The Taipei City Government will spend about NT$1 million (US$30,000) to change the name of the MRT Muzha-Neihu Line after an insulting twist on its name became popular.
The problem-ridden MRT line is jokingly called by the last two syllables in “Muzha” and “Neihu” because when put together, they sound like zhahu (詐胡), a term in the game of mahjong that describes an act of cheating.
In hopes of improving the line’s fortunes, the name will be changed to the “Wenshan-Neihu Line.”
Several Taipei City councilors in Neihu (內湖) and Nangang (南港) districts have blamed the line’s repeated malfunctions and breakdowns on its “unlucky nickname.”
They suggested the name be changed to the Wenshan-Neihu Line, or Wen-Hu Line (文湖線), as it connects Wenshan (文山) and Neihu districts.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday said the change would soon be formalized, but rebutted reports that it would cost more than NT$100 million for new signs, maps and other changes.
“The Muzha-Neihu Line will become the Wenshan-Neihu Line, but it is a groundless rumor that this project will cost that much money,” Hau said.
Chao Hsiung-fei (趙雄飛), a spokesman for the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp, said the project would cost about NT$1 million, including the cost of changing signs, maps and recorded MRT announcements.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) said the line’s name should have been changed sooner.
“How can it run smoothly when everyone keeps calling it the ‘zhahu’ line?” she said, adding that Wenshan-Neihu Line was also a better name because Muzha is not an official city district.
The Muzha area is part of Wenshan district.
Some residents criticized the change, saying the city should spend the money on improving the system instead.
“Will changing the name improve the line’s luck? I think the city government shouldn’t waste money,” said Lin Hsiang-mei (林相美), a frequent MRT passenger.
Taipei resident Claire Chiu also dismissed the idea.
“Maybe Hau Lung-bin should change his own name if he wants better luck,” she said.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
RSS