A group of well-known writers yesterday came together at a forum at the Xue Xue Institute in Taipei to share their experiences about rediscovering the appealing qualities of the city.
The forum, titled “Taipei urban bon vivants,” was hosted by Taipei Department of Urban Development Commissioner Lin Jou-min (林洲民), who is at the helm of several urban design projects.
Writer Liu Ka-hsiang (劉克襄), a Taichung resident raised in Taipei, said that he goes to Taipei every two or three weeks to spend time in the mountains in Xinyi District (信義) and Muzha (木柵).
Liu said that he joined a group of residents living near Muzha in building a hiking trail from wind-toppled trees and rocks.
Using only hammers and chisels, Liu said that he and the volunteers have not only made good progress on the trail, but also managed to refurbish another trail using the same materials.
He said hikers and nearby residents often stop to say: “Thank you,” and that they were touched by the volunteers’ kindness. This sense of accomplishment has motivated him to return to Taipei time after time, Liu said.
“Even though it costs me NT$1,400 every trip on the high-speed rail, when I hear those words, I feel it is all worthwhile,” Liu said.
Writer Shu Guozhi (舒國治) praised Taipei residents for being “moderate,” saying that this quality has prevented the city from having such a high building concentration or floor space index as Hong Kong and Kaohsiung.
Shu said that the cost of rent in Taichung’s “Phase 7” and “Phase 12” rezoned areas is so high that landlords have encountered difficulty renting out their properties, while most people living in Taipei can still afford to pay their rent.
It is the relatively sparse constructions that have allowed Taipei residents some breathing room, he said.
Novelist Lee Wei-Jing (李維菁) said that although she lived in Taipei for many years before she started making a living from literature, she had not had time to explore the city much due to her schedule.
After she began her current job, she sold her car and began to take time out from her schedule to explore the city on foot and to learn about the day-to-day endeavors of people from all walks of life.
Lee said that although she might never be able to afford a house in Taipei, she enjoys living in the city nonetheless.
Lin touted a central park he had planned for Taipei, which the city government wants to build after a proposed relocation of the Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport).
Comparing his design with that of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Lin said that he had planned a path connecting the park with the Keelung River (基隆河), allowing visitors to the park to reach the waterfront, just as people visiting Golden Gate Park can walk to the Pacific Ocean.
Lin said that the park would also serve as a venue for concerts or open cinema, which residents could attend in their free time.
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