Mayor's remarks:
I. Taiwan Design Expo ’17 will be held in Tainan
1. The fifteenth “Taiwan Design Expo ’17” will be held in Tainan during the period of September 30 to October 15 this year. We sincerely thank the Minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chih-Kung Lee and the Acting Director-general Leu of the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, for their supports on the event of the Taiwan Design Expo held in the Tainan City this year, and we also greatly appreciate the assistance of the President of the National Cheng Kung University, Huey-Jen Su in such event. We believe that with the cooperation of all three sides, unique design aesthetics can be achieved this time.
2. The former name of the “Taiwan Design Expo” was known as the “Taiwan Design Exhibition”. Since 2003, the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has cooperated with the local governments in organizing this event each year in light of promoting public aesthetics through design, achieving the important goals of connecting industrial developments on a global scale, and activating the field along with the demonstration of the local industries and cultural characteristics during such event. For more than a decade, numerous events of the exhibition have been held in Taipei, Yilan, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taitung and Taichung, etc., and the number of visitors has been accumulated to 5.58 million people, among which Tainan is considered to have the greatest connection with such event. Therefore, this year, the event returns to Tainan again for the organization.
3. For the exhibition this year, the former National Cheng Kung University library is used as the theme exhibition area; in addition, with the exhibition building as the core, six main satellite exhibition areas of Blueprint Culture & Creative Park, Wu Garden Art Center, Cultural Creation PLUS Tainan Creativity Center, Tainan Cultural and Creative Park, 321 Artist Village and C-Hub Creative Base of National Cheng Kung University are connected in order to create 1+6 exhibition fields, allowing the public to have a completely different experience of “city for the exhibition field” upon visiting the monument buildings of Tainan.
4. In addition, the event of Design for Travel is also organized to develop the travel routes. Furthermore, more than 100 stores full of the design power of Tainan are connected, including hotels, restaurants and old houses, etc. Therefore, through traveling, the public can experience the alley and lane aesthetics of Tainan. We welcome everyone in Taiwan to participate in such a wonderful event in Tainan during the exhibition period.
II. 2017 Tainan May Jam Music Festival will be held in Hutoupi Scenic Area in Sinhua District
1. The annual event of Tainan May Jam Music Festival will be held for the 17th time this year, and the event is planned to take place at the Hutoupi Scenic Area in Sinhua District on May 6 and 7, 12:00~22:00. This year, for the first time, the Tainan traditional folk art parade culture will be combined with independent bands of various countries in order to connect the Tainan characteristics with international music, which will be a music event that is of the greatest originality and diversity of Tainan.
2. This year, 28 foreign performing groups from Canada, the U.S.A., Germany, the U.K., Austria, the Philippines and Indonesia are invited to perform together with Tainan's local independent bands. In addition, in combination with the traditional folk art parade culture, the Damujian Children Song Jiang Battle Array from Sinhua District is invited to perform in the event, and the Samba Drum Team of Kaohsiung Jian-Shan Elementary School that has previously received the best performance award in the Carnival of Cultures Festival in Berlin in Germany is also invited to perform the Bunun Pasibutbut at the event, bringing cross-boundary cultural sensations to this music festival.
3. Tainan May Jam Music Festival is a music event of a joyful gathering for Tainan people and international friends. The purpose of the event is to allow the city of Tainan, as a cultural capital, to demonstrate rich and diverse international cultures. For instance, the Le Telee Ballets, originating in Tainan locally, is a troupe that creates Tainan-style performance through western African tribal music along with the integration of Mandeng culture of western Africa, which further enriches the diverse culture of Tainan.
4. The music festival is also the best timing for the city government to promote the city. Presently, it is also the event period for pineapples and bamboo shoots. The Tourism Bureau cooperates with the Sinhua District Office and Cultural Affairs Bureau in the planning of local agricultural markets, local dishes and various foreign style dishes during such period in order to allow the public to have a rewarding journey with great pleasure in enjoying the local and international music and dishes. I sincerely invite all people nationwide to join us in such wonder events.
III. Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program of Tainan City – water environment construction listed for a budget of 31.5 billion dollars
1. Last week, in the flood prevention and preparation meeting of Tainan City, the Director Lai of the Water Resources Agency attended the meeting in person, and this is also the first flood prevention meeting where the Director of the Water Resources Agency attended in person after the city-county consolidation. I sincerely thank Director Lai for his great support to Tainan City. In the meeting, Director Lai also acknowledged the excellent administrative performance in water management over the recent years. The Water Environment Construction of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program proposed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs makes references to the water control achievement of Tainan City, and a subsidy budget of 31.5 billion dollars listed under the water environment construction is for Tainan City. I sincerely thank the central government for the long-term support and assistance on the water management plan of Tainan City.
2. Tainan has the greatest flooding area in the nation. If the water management construction is to be completed entirely, the cost is estimated to be nearly 63 billion dollars. Currently, a budget of 17.2 billion dollars is allocated for the flood management plan of high-risk flood areas and another budget of approximately 6.7 billion dollars is invested in promoting the midstream basin comprehensive control plan. To expedite the water management and to allow citizens to be relieved from the nightmare of floods, since the city-county consolidation, I have valued the issue of water management as the highest administrative priority and have requested the Water Resources Bureau to investigate the causes for the flood issues at all areas and to propose countermeasures. Through the complete planning by the Water Resources Bureau, the water management construction of Tainan City has started gradually. In addition to the water control foundation established in the past, a period of three years is provided for the execution of the emergency construction plan such that the presentation of rainfall intensity protection standard for an interval of 10 years is constructed first in order to prevent flooding of external water. The internal water control works are being continuously executed at the current stage.
3. The water environment construction can be divided into three main sectors, including the “water and safety”, “water and environment”, and “water and development”. Accordingly, the Tainan City Government has approved subsidies for the “water and safety”, and there are five regional drainage systems to be managed and controlled: Jingliao drainage, Lioucuo drainage, Hutou River drainage, Sanye River drainage, Lioukuailiao River drainage, and 14 stems of rainwater sewers as well as improvements of water pumping station facilities. For the “water and environment”, it includes seven projects of the Erren River drainage environment improvement construction, Siwei drainage flood detention pool 1st phase construction and Anding drainage flood detention pool highlight construction, Rende flood detention pool highlight construction, Jhusi stream basin surrounding landscape improvement project, Public No. 2 amenity embankment improvement project and re-presentation of Jhenggang port, Yuejin port water control, dredging and water quality improvement project, Public No. 4 riverbank park improvement project. Finally, for the “water and development”, it includes the Baihe Reservoir subsequent upgrade and improvement construction, Zengwen south pipeline connection construction. The Water Resources Bureau is requested to complete preliminary operations for all projects in advance in order to allow all constructions to be completed at the earliest possible time once the subsidies from the central government is received. I sincerely believe that with the support of the central government along with everyone’s cooperation and effort, the nightmare of floods of Tainan City can be overcome gradually. I also believe that Tainan City will become a comfortable-living city that has great water management, clean water and water friendliness in the future.