Chiayi City GovernmentChiayi City Government

Chiayi City Welcomes NIPPON TRAVEL for Renewed Taiwan–Japan Baseball Tourism Exchange   Post Date:  November 27, 2025 Tourism and Information Department   Chiayi City welcomed a delegation from NIPPON TRAVEL, Japan’s oldest travel agency, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen tourism and baseball cultural exchanges. The six-member team—including former NPB player Araki Daisuke—visited the KANO Baseball Exhibition at National Chiayi University on November 25 and met with Mayor Huang Min-Hui the following day. During the meeting, Mayor Huang presented Araki with a commemorative statue of Wu Ming-Chieh, symbolizing the enduring KANO spirit. Araki returned the gesture with a signed baseball. The delegation also visited Chiayi Municipal Minsheng Junior High School, a key training ground for young baseball talent. Mayor Huang noted that baseball has long been a cultural bridge between Chiayi and Japan. The legendary 1931 KANO team, the film KANO, and the Central Fountain statue of Wu Ming-Chieh all embody the city’s resilience and spirit of perseverance. She highlighted Chiayi’s strong sports culture, pointing to recent recognition in Global Views Monthly’s “Sports City Survey,” where Chiayi ranked third among non-municipalities and first in the “Sports for All” category. NIPPON TRAVEL representatives remarked that Chiayi’s preservation of KANO history has shaped not only its baseball heritage but also its cultural identity. The city’s dedication especially moved them to honor past athletes—something rarely seen in Japan’s urban centers. The delegation’s visit to National Chiayi University offered a closer look at KANO’s historical archives, including materials documenting the team’s 1931 journey to Koshien. The university has also expanded Taiwan–Japan baseball exchanges, hosting a friendly game earlier this year with the Shikoku University Baseball League. At Minsheng Junior High School, Araki observed training and encouraged students to embrace challenges and learn from setbacks. He emphasized that their skill level could compete with peers in Japan and encouraged them to continue improving through persistence. Chiayi City Government expressed its gratitude for the delegation’s visit and looks forward to further collaboration in tourism, sports, and cultural exchange. The upcoming Taiwan–Japan Baseball Exchange Forum on November 28—featuring Araki as a distinguished guest—will continue deepening ties and creating new opportunities for cooperation.  

Chiayi City Showcases Dual-Engine Urban Strategy at “320+1 Vision Exhibition” Post Date: November 25, 2025 Urban Development Department / Tourism and Information Department Chiayi City Government opened the “320+1 Chiayi Vision Exhibition” on November 24 at the Chiayi Heart Vision Hall, highlighting progress under its dual-engine development strategy—“Major Progress in the East, Major Development in the West.” The showcase outlines key achievements from the Ten Flagship Projects and the city’s ongoing efforts to build a sustainable, livable, and climate-resilient “Cool, Vibrant, and New Timber City.” The exhibition introduces updated urban planning tools, including Chiayi’s newly completed full-city 3D Mesh model and UAV-enabled 720-degree panoramic platform—making Chiayi the first city in Taiwan to complete such comprehensive 3D modeling. Two keynote speakers, Prof. Lin Tzu-Pin and Assoc. Prof. Liu Wei-Kung shared insights on resilient urban design and the creation of public value. Mayor Huang Min-Hui joined city officials to outline the next century of Chiayi’s urban blueprint. She emphasized the city’s ambition to become an inclusive “city for all ages” and noted the importance of adapting planning strategies to extreme climate conditions through integrated wind, water, and green corridor systems. Mayor Huang also highlighted the city’s momentum as it moves toward the completion of the elevated railway in 2029. The West District is set to advance through strategic development in commerce, transportation, education, healthcare, and housing, supported by the planned High-Speed Rail Link Light Rail, and the 3-3-3 road network. She reiterated the need for central government collaboration to position Chiayi as a key partner in the emerging “Greater Southern Silicon Valley.” In the East District, redevelopment continues following the relocation of former military-dependent households. The city aims to attract commercial, office, and hotel projects to shape a new eastern gateway. Director Hsu Huai-Chun added that Beigang Road and the areas around Jiabei Station hold strong potential for logistics, innovation, and R&D industries. At the same time, Jianguo and Fuxing Villages are being planned as a human-centered green core. The Urban Development Department noted that the exhibition, which runs from November 24 to 30, features models, display panels, and videos detailing Chiayi’s wind-water-green planning framework and its future urban landscape. Citizens are invited to visit and explore the city’s long-term development vision.

Mayor Huang Unveils “Timber City” Exhibition, Showcasing Chiayi’s Revitalized Wooden Heritage Post Date: November 15, 2025 Urban Development Department / Tourism and Information Department Chiayi City opened the “User Guide to the Timber City” exhibition on November 15, highlighting the city’s long-standing wooden architectural heritage and its ongoing Timber City development strategy. With more than 6,000 wooden structures still standing today, Chiayi continues to build upon its foundation as a historic timber hub established in 1914 with the completion of the Alishan Forest Railway. At the opening event, Mayor Huang Min-Hui unveiled the newly restored Qing-era residence on Lanjing Street. He announced the third round of subsidies under the “Chiayi Wooden House Program.” The exhibition features achievements from 11 restoration projects in the first two phases and connects with 40 wooden-house businesses across the city. Mayor Huang noted that Timber City 3.0 is a collaborative effort involving residents, designers, craftsmen, and young entrepreneurs, all working together to renew the city’s historical core. Mayor Huang emphasized that Chiayi’s wooden heritage has evolved through three stages. Timber City 1.0 centered on the city’s early forestry economy; Timber City 2.0 focused on restoration projects such as Hinoki Village and the Experimental Wood Lab; and Timber City 3.0 integrates cross-departmental resources to further advance revitalization through the Old Town Reborn initiative launched in 2022. The Urban Development Department highlighted the Chiayi Wooden House Program as Taiwan’s first use of urban renewal to support wooden-structure restoration. A total of 18 projects have been approved across three phases, with future uses including guesthouses, exhibition spaces, restaurants, and wellness studios, helping to reactivate historic neighborhoods and reinforce the Timber City identity. The exhibition “User Guide to the Timber City” showcases restored buildings and their new functions, reflecting the goals of urban renewal: improving living environments and revitalizing urban spaces. The program includes two exhibition sessions and three events scheduled from November 19 to 30, inviting the public to explore Chiayi’s evolving timber culture and the many possibilities of life in a contemporary wooden city.