Chiayi City GovernmentChiayi City Government

Chiayi City Mayor Huang Brings Urban Governance Exchange to Taitung, Spotlighting Shared Vision for Local Revitalization Post Date: August 3 Civil Affairs Department   / Tourism and Information Department Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui led an interdepartmental city government delegation to Taitung on August 3 to visit the 2026 Taitung Expo and exchange experiences in urban curation, local revitalization, and sustainable development. Taitung County Magistrate Yao Ching-ling and her team warmly welcomed the delegation for in-depth discussions on urban governance, marking the latest chapter in a long-running partnership between the two cities. The visit builds on close exchanges between Chiayi City and Taitung. In 2019, Mayor Huang visited the Taitung Design Center — Taiwan's first design center established at the county and city government level — to learn how Taitung uses design thinking to integrate local culture, industrial development, and urban governance. The experience contributed to Chiayi City's preparations for the 2021 Taiwan Design Expo, which adopted the theme "Home — City as Home" and transformed the city itself into an exhibition venue, showcasing Chiayi's wood-city heritage, the revitalization of historic spaces, and citizen participation. These shared experiences have since provided a foundation for continued exchanges between the two cities. Mayor Huang said she was pleased to return to Taitung and exchange ideas with the curatorial team behind the Taitung Expo. Under Magistrate Yao's leadership, Taitung has sought to transform the city and strengthen its international connections. The expo has turned the former Taitung Railway Station district into a hub for tourism and economic development — an approach that echoes Chiayi City's own efforts to revitalize its former prison site and historic wooden buildings, turning the city into a platform for cultural and aesthetic experiences. Mayor Huang also highlighted Taitung's approach of weaving its "slow economy" into its natural environment and Austronesian cultural heritage to build a distinctive, internationally recognizable city brand. Chiayi City, for its part, marked its 321st year as a city with the 320+1 City Expo, centered on the themes of sharing, livability, and modernity — translating more than three centuries of history into a contemporary vision for urban design. Although the two cities have very different landscapes and cultural identities, both demonstrate how deeply rooted local culture can be transformed into a compelling city brand. Mayor Huang expressed hope that Chiayi City's rich humanistic heritage and Taitung's laid-back mountain-and-coast lifestyle will inspire new avenues for collaboration between the two cities. Magistrate Yao noted that Taitung and Chiayi City have maintained close exchanges over the years. Taitung has visited Chiayi City to learn from its experience organizing Taiwan Design Week, while youth development teams from both cities have continued to strengthen ties through reciprocal visits. During Chiayi City's 320+1 City Expo last year, nearly ten teams from Taitung visited to observe its programs and exchange ideas. Yao said the lessons they brought home are now reflected in this year's Taitung Expo — a testament to the value of intercity learning and collaboration. Magistrate Yao praised Mayor Huang's leadership in making Chiayi City a model for other cities to learn from, and said Taitung has drawn valuable insights from Chiayi's governance experience. She expressed hope that the two cities will continue working together, learning from one another, and creating new opportunities for shared urban development and mutual growth.  

Chiayi City Mayor Huang Brings Urban Governance Exchange to Taitung, Spotlighting Shared Vision for Local Revitalization Post Date: August 3 Civil Affairs Department   / Tourism and Information Department Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui led an interdepartmental city government delegation to Taitung on August 3 to visit the 2026 Taitung Expo and exchange experiences in urban curation, local revitalization, and sustainable development. Taitung County Magistrate Yao Ching-ling and her team warmly welcomed the delegation for in-depth discussions on urban governance, marking the latest chapter in a long-running partnership between the two cities. The visit builds on close exchanges between Chiayi City and Taitung. In 2019, Mayor Huang visited the Taitung Design Center — Taiwan's first design center established at the county and city government level — to learn how Taitung uses design thinking to integrate local culture, industrial development, and urban governance. The experience contributed to Chiayi City's preparations for the 2021 Taiwan Design Expo, which adopted the theme "Home — City as Home" and transformed the city itself into an exhibition venue, showcasing Chiayi's wood-city heritage, the revitalization of historic spaces, and citizen participation. These shared experiences have since provided a foundation for continued exchanges between the two cities. Mayor Huang said she was pleased to return to Taitung and exchange ideas with the curatorial team behind the Taitung Expo. Under Magistrate Yao's leadership, Taitung has sought to transform the city and strengthen its international connections. The expo has turned the former Taitung Railway Station district into a hub for tourism and economic development — an approach that echoes Chiayi City's own efforts to revitalize its former prison site and historic wooden buildings, turning the city into a platform for cultural and aesthetic experiences. Mayor Huang also highlighted Taitung's approach of weaving its "slow economy" into its natural environment and Austronesian cultural heritage to build a distinctive, internationally recognizable city brand. Chiayi City, for its part, marked its 321st year as a city with the 320+1 City Expo, centered on the themes of sharing, livability, and modernity — translating more than three centuries of history into a contemporary vision for urban design. Although the two cities have very different landscapes and cultural identities, both demonstrate how deeply rooted local culture can be transformed into a compelling city brand. Mayor Huang expressed hope that Chiayi City's rich humanistic heritage and Taitung's laid-back mountain-and-coast lifestyle will inspire new avenues for collaboration between the two cities. Magistrate Yao noted that Taitung and Chiayi City have maintained close exchanges over the years. Taitung has visited Chiayi City to learn from its experience organizing Taiwan Design Week, while youth development teams from both cities have continued to strengthen ties through reciprocal visits. During Chiayi City's 320+1 City Expo last year, nearly ten teams from Taitung visited to observe its programs and exchange ideas. Yao said the lessons they brought home are now reflected in this year's Taitung Expo — a testament to the value of intercity learning and collaboration. Magistrate Yao praised Mayor Huang's leadership in making Chiayi City a model for other cities to learn from, and said Taitung has drawn valuable insights from Chiayi's governance experience. She expressed hope that the two cities will continue working together, learning from one another, and creating new opportunities for shared urban development and mutual growth.  

Chiayi City Turns a 300-Year-Old Canal into a Taiwanese Hokkien Picture Book to Keep Local Memory Alive Post Date: July 21 Department of Education  / Tourism and Information Department To promote local-language education, reading, and the preservation of local culture, the Chiayi City Government launched Water Through the City—Daojiang Canal, a Taiwanese Hokkien picture book, at Xingjia Elementary School on July 29. The book transforms the city's important cultural asset, the Daojiang Canal, into a child-friendly story that introduces young readers to Chiayi's history while passing on the cultural heritage of their native language. Mayor Huang Min-hui said the publication uses Taiwanese Hokkien text and illustrations to introduce readers to Chiayi's historic landscapes and the story of its irrigation canals. The book will also serve as a key resource for local-language education in Chiayi's elementary and junior high schools. She noted that Taiwanese Hokkien grew out of everyday life and carries the historical memories of local communities, making it an important part of cultural heritage and language education. She hopes children will grow closer to their native language and hometown through reading, helping preserve local culture and collective memory for future generations. Mayor Huang noted that the Daojiang Canal has a history of more than 300 years. For generations, it has nourished local communities and witnessed Chiayi's transformation from an agricultural settlement into a modern city, while connecting the city's history, culture, and relationship with the land. Emphasizing the principle "The more local, the more global," she said Chiayi may be small in size and population, but its unique history and culture can create an identity that cannot be replicated elsewhere. She hopes the book will encourage readers to learn about the Daojiang Canal, appreciate the spirit of giving thanks to the sources that sustain us, and develop a greater commitment to protecting local land, water resources, and cultural heritage. Department of Education Director Kuo Tien-tsai said Chiayi has in recent years published Taiwanese Hokkien and Hakka picture books that transform local culture into educational resources. Written by Xingjia Elementary School teacher Huang Chiung-hui and illustrated by artist Pandora, Water Through the City—Daojiang Canal took a year to develop and is the seventh local-language picture book published by Chiayi City. Combining history, culture, ecology, and water heritage, the book uses a Taiwanese Hokkien story to help students learn their native language, understand the wisdom behind the canal's construction, and appreciate the importance of water resources and local cultural assets. At the launch event, Author Huang Chiung-hui adapted the story into a Taiwanese Hokkien call-and-response dialogue performance (答喙鼓, tah-tshuì-kó), which was presented by Xingjia Elementary School students Wen Hsiao-ning and Hsiao Yung-hsin. A picture-book reading session, student learning displays, and traditional farming tool exhibits further highlighted how students use their native language to explore local culture. Mayor Huang and guests also scanned a QR code in the book to access its audio content, demonstrating how digital media can enrich the reading experience. Author Huang Chiung-hui said she hopes the book will help readers better understand and appreciate their hometown. Quoting the Taiwanese saying, "When you eat the fruit, remember the tree; when you eat rice, remember the fields," she emphasized the importance of giving thanks to the sources that sustain us and cherishing the land and waterways that nourish communities. She added: "The waters of the Daojiang Canal are still flowing — not just through Chiayi City, but into the hearts of every reader." She hopes the book will plant a seed of love for Chiayi in readers' hearts and inspire the continued preservation of local culture. Illustrator Pandora noted that the book contains several visual details designed to deepen the story. Recurring facial features connect characters across generations — a grandfather in a modern scene and a farmer from the past both share the same distinctive mole, symbolizing the continuity of family spirit and purpose. Hidden cats scattered throughout the book add a playful element of discovery for young readers. A frog and boat that appear throughout the story carry particular symbolic meaning: the frog travels downstream by boat, encounters the protagonist, and eventually appears as an image on the final signpost — representing the enduring vitality of waterway culture and its living connection across generations. The Department of Education said the publication marks an important milestone in linking reading education with local culture and a new step forward in promoting local-language education across Chiayi City. The city government will continue to advance local-language learning, reading education, and curriculum innovation, encouraging more schools to develop locally distinctive programs so that children can discover their hometown through reading and connect with the wider world through culture.