Tainan’s Outlook on the Eve of its 400th Birthday: Technology, Smart Applications, and Sustainability—Laying the Foundation for another 400 Years of Splendor
Mayor’s Remarks:
Secretary-general Fang, Deputy Secretary-general Wang, heads of departments, and colleagues, thank you for attending this meeting. I appreciate your excellent work over this past year, and for ensuring that the municipal government fulfills its most important mission—to serve the people.
We are beyond honored to leave a mark in Tainan’s long history. As we approach our city’s 400th anniversary, we will continue to serve Tainan’s residents with great pride.
Four hundred years ago, during the Age of Discovery, Tainan was put on the historical stage. On the eve of Tainan’s 400th birthday, I urge our colleagues to reflect on our past and consider what more we can contribute to Tainan, and what legacy we want to leave for future generations.
Since I took office on December 25, 2018, I have built upon the strong foundation forged by my predecessors. Always seeking to excel, the municipal government’s objective is to give Tainan’s residents an even better life.
Taiwan’s freedom is largely dependent on democratic system and strategic industry of information security chips. Considering Tainan’s unique position as Taiwan’s first city and a global base for the mass production of state-of-the-art chips, it is the municipal government’s unwavering resolve to make Tainan better and to lay the foundations for another glorious 400 years to come.
The video just played indicates that over the past five years, the municipal government has worked tirelessly to achieve its goals. We completed projects that were set in motion during former Mayor Lai’s tenure, and rolled out brand new projects and system reforms. Again, I sincerely thank the municipal team for its excellent work, especially in the areas of flood prevention and road improvement.
In grand cities with a long history, every brick and stone are testament to the lives and hard work of its inhabitants.
From the bottom of my heart, I believe that Tainan has limitless potential. I committed to “doing better and helping people live better lives” when I first took office, and I have held myself and the municipal government to this standard, fulfilling my promise to Tainan’s residents.
In the grand scheme of things, life is short, and the four-year mayoral term is even more fleeting. Nevertheless, the municipal government will continue to push our great city forward into a brighter future. Thank you.
Mayor’s Remarks:
1. I would like to thank concerned departments including the Department of Information and International Relations, Environmental Protection Bureau, and Police Department for their help in ensuring the success of Tainan’s Christmas concert a couple of days ago. In addition to further bolstering Tainan’s positive image, this event also boosted business in the area. Concerned departments are reminded to preemptively plan for the upcoming New Year’s festivities and Tainan 400 series of events. Organizing events is a means to an end with the greater goal of promoting Tainan and increasing people’s recognition of our city. With this in mind, I ask all departments to collaborate and ensure that these evets are a success. Thank you again for your commitment.
2. A variety of new policies are set to be implemented next year, such as an increase in minimum wage and wages for civilian social workers and public servants, and a rise in childcare subsidies. Concerned departments should have measures in place and promote public awareness for these changes. I also urge our collages to promote and increase the public utilization of certain policies that were implemented in 2023, such as streamlined rental subsidies, bedrest subsidies for expecting parents, and at home post-partum care.
3. Concerned departments should ramp up promotional efforts for the 2024 Taiwan Lantern Festival.
Announcements
1. The Public Works Bureau’s report on examining and planting street trees (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) Street trees are often the first impression that people have of cities. In recent years, public demand for planting more street trees has gradually increased. However, many considerations go into planning for street trees. For example, the sturdiness of these trees is important, and they must look tidy. Before typhoons make landfall, they must be pruned. Yet both under-pruning and over-pruning may result in trees toppling over or snapping, which will then draw public criticism. Trees that fall over because of rot or pest infestations may damage vehicles, cause bodily harm or worse, which will draw more than criticism. In conclusion, planting suitable species of trees and ensuring that they are well-taken care of, while considering public safety and aesthetics poses great challenges. I ask the Public Works Bureau to take these factors into consideration when planning for street trees.
(2) Over the past five years, nearly 15,000 old and new trees have undergone examinations, and an additional 15,000 street trees have been planted. I trust that the Public Works Bureau will take good care of these trees in an effort to improve Tainan’s appearance, and to meet public expectations.
2. The Bureau of Education’s report on the outcome of refurbishing school buildings (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
To provide future generations with a better educational environment, both hardware and software updates should be made. In terms of software, principals are responsible for leading faculty in collaborating with parents and providing the logistics needed for students to maximize their potential. With the municipal government’s full support, the hardware for many schools has been improved. To date, 250 schools in Tainan have undergone earthquake reinforcements, renovations, and overhauls. In addition to school building renovations, we have also updated sports fields and playgrounds, installed air-conditioners in classrooms across the city, updated the water and electric systems for schools, built central kitchens, and increased student access to tablets, all of which have amounted to a combined budget of NT$ 15 billion shared between the central government and municipal government. Among all municipalities, Tainan has yielded the best results in implementing these initiatives, further highlighting our commitment to providing the best learning environment for students. For this, I thank our colleagues at the Bureau of Education for their indispensable work and principals and educators for their efforts in improving the software for students.