Chiayi City GovernmentChiayi City Government

Chiayi City Opens Taiwan’s First Government-Built Junior High Outdoor Adventure Park, Setting the Stage for the 2027 National Scout Jamboree Post Date: October 17 Education Department /  Tourism and Information Department Chiayi City's 2026 Scout Jamboree opened Saturday at the Sustainable Academy Outdoor Adventure Park on Nanxing Junior High School's second campus, bringing together 470 scouts and teachers. The event marked the official opening of the park's first phase — Taiwan's first junior high experiential learning facility established by a local government — built with NT$580 million invested across the 7.5-hectare site.   Mayor Huang Min-hui said the goal is to "make the environment a classroom and everyday life part of the curriculum." Since the city began planning the facility in 2006 and gradually expanded its programs — adding water-based learning last year — the park has grown into an outdoor laboratory where students develop courage, responsibility, and teamwork by learning through doing. She expressed hope that every child in Chiayi will have the opportunity to explore the world with confidence.   Department of Education Director Huang Yuan-ting said the first phase adds a campground (capacity: 50 tents), an arts and performance plaza, and parking. After Typhoon Danas damaged trees, the park retained fallen timber for future scout activities. Existing vegetation — including starfruit trees — has been preserved, integrating sustainability into the park's natural learning environment.   Chiayi City will host the 2027 National Elementary and Junior High School Scout Jamboree, bringing together the city government, schools, scout organizations, and communities. The city has also continued its "Scouting in Every School" initiative — ranking second nationwide in scout participation — and has expanded international exchange through participation in the CSW70 NGO forum and a visit to the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey's DreamLab.  

After 21 Years of Waiting, Chiayi City Wins Central Government Support for BRT Expansion and Broader HSR Rail Assessment Post Date: October 14 Transportation Department /  Tourism and Information Department Mayor Huang Min-hui led a city government delegation to the Executive Yuan on October 14 to press for improved rail connections to the Chiayi High Speed Rail (HSR) Station — a project long sought by residents. The meeting, chaired by Premier Cho Jung-tai, reached three key agreements: 1. The Executive Yuan will support increased BRT services and improved connections, with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications asked to move forward with implementation. 2. The feasibility study for the Chiayi City Blue Line light rail will revise the proposed route and expand its assessment scope to better reflect local industrial development needs. 3. Once the feasibility study is approved, the central and local governments will hold dedicated negotiations on project financing.   Mayor Huang said the HSR rail connection is a long-standing commitment made by the central government when Taiwan's high-speed rail was first built. As the nation's technology industries expand southward, Chiayi has become a key piece of Taiwan's economic development. "The Chiayi Science Park of tomorrow could become what the Hsinchu and Southern Taiwan science parks are today," she said, urging the central government to move transportation planning ahead of anticipated industrial and population growth. The city emphasized that the HSR rail connection is more than a transportation route — it would strengthen links across the Greater Chiayi living area while supporting national industrial development. The city called on the central government to advance the project in the spirit of equitable access to transportation and balanced regional development, so that more than two decades of local expectations can finally begin to take shape as real infrastructure.  

Japan's Hakubi Returns to Its Roots as Chiayi City's 2026 Chulo Rock Festival Opens to Record Crowds Post Date: October 11 Bureau of Cultural Affairs /  Tourism and Information Department The 2026 Chulo Rock Music Festival opened on October 10 at the former Tatung Institute of Technology campus, drawing record crowds across two stages over Taiwan's National Day holiday. This year's festival features 27 acts from Taiwan and abroad, including Chiayi-based Amazing Show, Fire EX., Enno Cheng, Elephant Gym, and Kyoto rock band Hakubi.   Mayor Huang Min-hui welcomed Hakubi back to Chiayi, noting the band's special connection to the city: lead vocalist Katagiri's grandfather once lived in Chiayi, and those cross-generational family memories have provided inspiration for the band's music. "Music can transcend borders and generations, bringing a city's history into conversation with contemporary creativity," Huang said, adding that the festival gives more people a chance to discover Chiayi through music and experience its cultural character.   Bureau of Cultural Affairs Director Hsieh Yu-che said Amazing Show returned to its hometown following its 10th-anniversary concert in May, sharing the stage with musicians from Taiwan and overseas. Chulo Rock is also deepening cross-city collaboration through partnerships with the Taipei Music Center and Rock in Taichung, with further programs scheduled for late October. This year, three emerging acts — Hero's Sword (好大一把勇者劍), Gamble Groove, and henÿ — were selected to perform alongside established bands, with "Chulo Salon" industry talks and rock documentary screenings extending the festival beyond live performance into talent development.   The free festival continues on October 11. A local market and free drinking-water stations are on site; visitors are encouraged to use public transportation or YouBike, with a special WeMo riding promotion available for festival-goers.