Penghu County Commissioner Lai Feng-wei’s (賴峰偉) plans to revive a Matsu statue project that was halted in 2015 have drawn the ire of an environmentalist group for “causing a rift among Penghu residents.”
Lai recently announced five possible locations for the statue and called on residents to “rally together” behind the project, which was originally planned to be the centerpiece of a tourist attraction on Dacang Island (大倉島).
The Dacang site was picked in 2011 by then-Pingtung County commissioner Wang Chien-fa (王乾發), who envisioned a 66m bronze statue of Matsu, but the project was scrapped in 2015 after it was found the planners had bypassed an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and public hearings, and that it could damage Penghu’s ecosystem.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
With the project suspended, the completed bronze statue has remained at a warehouse in Changhua County’s Dacun Village (大村).
Citizens of the Ocean Foundation chairman Hu Chao-an (胡昭安) yesterday criticized Lai for calling for public support on what he said was a socially divisive project.
The sites listed by Lai for consideration, in addition to the original, were the Jingueitou Fortress (金龜頭砲台) near Magong City; Longmen Village (龍門) and Siyu Township (西嶼) in the east of the county; and Shetoushan (蛇頭山).
The announcement that the project would resume has met with opposition from some county councilors, as it has yet to undergo an EIA, Hu said.
Lai said that while a final location had not yet been chosen, the county government was leaning toward Dacang, as the island has plenty of space available at a low cost and choosing the original site would mean construction could resume sooner.
Although there is no bridge to Dacang, overall it is the best choice, especially as it fits the proposed budget for the project, Lai said.
Hu said the foundation would petition the public to oppose the project if Lai persists in going ahead with it.
Engineer Yu Kuo-lin (郁國麟) said the county government’s decision to select Dacang first and then conduct an EIA was the wrong approach.
Steps such as geological surveys, which involve drilling, land rezoning and declassification of forests intended for upholding national security have not been taken, Yu said.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday said that private-sector refiners are willing to stop buying Russian naphtha should the EU ask them to, after a group of non-governmental organizations, including the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), criticized the nation’s continued business with the country. While Taiwan joined the US and its Western allies in putting broad sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, it did not explicitly ban imports of naphtha, a major hard-currency earner for Russia. While state-owned firms stopped importing Russian oil in 2023, there is no restriction on private companies to
President William Lai (賴清德) is expected to announce a new advanced “all-domain” air defense system to better defend against China when he gives his keynote national day speech today, four sources familiar with the matter said. Taiwan is ramping up defense spending and modernizing its armed forces, but faces a China that has a far larger military and is adding its own advanced new weapons such as stealth fighter jets, aircraft carriers and a huge array of missiles. Lai is expected to announce the air defense system dubbed “Taiwan Dome” in his speech this morning, one of the sources said. The system
RSS