Major cities in Taiwan hold flag-raising ceremonies for National Day

Taipei, Oct. 10 (CNA) Major cities around Taiwan held flag-raising ceremonies Saturday morning to celebrate the 115th National Day of the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan's official name.

For several of the mayors, it was their last National Day ceremony in office. Taiwan will hold local elections on Nov. 28, and mayors who have served two consecutive four-year terms cannot run again; their successors take office on Dec. 25.

In Taichung, Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) presided over a ceremony at which a drone carrying the national flag flew over the plaza in front of city hall, as the crowd looked on.

Lu, who is completing her second and final term, said she was proud of her administration's achievements, including improvements in air quality, the reinstatement of health insurance premium subsidies for senior citizens, and the construction of the Taichung International Exhibition Center.

As mayor, she said, she had always emphasized cooperation between the city government and the city council to keep public works projects on track.

Whoever succeeds her should ensure that the city keeps prospering and its residents keep living well, Lu said.

In Taipei, Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), who is seeking a second term in the November elections, led attendees in singing the ROC national anthem in front of city hall.

The Taipei City government also set up an entertainment area where visitors who took photos at designated spots, including a 6-meter-tall sculpture of the city's mascot, Bravo Bear, could claim free ice cream.

Speaking to reporters, Chiang said he wished the ROC prosperity and happiness, and hoped that people living and working on the island could enjoy peace and contentment.

Taipei must seize key opportunities to usher in a golden age of artificial intelligence (AI) and establish itself as an international city, he said.

In Tainan, the ceremony opened with an energetic performance by the marching band of Kang Ming Senior High School.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲), who will also leave office in December, joined residents in front of city hall to pay tribute to the national flag and wish the country prosperity and strength.

Huang said Tainan was reaching a turning point in its development, with the first phase of its underground railway project nearing completion.

The project is expected to improve transportation by better connecting urban areas on both sides of the railway and to spur the city's development, he said.

Given Tainan's rich cultural heritage and strong technological capabilities, the city government will combine resilience with innovation to make the city a more harmonious, progressive, sustainable and livable place, Huang said.

In New Taipei, Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) presided over his last National Day flag-raising ceremony after eight years in office.

It was the first time the city had held the ceremony at its second administrative center in Sanchong District, instead of at its main one in Banqiao.

Most of the city's government offices and services have been concentrated in Banqiao, in southwestern New Taipei, Hou said. The second center, which is meant to promote more balanced development, is scheduled to open at the end of this year.

New Taipei, Taiwan's most populous city, also plans to establish a third administrative center in the Wenzijun redevelopment area and a fourth serving Tucheng, Shulin, Sanxia and Yingge districts, he said.

In Kaohsiung, Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), who is also in his final months in office, said at the flag-raising ceremony that he would always be proud to have been part of the city, which he said had made significant progress during his six years as mayor.

Chen took office after winning a by-election in 2020, held after then-Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) was recalled by voters, and won a full term in 2022.

During that period, Kaohsiung attracted NT$2.7 trillion (US$84.71 billion) in investment, including from contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), helping to expand the city's AI ecosystem and create about 100,000 jobs, Chen said.

Kaohsiung has also benefited from increased revenue from more concerts held in the city, he said, citing 471 concerts held in the city from 2023 through July 2026. The events attracted more than 5 million concertgoers and generated NT$18.9 billion in revenue.