Small businesses in Taipei’s older districts are concerned that the sudden influx of visitors since the Luzhou Line began operating earlier this month may only be a short-term boon for the local economy, with the one-month free trial of the new MRT line ending on Thursday.
At the inauguration of the line connecting downtown Taipei City with Taipei County across the Tamsui River, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said the new line would usher in a cultural renaissance and boost businesses in some of the oldest parts of Taipei.
However, residents of Datong (大同) and Zhongshan (中山) districts — two of the first settlements in what is now Taipei City and at one time the area’s commercial center — are not so optimistic.
PHOTO: CNA
“We are not sure how long the ‘Luzhou Line momentum’ is going to last,” said Wu Ming-hsueh, head of an association of businesses that oversee the tourist night market on Yanping N Road Sec 3 in Datong District.
“We have seen an average 30 percent increase in turnover in the past few weeks,” Wu said. “But most of the visitors came here by chance because they wanted to explore the area for free.”
For those in the Qingguang Commercial Zone — an old-style market in Zhongshan District that has been offering imported goods since the 1960s — commercial prospects after the Luzhou Line’s trial run look slim.
“I don’t even know if the crowds on some weekends are brought by the Luzhou Line or the flora expo,” said Chang Ching-i, a vendor who’s been selling soya-mixed meat for more than 10 years.
He was referring to the Taipei International Flora Expo, which opened this month.
“I would rather count on regulars because the crowds might just be passers-by,” he said.
Nevertheless, experts said it’s only a matter of time before these areas benefit from the opening of the Luzhou Line.
A more convenient transportation system will eventually boost interaction between old and new communities, as well as attract urban renewal projects and business opportunities, said Mai I-an (麥怡安), a section chief of the Urban Regeneration R&D Foundation.
“It will take years to see how old communities are revived by a better transportation network,” he said.
“Whether the trip is free doesn’t really make a difference,” he said.
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard
GLOBAL: The slogan would be advertised in popular tourist destinations in North America and Europe, such as Champs-Elysees and Times Square, the agency said “Taiwan: Waves of Wonder” is to be the country’s new tourism slogan for the next 10 years, the Tourism Administration said yesterday, adding that it would be showcased in commercials at the Olympic Games in Paris and other major cities and travel fairs around the world. The new slogan, logo and theme song, which were unveiled at a news conference in Taipei, marked the agency’s latest effort to attract 10 million international visitors to Taiwan this year, a goal that it readjusted earlier this year, as China has yet to lift its travel ban to Taiwan. The administration created the “Taiwan: Touch
BOOST TO SPORTS? The Executive Yuan said that the amendment was introduced to attract professionals to Taiwan, and increase the incentives for naturalization The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed on third reading an amendment to the Nationality Act (國籍法) that would reduce the minimum residency period required for highly skilled professionals to apply for naturalization from three to two continuous years, with a minimum of 183 days in Taiwan each year. The 183-day requirement does not apply if an eligible applicant has lived legally in the territory of the Republic of China for more than five continuous years. Taiwan’s professional basketball leagues are expected to benefit from the amendments, which would allow them to recruit more players from overseas. Prior to the passage of the amendment, the