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Kaohsiung to be featured on popular TV program

In an effort to raise the profile of Kaohsiung, the city government signed a contract with National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) yesterday to have the city featured in the channel’s Megacities documentary series.

The series, which introduces infrastructure and challenges that large cities face, has been a popular documentary programs on National Geographic since 2005.

Taipei was the first city in Taiwan to be introduced among the first season’s 10 megacities documentaries in 2007.

The Kaohsiung program will feature in the second series.

In recent years, Kaohsiung has encouraged local filmmakers to produce TV programs, movies and commercials in the city as part of its effort to enhance its profile and attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) said at the contract-signing ceremony that she hoped National Geographic could help more people see the changes Kaohsiung has undergone, especially the city’s improvements in recent years, including a reduction in air pollution, increase in the amount of green space per person, and commissioning of Taiwan’s first urban public bicycle network.

CLEAN AND GREEN

City officials said Kaohsiung’s poor air quality rating dropped by about 50 percent from last year, and the green area per person increased to 5.97m² last year — more than double Taipei’s 2.79m².

Megacities: Kaohsiung will first be broadcast in Taiwan next October, and then in some 30 Asian countries in English, Japanese and Korean.

TWO STAGES

Eloisa Yen, assistant publicity manager of National Geographic Channel Asia, said Megacities: Kaohsiung would be produced in two stages — the first a 30-second preview, shooting for which will start later this month and will be aired soon. A one-hour documentary will be filmed early next year.

In addition to Kaohsiung, the season will feature cities including Tokyo and Singapore.

The Kaohsiung City Government has offered considerable administrative and financial support to local TV drama series Black & White’s production team, which was set in Kaohsiung. The series won five Golden Bell awards last month, including the award for best drama.
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