continues to provide support for disabled individuals. As of the end of July, there are roughly 117,000 disabled individuals living in Taipei. Among these, approximately 13,000 people suffer from hearing impairments. As senior citizens account for 75% of those with hearing difficulties, the city government is grateful for the timely assistance provided by the group from the private sector. He also thanked Speaker Tai for helping the two sides connect and enabling the donation.

Chiang pointed out that through public-private partnership, the hard-of-hearing can utilize the hearing aid to make his or her daily life more convenient and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the equipment is quite costly. A member from his wife’s family had to travel from Yilan to Taipei to look for hearing device. In addition to checking out the shops one-by-one, he learned that the price of such device can easily exceed NT$100,000. This is not affordable for families with standard income.

The mayor stressed that the hearing aid donated by the group is the only local brand that meets medical device standards in Taiwan. Individuals with related needs can visit the designated site and pick up a device – as long as he or she meets the eligibility requirements. The service is speedy and free of charge, hoping to benefit those with actual needs for the hearing aid.

He hopes the donation will spread a message of compassion and emanate positive energies – from Taipei City to across the globe, allowing those who need hearing devices to enjoy the vibrant world once again.

Taipei City’s booth at the festival highlighted the theme “Exploration of Taipei in 48 hours,” hoping to attract the attention of Generation MZ through the city’s diversified elements observed at different hours of the day.

In addition, TPEDOIT has also set up the installation for its tourism promotion campaign – “Taipei Brand Illuminated Tunnel” – at the busy Gangnam subway station in Seoul to attract the attention of commuters between August 1 and September 6. The agency also organized a tourism promotion session for Taipei’s tour operators in Seoul on September 5, hoping to tap upon the potentials of the Korean tourism market.

According to the agency, the “Generation MZ” of Korea demonstrates high mobility and significant consumption power. Born between 1981 and 2010, Gen MZ has become a major force in the tourism market. Taipei’s campaign, which targets this group as a potential source of tourists, spotlights attractions such as Taipei Music Center, Taipei Performing Arts Center, Dadaocheng Commercial District, and Zhongshan Linear Park.

After the establishment of sister city relationship with Daegu in 2010, Taipei City has inked a MOU with its counterpart in Korea on collaboration in tourism and carried out exchanges, encouraging residents of the two cities to travel to the other municipality and embark on a trip of urban tourism. The two cities also proactively participate in each other’s events. For example, Daegu was invited to the 2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taipei, setting up unique lanterns and displays at the event to reflect the strong ties between the two municipalities.

The Daegu Chimac Festival is a major annual event for the city. With the subsiding of the pandemic, this year’s festivities took place at the Duryu Park in Daiseo-gu for five consecutive days starting on August 30. In addition to fried chicken and maekju (beer), the galore also featured KPOP performances and dance parties. Of course, Taipei’s mascot Bravo the Bear also has the opportunity to rekindle old friendship ties with Dodalssu, Daegu’s cute mascot.

After listening to a briefing by the construction team, the mayor pointed out that Typhoon Haikui is likely to make landfall along the shore of Yilan and Hualian either Sunday night or Monday morning. With land warning issued for parts of the island, the city government is taking typhoon prevention measures seriously and will continue to monitor the progress of the storm.

According to the mayor, agencies such as the New Construction Office (NCO) and Hydraulic Engineering Office (HEO) holds drills on a regular basis. He cited HEO’s effort in carrying out flood drills regularly for its projects, and HEO remains diligent in conducting scheduled patrols. The mayor expressed his gratitude to staff members for completing all necessary preventative measures ahead of time.

Responding to media questions about separating the closing of floodgates into two phases, the mayor explained that the decision takes into account differences such as geographic traits. The floodgates affected during the first wave of closing – which took place around 10 PM last night – are those in low elevation areas or ones prone to tidal rises or other geographic elements. The second wave of gate closure took place earlier today.

Regarding how many vehicles were towed away during this period, the mayor replied that 129 have been removed as of this point. The complete tally of towed vehicles cannot be determined until after the second wave of flood gate closure at 4 PM today.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), the individuals exhibited symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, and joint aches on August 27 and September 1 respectively. The cases were confirmed to be infected with dengue fever by hospitals on September 2.

The patient in Beitou District have been active in Tainan area between August 19 and 20. However, the case in Zhongshan District has not been to central Taiwan, southern Taiwan, or abroad during the incubation period. DOH plans to conduct further investigation to identify possible sources of the virus.

As of September 3, a total of 35 confirmed dengue fever cases has been reported for Taipei City. Among these, 27 cases are imported and 8 cases are indigenous. The indigenous cases can be further categorized as below: 3 cases in Beitou District; 2 cases in Wenshan District; 2 cases in Zhongshan District, and 1 case in Datong District.

DOH reminds residents that with recent typhoons and rainfall, they should clean out possible indoor containers with stagnant water to eliminate the breeding of mosquitos. Make sure to check abandoned containers such as buckets, plant pots, vases, scrapped tires, and so on for standing water as well.

With the start of the new semester, schools should also conduct inspections to rid the campus of mosquito vectors. Faulty members should report to the doctor and provide travel history if noticing dengue fever symptoms such as fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle ache, bone pain, joint pain, rash, stomachache, or diarrhea. When visiting dengue fever hotspots, individuals should don light colored clothing with long sleeves and long pants, as well as use insect repellent with government-approved ingredients such as DEET, Picaridin, or IR-3535.

The Pudong Binjiang Bicycle Trail is a popular destination for visitors in Shanghai to take selfies and photos during the Chinese New Year period. The design of the trail completely separates the bicycle trails from the pedestrian walkway. There are also abundant support facilities along the route for cyclists, including cycling support stations, rest areas, and restrooms. The mayor noted that he was able to enjoy the scenery along the way, experiencing the great outdoor while enjoying exercising.

The city delegation members later arrived at the Shanghai Environment Energy Exchange. The institution was established in 2008 as the first environmental energy trading platform authorized by the Shanghai City Government. It is the designated trading platform for carbon emission trading trials. The platform incorporated 2,162 key entities in the carbon-emitting power producer list for the first time in 2021, which accounted for nearly 4.5 billion tons in carbon emission.

Chiang remarked that the delegation has a busy schedule in Shanghai. From the airport, the delegation traveled to the Yangshan Port to witness a modernized and automated facility. Next, they stopped by the Shanghai Laogang Ecological Base to learn about how the site transitioned from a landfill to a comprehensive ecological base.

The mayor hopes that the two cities can have common goals, allowing them to learn from each other in the domain of city policy implementation. He also cited the visit to the Shanghai Library East – a building boasting a modern and fashionable design – yesterday afternoon. The facility is currently the largest standalone library in the Asia, boasting an appearance characterized by sharp edges and diagonal planes. The concept of the edifice highlights carbon reduction and sustainability. The building’s unique surface design lessens the heat from sunlight exposure, and the air between two layers of glass lowers helps lower the temperature and reduce power consumption.

According to the mayor, there are two areas during the trip which left him with major impressions, which are respectively the emphasis on the environment and sustainability, and the spotlight on culture and humanities. These are domains where Taipei City used to be proud of, and he looks forward to further exchange opportunities in the future.

The organizer invited Katie, the founder of SOLO Taiwan Theater, to serve as storyteller at the upcoming events. We invite both kids and adults to follow Alice’s steps to explore the world of wonderland.

The mobile book bus will stop by the following locations on the respective dates: CTBC Financial Park (September 16) and Dahu Park (September 30). There will be a book selection area and a comfortable outdoor sofa area for reading at the events.

Visitors at the event can enjoy access to services such as “Great Books Exchange,” “Time Capsule Postcard,” and “Books Reading Rally.”

Those interested can bring books with them to take part in the books exchange. Each individual can swap up to a maximum of 3 books per session. For “Time Capsule Postcard,” participants can write down words which they want to say to the special someone they have in mind. For the reading stamp rally, individuals can add the account of Taipei Public Library’s mobile book bus on LINE to acquire the stamp card. By taking part in the activities or completing the ‘borrowing books’ mission, they can accumulate stamps which can later be used to redeem prizes and gifts.

For more information and the latest schedule, please visit the Chinese fan page of the mobile book bus on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TPEBookBus).

There is a total of 15 elementary schools within the parameters of Daan District. Working with faculty members, volunteer parents, and school security guards, the police force devised security plans detailing duties at the start and the end of the school day.

The patrols cover areas such as school entrances, parent pickup areas, major intersections, and roads in the vicinity of the respective schools. Units such as the criminal investigation division, traffic division, and local police outposts provide manpower to support the operations.

Furthermore, to take advantage of the back-to-school day, police officers also executed a campaign aimed at raising the public’s awareness on issues such as crime prevention and traffic safety. Officers dressed up as mascots stood for photos with students and adults, while using the opportunity to promote anti-drugs, anti-fraud, and anti-bullying messages. They also remind the students to be on alert when crossing the street, keeping an eye out for the traffic light and approaching vehicles.

Daan Police Precinct Chief Wang Pao-chang remarked that the safety of children, women, and school campuses are top priorities for the police force. In addition to routine patrols in the vicinity of school campuses, the police have also established campus security communication channels with school principals, school faculty members, and student affairs personnel. This allows officers to maintain communication and be in the know to respond to emergencies when necessary.

Both events require reservations. To sign up, please click on the facility’s Chinese website (https://reurl.cc/2L58Dv). Registration will be accepted starting 10 AM on August 31.

During the Moon Festival long weekend (September 29 and 30), the facility will extend its hours to 9 PM. The starlight ticket, which goes on sale at 4 PM, will be available at the affordable price of NT$120! Despite the late availability, this ticket still provides ticket holders with unlimited access to the 13 major attractions at the park. The closing hour of the park reverts to 6 PM on October 1.

The Baby and Toddler Sports Day is open to the public and contenders can sign up for free (though online registration is required). There are two categories of competition which is based on the age of the participating kid. The baby crawling race is for children between the age of 6 months and 14 months, while the toddler run is for toddlers between the age of 15 months and 24 months. The kids will have to move baby formula cans and diapers to the finishing line.

The competitions are slated for September 29 through October 1, with each session limited to 60 contenders. Those who compete in the race will receive two Maokong Gondola one-day tickets and prizes worth over NT$1,000 in value. The top three winners will also bring home extra, large-size prizes!

The Moon Festival Barbecue Party will take place between 4 PM and 9 PM on September 29. A total of 50 barbecue sets for families will be available at a price of NT$2,999 per set. Sign-up and payment are handled via TCAP’s website. Each Moon Festival Barbecue Party package includes one set of barbecue equipment, one set of food ingredients, four TCAP One-day Pass, four Maokong Gondola One-day Fun Pass, as well as 30 gifts and souvenirs with total value reaching NT$6,000!

For more information, please call the 24-hour hotline of Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TEL: 02-218-12345) or the 1999 Citizens’ Hotline. Details are also available on the Chinese website of the company (https://www.metro.taipei/).

For updates on the typhoon, please check the websites of Taipei City Government or TRTC. Information is also available via channels such as “Go! Metro Taipei” app, passenger information system, in-station broadcast, announcement bulletin, or announcement via the media.

Passengers should be aware that the operations of the MRT system, Maokong Gondola, and Taipei Children’s Amusement Park (TCAP) may be suspended when wind speed reaches hazardous levels.

When either force 10 winds have been observed or average wind speed reaches force 7 over a 10-minute period, surface and overpass sections of the Tamsui-Xinyi Line, Songshan-Xindian Line, and Wenhu Line will suspend operation. Operations of below-ground section of MRT Zhonghe-Xinlu Line, Bannan Line, Songshan-Xindian Line, and Tamsui-Xinyi Line will be unaffected, but the service interval will be adjusted according to actual passenger flow.

In the situation where typhoon land advisory (with scope encompassing Taipei City) is announced, Maokong Gondola may suspend operation based on the actual rain and winds. It will shut down if the city government cancels class and work. This guideline also applies for the operations of TCAP.

To prepare for possible storm and flooding, TRTC has strengthened inspection of flood-prevention equipment such as flood barrier units and pumps across all company facilities (including train depots, MRT stations, parking lots, and malls).

For the latest on train and facility operations, please visit the Chinese website of TRTC (https://www.metro.taipei). Information is also available by calling the company’s customer hotline (02-218-12345) or the 1999 Citizens’ Hotline.

The first stop of the delegation is at the Yangshan Deep-water Port, and the visitors were accompanied by Chairman Gu of Shanghai International Port Group for a tour of the facility. While the deep-water port is part of Shanghai Port, it handles over 40% of Shanghai Port’s cargo throughput and plays a key role in securing Shanghai’s position as a major international shipping center.

With development spread out across four stages, the fourth phase section of the port began operations on December 10, 2017. It is currently the world’s largest smart port with automated container port area. The loading, unloading, and transport of freights at the facility adopt the locally-developed Intelligent Terminal Operation System (ITOS).

In 2022, Shanghai Port handled a volume of roughly 47.3 million standard-sized containers, making it the world’s busiest port for 13 consecutive years. In addition, Yangshan Deep-water Port is also a green and environmental-friendly port. All facilities at the port are powered by electricity.

Chiang pointed out that Taiwanese companies also play an important role in the field of global sea freight. The firms Evergreen Marine, Yang Ming Marine Transport, and Wan Hai Lines account for 10% of Yangshan Port’s sea freights. He added that the roots of Yang Ming Marine Transport can be traced back to Qing Dynasty’s China Merchants Steam Navigation Company. The mayor also mentioned that the Port of Kaohsiung has also taken steps towards automation.

The mayor remarked that while there is no port facility under Taipei City’s jurisdiction, Yangshan Port’s operation model combining smart technology and low carbon emission is an approach that fits well with Taipei’s belief highlighting sustainability. One of the objectives of Taipei’s delegation is to learn how to integrate smart automated operation process and modes into major constructions, enabling the city to meet environmental protection and zero carbon emission requirements.

As the father of three children, the mayor calls upon parents of teenagers to listen to the voices of their kids and provide them with adequate psychological support.

Presiding over the press conference with YouTubers “MMG” (Chien-ming and Chun-ming), Chiang pointed out that according to stats from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, there were a total of 3,787 who died from suicide in 2022. This showed a 5.6% increase from the previous period, placing suicide on the 12th place of the leading cause of death ranking in Taiwan. What is more worrisome is that there is a growing number of suicides among the teenage population.

The mayor calls upon the public to learn more about the source of stress teenagers encounter nowadays, which are very different from the past. People should be aware of warning signs exhibited by youth who suffer from long-term depression, loneliness, helplessness, or loss of sleep. The kids themselves should also share their concerns proactively with friends, elders, parents, or close relatives.

According to the mayor, Taipei City is the first in the nation to establish a municipal level Suicide Prevention Center. Through an intricate network involving the departments of health, education, and social affairs, teenagers will be able to find the help they need. Also, the city has established a community counseling station for each of the 12 districts. At the price of NT$250 per consultation, the services provided by the institute is very accessible and affordable to all.

At the end of the press event, the mayor reminded the audience that starting August 1, the city government offers young men and women between the age of 15 and 30 three free counseling sessions each. He is happy to report that over the past month, the number of applications received have greatly exceeded anticipation. The city government will try to secure more subsidies from the central government, hoping to strengthen the psychological well-being of youths and teenagers.

The concept promoted by the startup has also been proposed by a team of six members of the graduating class at Chien Kuo High School. They claimed the outstanding award and popularity award at the 2023 Taipei City Government Model Participatory Budgeting for School Campus. The company invited the team members to try out the umbrella rental services on the first day of services.

Raingo pointed out that for the purpose of carbon emission reduction and reduce waste, the service saves the hassle for users of unnecessary purchase and disposal of umbrellas. The collaboration with TRTC also secures key locations to offer the service to the public, creating a win-win-win situation for the company, users, and the environment.

To access the service, simply download the “raingo app” with smart phones or tablet and complete the registration process. After setting up the account, linking up payment method and undergoing account verification procedures, users will be able to begin renting the umbrellas. To celebrate the start of rental services, newly registered users before the end of September will receive a free one-day rental voucher. They will receive another one by entering TRTC’s special code “共享傘在北捷”, and these vouchers will be valid through the end of October.

Raingo umbrella rental services charges NT$19 for the first hour, NT$29 for two hours, and NT$39 for the first day. The fee for all consecutive days is NT$20 per day, up to the maximum of 14 days. For those who failed to return the umbrella after 14 days for any reason, the final charge will be NT$799. Users who lost their umbrella should contact customer service ASAP. If the lost umbrella is found, users can contact customer service (final charge based on the elapsed days).

For details, please contact TRTC’s customer hotline (02-218-12345) or raingo’s customer service (02-7730-1131 or @raingo via LINE).

In addition to participating in the exercise between August 30 and September 4, the joint team will also visit the Tokyo Fire Department, Wangan Fire Department (Central Area), and the 9th Fire District Headquarter of Tokyo Fire Department. In addition, the team will also take part in an exchange session with members from the 8th Fire District Headquarters.

This is the fifteenth time Taipei City’s search and rescue team have been invited to the drill in Tokyo.

In 2021, the Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team acquired the heavy capability certification and became the first squadron in Taiwan to pass the National Accreditation Process. The members teamed up with Taichung City and Pingtung County fire departments to form the emergency rescue task force which took part in the humanitarian response effort during the aftermath of the Turkey earthquake.

Every year, Japan holds multiple disaster prevention drills across the nation which takes place at the same time. The massive exercise seeks to raise public awareness on disaster prevention and strengthen the preparedness of public agencies to major disasters. It also invites emergency response teams from across Asia to take part in the exercise through the “Network for Crisis Management” framework connecting several Asian cities.

Taiwan and Japan are both situated along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, making them susceptible to threats such as volcanic eruption and earthquake. That is why it is important for the two countries seeks to learn from each other and share knowhow. The annual disaster prevention drill in Japan sees the participation of over one million personnel which includes police, firefighters, troops, and volunteers. It is the biggest exercise of its kind in Asia, and Taipei City Government hopes to take advantage of this opportunity to share its experience and learn from top elite teams from different countries.

The delegation traveled to sites including the Yongchunpi Wetland Park, Songrong Park, Youth Park, and Tianmu Park. Among these facilities, the Songrong Park is an outstanding result of collaboration between the city government and local community members. The project won a number of acclaims, including both the 2022 Taiwan Real Estate Excellence Awards and the IFKAAAPME Awards 2022 (Social and Community Health category).

During the initial planning phase, the project team held six public information sessions and invited borough chiefs, community members, local organizations, and experts. By listening to local opinions and tapping upon the power of community participation and interaction, the city government seeks to consolidate the park’s position in the context of the urban environment. In addition to preserving the greens for the community, the design also incorporated the local landscape that contrasts with mountain ranges in the surrounding such as Jiantan Mountain, Datun Mountain, and Qixing Mountain. The shape of the walkway inside the park also correlates with the branch stream of Liugonjun Canal.

Parks and Street Lights Office (PSLO) Director Huang Shu-ru pointed out that the design of the entire Songrong Park highlights the concept of barrier-free access for disabled visitors. The park prizes itself for the 89% green cover ratio, through which the facility preserves a comfortable outdoor environment for the neighborhood.

The park has a stormwater detention storage capacity reaching 795 cubic meters. Furthermore, there is also an underground rainwater catchment area beneath the park spanning 145 cubic meters, which can harvest the water and recycle it for cleaning, watering plants, and other purposes.

The design team of the project remarked that that the site was originally a military-dependence village. After the village was dismantled in 2010, it was temporarily used as an urban farmland, but was later incorporated into the Songshan Barracks Overhaul Project and transformed into a park by the PSLO.

The mayor pointed out that today marks the day he returns to his “parental home” – Beian Borough in Zhongshan District. He took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Chief Chen Hsiao-kang of the Borough and local city councilors for securing the necessary resources to transform the back alleys of the community into a beautiful and friendly space.

Chiang remarked that the project integrates images of Jiannan Butterfly Park and heavily relied on the support from each member of the construction team and local representatives. He is especially grateful for the advices from former mayor Huang, who consistently reminded him of the importance of Taipei’s greenification and urban landscape aesthetics.

Sewer system constructions are important project that citizens usually do not see, but are nonetheless very important for cities. Starting in 1972, Taipei City Government embarked on the deployment of its sewer system. As of today, Taipei City boasts a sewage pipe connection rate of 81.54%, which is significantly higher than 41.65% nationwide.

According to the mayor, the project at Beian Borough is also an attempt at integrating sewer system construction with urban aesthetics. He thanked Chief Chen and members of the Garden City Commission for conducting beautification works under the blazing sun to ensure alleyways offer a hospitable and accessible environment. The city government will continue with the endeavor, hoping to spread the success to other districts in Taipei.

In addition to winning the championship, team members Chang Yun-jung and Wu Chia-yu were also chosen for the Best Player Award.

The East Asian U15 Baseball Miyazaki Tournament has taken place for many years. Typically, the organizers invite 32 teams from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. The participating teams are all strong candidates in their respective regions, so the competition is usually quite intense. However, due to the pandemic, the event has not invited foreign teams since 2020. This year marks the first time in the post pandemic era where foreign baseball teams reappeared on the fields.

Other teams from Taiwan which participated in the tournament in Miyazaki include Taichung Municipal Zhongshan Junior High School, Minsheng Junior High School in Chiayi, and New Taipei Municipal Xinpu Junior High School.

Changan Junior High School emerged with two wins and one tie from the bracket comprising Setagaya West, Kyushu Oita, and Nagasaki Higashi. It later defeated New Taipei Xinpu and Fukuoka Chikushino, winning the tickets to the finals against Southern Seoul.

Established under the support of Taipei City Government Baseball Stimulus Project in 2009, the Changan Junior High School Baseball Team lacked practice space in its initial years, forcing the team to rely on the baseball field at Xinsheng Park. However, with financial backing from the Department of Education, it currently utilizes one indoor and one outdoor baseball batting field. Also, thanks to the support from of Taipei Municipal Athletics Federation Baseball Association under Chairperson Chen Yu-mei, the school is able to hire fulltime coach for the team.

The mayor pointed out that today’s visit is not only to remember history, but also to look forward to the future. The 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis is an important turning point in the history of Taiwan. Without the battles in the frontline of Kinmen, there would be no peace for the main island of Taiwan – not to mention the economic prosperity that lasts through even today. We need to be thankful of the sacrifice our forefathers made during the conflict at Kinmen and remember their deeds as we look forward to tomorrow.

According to Chiang, Yu was known for both his knowledge spanning humanities to warfare. The former Minister of Defense was on the grounds in Kinmen commanding troops during the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis. Despite suffering a head injury from shell splinters during the conflict, he regarded the wound as his medal of courage which accompanied him for the rest of his life.

Pointing out that tomorrow (August 23) marks the 65th anniversary of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, the mayor stressed that there has been a long period of stalemate between the two sides following the event. However, transition from military conflict to peaceful exchange did not occur until 1987. The road to peaceful times has been long, showing that political achievements do not come by easily. Both sides share the responsibility to maintain the current status quo.

At the end of his speech, the mayor invited the public to come to the NTU Library and visit the Yu Da-wei Memorial Exhibition. He stressed once again that history should not be forgotten, and we need to realize peace through intelligence. For the past 65 years, the efforts of our predecessors have secured peace for our generation, and it is our responsibility to continue the peace for generations to come.

“My actual work conditions turned out to be different from what I was told at the job interview. What should I do?”

“How do I provide proof of my work hours when applying for overtime pay?”

“There’s no overtime pay? My employer said that because I have to finish my work, the overtime is on me?”

“My boss suddenly told me that today will be my last day at work!”

As a new graduate entering the workforce, what would you do if you run into one of the aforementioned situations?

To provide young workers with career suggestions and fundamental knowledge on work regulations, Taipei Youth Salon (TYS) invited labor practice lecturer Huang Yu-chieh to conduct a seminar on Labor Standards Act at the institute.

An expert on worker’s rights, Huang boasts nine years of experience from stints as labor inspector, lecturer, and HR personnel at a private company. She helped the young audience by making complicated regulations more accessible through analysis of related news and applied the knowledge to current affairs. The 32 attendees were transformed from newbies into labor rights warriors after the seminar.

Labor Commissioner Kao Bao-hua remarked that the city government’s policy seeks to raise public awareness on labor rights, which can go a long way to support both individuals and the nation. If the new workers cannot learn about it at school and their parents have little idea about this topic, it may be too late if they encounter such challenges at their workplace. The law is actually the last line of defense and can only compensate for some of the damages. It cannot restore things to their former status, so the best way is to understand and arm oneself with relevant knowledge in the first place.

The next on-site seminar at TYS will spotlight the work of water sommelier. Slated for 2:30 PM through 4:30 PM on Sunday, August 27, the workshop is limited to those under 30 years old, and the class is free of charge. Registration is accepted here: (https://reurl.cc/950M6O).

A total of 11 teams from Taiwan and abroad participated in this year’s matches. The home team claimed five gold and four bronze medals, followed by the joint team representing Hsinchu, Kaohsiung, and Hualian which brought home three gold, two silver, and one bronze medals.

The first-place among international teams is South Korea, taking one gold and three silver medals. Athletes from the Philippines secured one gold, one silver, and four bronze medals, while the Kazakhstan team won one gold medal.

Taiwanese athletes took first place in all 5 categories of the women’s division. For the men’s divisions, Filipino boxer Aaron Jude Bado came out on the top for 51 kg; local boxer Hong Chuang-hsun won the gold medal for 57 kg; Korean boxer Kim Jun Ki claimed the top honor for 63.5 kg; Kazakhstan’s Darkhan Duisebay brought home the gold for 71 kg; Taipei’s Kan Chia-wei reigned in the 80 kg group, and He Shao-hui ranked first in the 92 kg competition.

Bado was also chosen as the best male boxer, while Wu Shih-yu won the honor of best female boxer. The Best Referee Award went to Taiwanese referee Chen Jen-chih and Japanese referee Hirayama Noriaki.

Many Taipei City athletes took part in the tournament to acquire invaluable experience in competing with foreign contestants. Taking advantage of the boxing matches, they can better prepare themselves for subsequent games such as the upcoming Hanzhou Asian Games (between September 23 and October 8) and the 2023 National Games in Tainan City (from October 21 through 26).

Burning joss paper as an offering for ancestors and ghosts is a common practice in Taiwan during Ghost Month. However, the process of burning paper inevitably releases particles into the air. According to statistics from the agency, igniting 1 kilogram of joss paper will release 1.5-kilograms of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the surrounding. That is why the government continues to call upon residents to substitute joss paper with deeds or rice. It also promotes online rituals and joss paper collection service for collective burning.

For individual households which only utilize a small amount of joss paper, they can pick up “Ghost Festival Pudu Joss Paper Bag” or “Sticker for Joss Paper Concentrated Burning” from local borough offices. They can place joss paper offerings into the bag and deliver the content to any of the 32 designated collection sites set up by the agency for collective processing.

As for temples, apartment complexes, organizations, and religious institutions which accumulate large amounts of joss paper for pudu ceremonies, DEP suggests that representatives can download “Taipei City Joss Paper Transport for Collective Burning Pass” from the Chinese website of the Department of Civil Affairs. After filling out the form, they can either bring the spirit money directly to the Neihu Incineration Plant for burning. Alternatively, they can contact local cleanup squads and arrange for pickup three days before the date of the ceremony.

To meet religious requirements, the agency and the Department of Civil Affairs have commissioned the Taiwan Provincial City God Temple to conduct a cleansing and declaration ritual at the Neihu Incineration Plant on August 15.

For those who wish to substitute joss paper with deeds, they can donate the money allocated to purchasing joss paper to charities of their choice. The process can be completed via “Substitute Joss Paper with Deeds” tab available on kiosks at local convenience stores.

During his address, the mayor expressed his excitement for being able to spend Chinese Valentines Day with the audience at Dadaocheng. This is the 19th year for the city government to hold pyrotechnic displays to celebrate the occasion.

Unlike past firework occasions, the city government transformed the Chinese Valentines celebration at the wharf into a major event spanning 51 days. In addition, it arranged for standalone fireworks shows on Wednesday nights throughout the festival period. The goal is to convince residents to stay in Taipei and explore the city during summer break, while attracting visitors from other municipalities to come and enjoy what Taipei has to offer. He is overjoyed to report that the results exceeded expectations, as significant crowd continue to flow into the city experiences a boom in business opportunities throughout the festival.

The mayor also cited the numerous fireworks reviews posted by netizens on discussion sites such as PTT and Dcard. The enthusiasts shared recommended locations for taking photos of the fireworks, as well as guidelines on how to optimize their visit to the neighborhood.

He also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to city staff members for helping to make the event a success. The 2023 Dadaocheng Summer Festival also worked with merchants in the community and local commercial district to stimulate business, boosting hotel occupancy rate in the surrounding area to 70-percent. He hopes the festivity will benefit stores and shops as well.

At the close of his speech, Chiang pointed out that while today is the last day of the festival, he believes that the event has successfully promoted Dadaocheng as a key tourist attraction for visitors. He invites everyone to come back for new rounds of firework next year, highlighting the beauty of Taipei’s summer nightscape.

During the event on August 20, Mayor Chiang Wan-an appeared on the stage dressed in hip-hop outfit, joining breakdance athlete Cheng Yu-ning and both domestic and foreign jury members on stage. He encouraged the young contestants to exercise their creativity and vitality under the spotlight. Hopefully, the competition will serve as a key to unlocking the dreams for the talented young men and women.

Now in its 18th edition, the Metro Street Dance Competition 2023 also celebrates the 50 anniversaries of international hip-hop culture. The roots of street dance and hip-hop culture can be traced back to the urban environment and subways of New York City. The theme of this year’s street dance tournament is ‘Power from the Streets’ and will take place at the Beitou Depot for the first time.

To promote sports as a pastime for all, this year’s street dance competition has joined hands with sports brand Spartan Race to organize an obstacle course demo, allowing visitors both young and old to try out what it is like to compete in an obstacle race.

With breaking being chosen as a sport category for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, the organizers invited Cheng to showcase her breakdance skills before the contestants and audience. The mayor presented a gift to the promising athlete and wished her success on her road to the Paris Olympics.

This year’s street dance competition is divided into the Youth division and Adult division. The preliminaries took place on August 19 and 20, while the finals and BBoy Battle are slated for August 26 and 27. A special stage performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop culture will feature celebrities such as Youngboy Melody, FiveWood, Rapshark, Sheng Tai, Forty, David Hsiao, Lin Chieh-hsin, and NEXT GIRLZ Purplecrush.

For more information, please visit the Chinese activity website of the competition (https://tpmetrostreetdance.com/) or call TRTC at (02)218-12345. More details are also available on the Chinese website of the company (https://www.metro.taipei/).

During his speech, the mayor mentioned that the documentary’s director Chi Po-lin used his camera to record both the beauty and sorrow of the island. Every single shot in the film is infused with the love and expectation of the director for the land. As Taipei City is Chi’s hometown, the mayor remarked that he is honored to collaborate with the Chi Po-lin Foundation to organize the photo exhibition.

Chiang cited a quote from the film, where the narrator mentioned that while people are concerned about how much each ping of the home is worth, no one seems to care about the safety of the property tomorrow. The government and citizens should think about that while we enjoy material and economic gains, we should ask ourselves whether there is a price – accumulating in ways which might damage our environment.

The mayor pointed out that through the film, Chi raises public awareness on the love and care for this island, and transforming our concerns into action. As the mayor of this city, he works hard to follow the principles of Chi through implementing environmental sustainability through city policies.

Recalling his recent visit to Singapore, the mayor stressed that Singaporean officials have concrete objectives listed in the Singapore Green Plan 2030, including planting one million trees, greening 80% of the nation’s building, and achieving 75% mass public transport commute.

Looking at Taiwan, he cannot help but ask whether we are prepared, and can we actually carry out actions required to achieve these objectives? He hopes that Chi’s documentary and the photo exhibition will remind the public that we must act to protect our environment.

Agreeing with president Ou chin-der of the foundation, Mayor Chiang hopes that the photo exhibition will allow young people to learn more about this island, as well as ingraining the beliefs and values of the director in our mind.

The Department of Transportation mentioned that exhanced traffic control measures will be implemented for areas around the floodgates and neighboring roads/expressways. The YouBike rental stations within the traffic control zone will also suspend services during this period.

In light of likely crowds attending the show, buses with stops in the vicinity and MRT services will be adjusted accordingly. Visitors are encouraged to take public transportation to the event.

The following traffic control measures will be implemented at the venue:

A)Flood Gate Area Access Restrictions

1.Tamsui 1 and 6 floodgates: Vehicles and bicycles are banned between 3:30 PM and 11 PM

2.Tamsui 3 and 5 floodgates: Exit-only policy for bicycles from 6 AM through 3:30 PM; All vehicle and pedestrian access are restricted between 3:30 PM and 11 PM

3.Tamsui 4 floodgate: Exit-only policy for vehicles and bicycles between 6 AM and 3:30 PM; All vehicle and pedestrian access are restricted between 3:30 PM and 11 PM.

B)Traffic Control (Cars and Motorcycles) (6 PM – 11 PM)

1.Parameters (Surface Roads): South of Liangzhou Street; west of Yanping North Road/Tacheng Street/ Xining North Road; east of Huanhe North/South Road, and north of Changan West Road/Zhengzhou Road/Zhongxiao West Road.

2.Civic Boulevard Overpass: Westbound vehicles are banned from exiting Huanhe North Road ramp and should use other ramps or continue onwards via Zhongxiao Bridge

3.Huanhe Expressway: Two-way traffic control implemented for the section between Minzu West Road and Zhongxiao Bridge, as well as for the northbound lane between Zhongxiao Bridge and Xiyuan Road intersection (Guangfu Bridge Exit).

4.Ramp Access Restriction: Heping West Road (Huajiang Bridge Exit) Ramp; ramp from Huajiang Bridge entering Huanhe Expressway; ramp from Zhongxiao Bridge entering Huanhe Expressway, and road from Loyang Parking Lot entering Huanhe Expressway.

C)Parking Adjustments

1.From Noon, August 19 through Midnight, August 20: Roadside parking squares outside the floodgate and riverside parking lot between Tamsui 3 through 5 floodgates will be suspended

2.Between Noon and 11 PM: Parking is restricted for the following areas: south side of Minsheng West Road (section between Huanhe North Road and Chongqing North Road) and Changan West Road (section between Yanping North Road and Chongqing North Road); west side of Tacheng Street (section between Changan West Road and Zhengzhou Road), and west side of Chongqing North Road (section between Minquan West Road and Zhongxiao West Road), as well as roadside parking squares and holiday yellow line parking in front of No. 51 on Yanping North Road Section 1

D)YouBike Rental Station Suspended: Between August 19 (Noon) – August 20 (Midnight), a total of 7 YouBike rental stations in the vicinity will suspend service. These include the stops at Exit 3 of MRT Beimen Station, Taipei City Hospital Zhongxin Branch, Yongle Market, Dadaocheng Park, Chen Tian-lai Residence, Datong No. 16 Plaza and Dadaocheng Wharf

E)Pedestrian Access Restrictions: No pedestrians allowed on the walkways of Zhongxiao Bridge and Taipei Bridge between 7:30 PM and 9 PM

Vehicles passing through the neighborhood should take detours such as Zhongxing Bridge and Chongyang Bridge, while northbound/southbound traffic should consider Chongqing North/South Road or Zhongshan North/South Road as alternatives. Visitors should take the MRT to nearby stations such as MRT Daqiaotou Station, MRT Taipei Main Station, MRT Zhongshan Station, MRT Shuanglian Station, or MRT Beimen Station.

For more information, please visit the Chinese website of the Dadaocheng Summer Festival (https://taipeisummer.travel.taipei/) or call the 1999 Citizens’ Hotline.

According to Taipei’s vector control plans, when there is an occurrence of indigenous cases, the DEP will collaborate with the Department of Health (DOH) to notify households and workplaces within 100-meter radius of the reported location to collaborate with immediate disinfection efforts. The area will be monitored to examine the effectiveness of measures. The respective district offices will continue to carry out cleanup activity targeting possible mosquito breeding sources at least once per week over a period of four weeks. Residents in the neighborhood and community groups will be mobilized to tidy up the environment.

Regarding the confirmed case, the two agencies pointed out that the initial disinfection round was conducted on August 7. Staff also completed inspection and cleanup of containers and gutters to remove possible breeding sources of mosquitoes. The agencies also conducted a second wave of disinfection and environmental cleaning operation on August 9, mobilizing 6 vehicles and 26 staff members.

DEP calls upon the public to work together and prevent the spread of dengue fever. The best way to do so is to ensure that the environment is tidy and clean. Individuals should wear light-color clothing, and those wearing shirts with short sleeves should consider adding detachable sleeves or a thin jacket with long sleeves. When necessary, use insect repellent to keep pests at a distance. Residents should also conduct routine inspections of their home to make sure there are no containers (pots, tires, buckets, etc.) holding stale water which might serve as breeding ground for mosquitoes. If individuals experience sudden headache, fever, pain in the back of the eye, muscle/joint aches, or rashes, please visit the doctor immediately.

During this period, DEP will strengthen patrols and calls upon residents to collaborate with environment-cleaning and disinfection operations. Locations cited for housing mosquito breeding sources will be fined between NT$1,200 to NT$6,000 in accordance with Article 27 of the Waste Disposal Act.

During his address, the deputy mayor hopes that the new facility will become a venue where residents can but their skills to a test and a place that will become a new landmark, known for being a competitive sports venue.

According to the Hydraulic Engineering Office (HEO), the pump track houses a circuit with wave-shaped design and different degrees of elevation. Riders are able to take advantage of the curves and slopes to generate momentum for their vehicle through body motion, rather than the use of pedals on their bicycles. This allows cyclists to immerse themselves in an experience different from those of cycling on flat roads. It is an up-and-coming sport with growing popularity across the globe.

HEO pointed out that the total distance of the pump track is about 1 KM, making it the largest practice ground of its kind in Taiwan. The circuit is designed specifically for mountain bikes and BMXs. The track is also divided into two different areas – the 1-on-1 racing track (red and yellow lines) and the practice area (white line). The surface of the track is paved with asphalt concrete, allowing it to be used by skateboarders and rollerbladers.

Construction of the pump track at Rainbow Riverside Park began on September 21, 2022. Work was completed on April 21, 2023. The facility was first opened to the public on trial basis on June 8, 2023. It is highly popular among professional players and children.

According to the agency, the upcoming sale will comprise nearly one thousand merchandise spanning recycled furniture to revamped bicycles. There will also be an area dedicated to early bird deals for students with limited number of renovated goods.

For those who wish to learn about the secrets of prolonging the usability of household appliances, the agency will also hold a class on electric fan maintenance and repair. Hopefully, the event will also help raise the awareness on recycling and the importance of a green and sustainable lifestyle. Signup is available via the following link (https://forms.gle/16KLes2EGnQ1ZgaY7) and limited to 25 positions only.

In the afternoon, there will be three class session teaching participants how to make their own pencil holders from wood. Registration is accepted on site and limited to 20 students per session. The material fee for each session is NT$100.

Other activities at the venue include home furniture inspection and repair; waste recycling promotion; reclaimed soil/compost giveaway, old clothing (excluding underwear) exchange for small souvenirs, and secondhand goods charity auction.

The agency reminds visitors that access to the early bird deals for students will require one’s student ID, while those planning on purchasing recycled bicycles will need to show either student ID or government-issued proof of low-income family.

To familiarize participants with ice skating skills, Taipei Arena Ice Land held an introductory ice-skating class at the beginning of the visit. After the briefing, many of the invitees were able to enjoy skating on the ice rink for the first time. They also received a certificate on course completion at the end of the event, with the mascot of Taipei Arena “Eggy” appearing for a photo op with the visitors.

SOCT is a member of the Special Olympics International. Speed roller skater Wang Yi-chuan is one of the individuals invited by the organizers. He is a gold medalist of the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023, winning first place in the 300 meters race.

Entering the world of speed skating for the first time in high school, Wang was able to win the ticket to the event at Berlin after achieving outstanding results at the qualifying rounds. The athlete attended the charity event with his coach and – thanks to his mastery of speed skating – was able to skate effortlessly on ice after receiving initial instructions. He also asked his coach to take a photo of him at the event, hoping to present the photo to his father who wasn’t able to come.

In the interest of realizing ESG goals and carrying out the social responsibility of enterprises, Taipei Arena joined hands with SOCT to invite disabled individuals and their families to the ice rink to enjoy a different kind of Father’s Day celebration.

During his address, the mayor welcomes the ex-PM and his delegation to Taipei City. He also expressed his gratitude to the Japanese political leader for supporting exchanges between Taiwan and Japan. Chiang also mentioned that Taipei City maintains a strong relationship with numerous Japanese municipalities in the fields of disaster prevention, education, and entrepreneurship. It is also a partner city of Yokohama. Hopefully, with the help of Aso, the relations between Taipei and Japanese cities will continue to grow and prosper beyond into future generations.

Aso pointed out that the last time he visited Taiwan was 12 years ago. He noted significant changes of Taipei, spanning new buildings to trendy pedestrians. These scenes testify to the rapid progress of the island in recent years. He recalled similar developments and growth when he visited Seoul a few days ago, praising the efforts of both cities under the leadership of young and ambitious mayors.

The mayor cited numerous efforts made by the former prime minister in deepening bilateral relationship, such as realizing “workation” between Japan and Taiwan and direct flights between Songshan and Haneda airports. He stressed that the two nations share common values in freedom and democracy, and both emphasizes the importance of and the willingness to protect regional stability. The two sides also seek to contribute to the peace of East Asia through mutual benefit and assistance.

At the start of the meeting, Chiang presented a fountain pen designed by Taiwanese designer and three comic books to the former prime minister. The mayor received a Japanese manga stamp gift set from the Japanese guest.

According to the Department of Information and Tourism (TPEDOIT), the summer festival is now entering the final two weeks. The fireworks on August 9 and the next show on August 16 will both consist of a 360-second-long display. The closing firework finale slated for August 20 will comprise a 480-second-long event featuring high altitude fireworks.

In addition, the organizers will invite celebrities including golden melody award winners and pop stars to entertain the audience with exciting performances. The agency reminds those planning on attending the show that the starting time of summer festival fireworks in August will be delayed to 8:35 PM, in compliance with guidelines from the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

Furthermore, there will be a promotion campaign giving away limited-edition Bravo beer mugs through August 20. To enter, participants will have to submit a photo taken at the snapshot area – the graffiti wall outside Floodgate 5, wharf area, Dadaocheng Wharf Cargo Market, or Croquet Ground public art display – and upload it to one’s social media account with hashtag “#大稻埕夏日節“. He or she will also have to add Taipei City Government’s LINE account as friend. Finally, he or she should acquire uniform invoices or proofs of purchase of spending NT$1,000 or more at either partner stores, Dadaocheng Wharf Cargo Market, or Blue Highway ferry operators. Bring these items to the information counter at Floodgate 5 to exchange for the Limited-Edition Bravo Beer Mug. Supplies are limited, so act fast!

In addition, the second wave of “My Best Angle for Watching Fireworks” photo submission and raffle event will take place through August 11. The organizers invite visitors to submit fireworks photos and share the locations for taking these amazing shots, such as Sanchong Wharf and Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail. More details are available on Taipei Travel Net.

For more information, please visit the official Chinese website of the event (https://taipeisummer.travel.taipei/).

For those who are unable to attend in person but would like to enjoy live streaming from the venue, please visit the following YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndo_8RuefH4).

The collaboration between the two institutions has been held for over 16 years, including 76 sessions and benefiting over 16,000 immigrant workers. However, the clinic has been cancelled for three years due to the pandemic. With the subsiding of COVID-19, the event kicked off again in July of 2023.

Labor Commissioner Kao Bao-hua pointed out that many immigrant workers delay checkups due to lack of time or language barriers. That is why the Department of Labor organized the free clinic as an additional option for foreign friends, dispatching bilingual staff from FDLO to assist communications and medical workers to provide medical consultation. In light of the pandemic’s impact, the event puts a heavy emphasis on the health of employers, care recipients, and immigrant workers. The organizers call upon both immigrant workers and employers to take advantage of the free checkup to protect each other’s health.

Taipei Railway Station – the venue of the clinic – is a place familiar to many immigrant workers. The clinic will be held between 1:30 PM and 4:30 PM, with no preregistration required ahead of time. However, those seeking a checkup should bring ID documents with them. Services provided include standard health checkup, as well as consultations in the fields of ophthalmology, dermatology, dentistry, otolaryngology, internal medicine, gynecology, orthopedics, psychiatry, and Chinese medicine.

The organizer is also partnering with a massage therapy shop at Taipei Railway Station and giving away vouchers to clinic visitors. The vouchers can be exchanged for a free 15-minute massage session and is available in limited supply only.

For more information, please visit the Chinese website of FDLO (https://fd.gov.taipei/News.aspx?n=442CB4A471E5FEAA&sms=78D644F2755ACCAA).

The commissioner of TPEDOIT pointed out that as of early August, the number of Taiwanese visitors entering Japan has exceeded 1.4 million, while 300,000 Japanese visited Taiwan. Both countries claim the number one position in each other’s tourism market. After three years of pause due to the pandemic, Taipei City is ready to welcome the return of tourists with open arms.

Over the three-year period, Taipei City has introduced new destinations, including the Taipei Music Center, Taipei Performing Arts Center, and Rongjin Gorgeous Time. This year, Taipei City also came in eighth on Time Out Magazine’s ranking of Best Public Transport in the World. Tourists are able to tap upon the accessible mass transit system to reach forests and mountains from the city within 30 minutes.

The members of Taipei’s delegation at the Tokyo event include China Airline, Tigerair Taiwan, EVA Air, Starlux Airlines, Taipei Sightseeing Bus, Sunrise Travel Service, TangShop, Dunqian Intelligent Technology, New Sunshine Travel Service, Lion Travel, Taipei Music Center, Taihu Brewing, and Dahu Park Hotel.

The new tourism ambassador noted that she enjoys traveling and great food. When she was younger, she used to work in Taipei, but today she has to travel by air to many places for work. Therefore, her sentiments for the city is not only a “home,” but also mixed with elements of a “traveler’s” perspective. That is why she wants to share the city she loves with Japanese tourists.

For the promotional film, Hsu remarked that many locations are places she would visit herself, including the boutiques at Zhongshan Linear Park and Wanhua District’s Bopiliao Historical Block. She also recommends Japanese tourists try out local dishes such as braised pork rice, chicken fillet and grass jelly ice.

Link to the promotional film on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axJOW7GESHQ

During his address, Mayor Chiang Wan-an remarked that city staff members bears significant responsibilities on their shoulders, and they can continue to concentrate on their work with support from their family members. He also welcomed the young children of staff members to city hall and invited them to explore the workplace of their parents.

The mayor believes that the kids must be curious about what work is like for dad and mom. He stressed that mundane events such as taking the MRT, riding the bus, or even visiting Taipei Zoo and Taipei Children’s Amusement Park, have gone through stages of planning and execution, which their parents play a part in carrying out.

Citing Taipei City Government’s first government-sponsored and privately-operated nursery which opened on August 1, Chiang pointed out that the facility provides invaluable childcare service for city employees. The available slots at the institution have expanded from 12 to 32 as well. He added that city hall must continue to operate and lead in creating a friendly environment for child-rearing.

According to the mayor, he has participated in Kids at Work Day when he worked abroad – both at his own workplace and his wife’s company. These events are designed to allow employees to bring their kids to work and let the young ones know what the working environment is like. He hopes that through events like this, city employees can secure more support from their kids and family members. He also hopes that children can enjoy the fun activities prepared by the Department of Personnel, including DIY balloons and photo sticker machines.

To promote business at Chongnan Book Street, the Taipei City Office of Commerce (TCOOC) joined hands with Chongnan Book Street Promotion Association to organize the 2023 Chongnan Book Street Upsize Go Fair. The event kicked-off on August 5.

The fair features activities such as “I’m a Young Bookstore Owner” and “Read with Celebrities.” Participants will have a chance to learn more about books and how bookstores operate. In addition, the popular Chongnan Upsize Books Voucher will also be available for purchase at the same time. For a price of NT$200, those with the voucher can exchange it for goods equivalent to NT$300 at the commercial district. Only a limited number of vouchers are available, and those interested can purchase them at Li Ming Cultural Bookstore.

According to TCOOC, the origins of Chongnan Commercial District can be traced back to the Japanese Colonial Era. To answer demands for education, the colonial government established the Taiwan Books Corporation at present day Chongqing South Road, offering goods such as textbooks, stationaries, and books of all kinds in Japanese. This created a cluster effect, encouraging bookstores and related businesses to set up shop in the neighborhood.

Despite the rise of the Internet and the decline in the hobby of reading, many stores in Chongnan Commercial District continue to offer goods and services for readers. To stimulate the local economy, the agency collaborated with the commercial district to organize various campaigns in the past, including the 2020 Chongnan Fun Book-cation and 2022 Chongnan Commercial District Shopping Festival.

Association Chairman Shen Rong-yi invites parents to take advantage of the fair this year and bring their kids to the century-old book street to purchase quality reading materials. The Chongnan Upsize Books vouchers can be used at partner stores in the neighborhood through September 17.

For more details, please visit either the Chinese Facebook fan page of the association (https://www.facebook.com/book.tpe/) or TCOOC (https://www.facebook.com/tcooc/).

The Department of Information and Tourism (TPEDOIT) pointed out that according to RankingRoyals website’s comparison of 424 cities around the globe, Taipei was ranked fourth safest city in the world. Taipei’s crime rate is also the lowest among all of the compared city, and this success can be attributed to the effort of the police force.

According to the agency, this summer’s training program for young volunteer spotlights police officers. In addition to learning the basics of volunteer works, the elementary school students will have a chance to visit the workplace of police and observe police equipment at a close distance, allowing them to better understand the responsibilities of Taipei’s police officers.

This year’s program integrates the basics of volunteer work, which participants are able to learn through interactive games requiring them to work as a team. The members will also have a chance to visit units such as the Police Museum and the Women’s and Children’s Protection Division. They will also have the opportunity to handle police gears such as handcuffs, batons, and bulletproof vests.

TPEDOIT pointed out that every year, the Discovery Center of Taipei organizes training camps for young volunteers which highlights different topics related with Taipei. To find out more about the program, please visit the institution’s Chinese website (https://discovery.gov.taipei/).

On August 26, the Geotechnical Engineering Office will hold the 2023 Taipei Grand Trail Ecotour at the Quanyuan Shamao Hiking Trail and Hudi Road Hiking Trail. It welcomes the public to take part on a leisure hike of the surrounding area.

The agency pointed out that the tour will kick-off at 8 AM in the morning. The group will leave from the sidewalk next to the bus stop of Dunxu High School of Industry and Commerce. The participants will travel to Longfenggu Recreation Area and enjoy the view of the cistern used by a past mine. As the participants follow the Quanyuan Shamao Hiking Trail upstream, the view slowly changes to one reflecting a volcanic terrain – geyser holes, sulfur crystals, and hot spring irrigation channels, as well as ruins of a hot spring facility. After moving along Shamao Road, Hudi Road, and Banling Trail, the hikers will reach the Hongtan Shrine. Also known as the “Celestial Temple”, the small shrine does not house a given deity, but will open its doors to welcome the gods during temple events in Yangmingshan area.

There will be a small concert at the Hongtan Plaza, and participants will be able to collect a souvenir after the conclusion of the event. From here, they can either return to Shamao Road and take buses heading to Beitou, or proceed to Yangmingshan Bus Station via Hengling Historical Trail to board a bus heading back to the city.

The ecotour of Quanyuan Shamao Hiking Trail and Hudi Road Hiking Trail is limited to 300 participants. Reservations are accepted starting August 11. To sign up, please visit the Chinese website of Taiwan Nature Trail Society (https://www.naturetrail.org.tw/) or the Chinese website of GEO (http://www.geo.gov.taipei/). You can also call the agency at (02) 2302-5265.