House that Fu built
With the nine-in-one elections approaching, I thought the Taipei Times might be interested in the “house” that Hualien County Commissioner Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁) is building for himself: It is nine stories tall, with each floor measuring about 60 ping (198.3m2).
When I went by the construction site in July, the foreman told me — somewhat reluctantly — that it was being built solely for Fu’s personal use; not as an apartment building.
When I asked why one person would need such a big house, he said that Fu had “several children studying abroad,” whatever that means. In addition, the building seemed to be faced mostly in granite.
How a county commissioner can afford to build himself such a large home might be a matter of interest given the Nov. 29 elections, as there are lots of Hualien residents who would like to not have to keep looking at the face of a politician who is developing a personal cult on the level of a North Korean leader.
This information would be especially helpful since Fu has an electoral opponent who has a long record of clean governance in Hualien City.
The approximate address of Fu’s house as given by Google Maps is: No. 93, Qingfeng 13th Street, Jian Township (吉安), Hualien County, 973, and the coordinates provided are: 23.984784, 121.563466.
Since every other building around there is only two or three stories high, Fu’s house is not hard to find. Driving along Jian’s Zhongshan Road northwest of Jian Road will take you there, so you can admire the progress.
Tim Baker
Hualien
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