Operators in the well-known Lushan (廬山) hot springs area in Nantou County are to be relocated because of the increasing danger of landslides in the environmentally sensitive area, according to county government officials.
The Lushan area, located in the county’s Renai Township (仁愛), was severely damaged by Typhoon Sinlaku in August 2008 and was struck again by Typhoon Morakot the following year, resulting in many homes, businesses and hotels being buried in mudslides.
The bedrock at Muanshan (母安山), located to the north of the hot springs zone, has been slowly and unpredictably slipping over the past few years. The typhoons that frequently hit the area have aggravated the slippage, the county government said, citing information provided by the Central Geological Survey.
It added that both the county and central governments believe the situation has become so severe that it is threatening the lives of the people there and that it is no longer a suitable location for hot-spring businesses.
The affected area covers 64.62 hectares of land, including six hot-spring facilities and hotels licensed to run such businesses. Also affected are 21 unlicensed hot-spring businesses, the county’s Tourism Bureau said.
The bureau said that the businesses will be relocated about 30km away and placed on farmland belonging to the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corp, in Puli Township (埔里), which also has natural hot-spring resources.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS