Mayor aims to make New Taipei more cosmopolitan after Australia visit

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) returned to Taiwan early Thursday after a 10-day visit to Australia, saying that the main purpose of the trip was to find ways to make his city more cosmopolitan.

Speaking to reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Hou said he met with Australian government officials and lawmakers and also visited a youth mental health center to learn about their support and prevention strategies, which he hopes to use as a reference in New Taipei.

With the 2032 Summer Olympics set to be held in Brisbane, stadium projects there are in full swing, Hou said, adding that he and his delegation visited the sites to gain planning and design ideas for New Taipei's planned dome project.

The Taipei City government has not yet announced the site selected for its planned 50,000-seat multi-purpose dome stadium for sports, concerts, and cultural events, but will do so at a later date, according to the mayor.

Hou said he also met with a team that plans the fireworks display over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, with the aim of doing something similar over the Danjiang Bridge that connects Tamsui and Bali districts in New Taipei, in the hope of making it an international landmark, when it opens in a few months.

While in Australia, Hou's delegation held discussions with the relevant authorities on ideas for libraries and other municipal projects, as well as the care of dementia patients, with the goal of making New Taipei a more advanced and cosmopolitan city, the mayor said.