Listing down the many controversies during Zhang Shanzheng’s four years in power, Wen Langdong commented: His political achievements are hollow and he is belligerent

With the nine-in-one general election approaching, the elections in various counties and cities are getting increasingly intense. Political commentator Wen Langdong published an article detailing the many controversies that Taoyuan Mayor Zhang Shanzheng had during his administration. Zhang Shanzheng, known as the "Mayor of Xindian", was not there when there was a flood, he was not there when there was a fire, and he was not there for debates. In the absence, Taoyuan's fraud and idling continued, with Longtan suffering the most. After TSMC entered the Longtan Science Park Phase III and failed, Zhang Shanzheng shifted the responsibility to the central government, saying that the Zhuke Administration Bureau was the sponsor and the city government was only providing local assistance.

Wen Langdong shared in a Facebook post that at 9:30 pm on November 5, 2025, a fire broke out at Taoyuan South Gate Market. It took until about 1 am the next day to put out the fire. Nearly 50 public stalls were burned down. Zhang Shanzheng did not go that night and arrived the next morning.

Nine days later, a Kuomintang member asked him in the city council where he usually lived. He said that modern generals strategize in the rear. "When an emergency occurs, I will show up when I should show up, but if it would cause a burden on the scene, I will not show up." Wen Langdong questioned, it was hard to imagine why a mayor from six cities would be such a burden to appear at the scene.

Wen Langdong said that five weeks before the fire, Zhang Shanzheng went to Hualien to express condolences to the Taoyuan disaster relief team. He said, "Visiting the scene in person can better understand the helplessness of the residents after the disaster." When the city he was in charge of was on fire, he delayed it all night, saying that he did not need to go; when the city in charge of others was flooded, he advocated the value of going to the scene in person.

In January 2023, there was a major water outage in Taoyuan, leaving 330,000 households without water. Zhang Shanzheng drank red wine at the dinner party, and five hours later he drove to the water collection plant in Pingzhen to inspect. When he was questioned about drunk driving, he asked: "After taking two small sips of red wine for about five hours, would it be a drunk driving?" He may metabolize alcohol quickly, but the mayor was still having dinner on the night of the water shortage.

On May 22 of the same year, there was heavy rain and 20 places in Taoyuan were flooded. The next day, Zhang Shanzheng was interviewed and said that when the rain was at its heaviest, he used his mobile phone to contact the city government at home, saying that it was a very localized minor flooding and that there was no special publicity to the citizens because there was no disaster.

Wen Langdong mentioned that Zhang Shanzheng is called the "Mayor of Xindian" because he is believed to live in Xindian District, New Taipei City. The congressman asked him for the details of the water and electricity bills of the official residence and wanted to clarify whether he lived in Taoyuan. He said, "There is no need." On the plus side, at least he didn't waste water and electricity just to pretend to live in Taoyuan.

Wen Langdong criticized that he was not only absent, but also that Zhang Shanzheng's municipal government was particularly "belligerent" in the face of the hollowness of his political achievements. In 2024, 287 people died in traffic accidents in Taoyuan, the highest number in the past 12 years, 39 more than the previous year, and the largest increase in the country. The Ministry of Transportation invited the city government to attend the explanation, but the city government declined. Deputy Mayor Su Junbin wrote on Facebook: "Why did he turn around and the minister turned into the dean of students?"

Wen Langdong questioned that the MRT Green Line was lagging behind. Zhang Shanzheng said that when he took over in 2023, "there was not a single detailed design drawing." The investigation report of the Supervisory Yuan records that the design drawing of the Green Line G11 Station has been approved to version D in August 2022.

Wen Langdong also pointed out that the mayor is irresponsible and the city government is full of shortcomings. Among them, Longtan suffered the most. Zhang Shanzheng wrote on Facebook before the 2022 election that anyone who wants to be the mayor of Taoyuan will definitely invite TSMC to set up a factory and provide full assistance, and he is no exception. On the 297th day after taking office, TSMC announced that it would no longer consider entering the third phase of Longtan Science Park at this stage.

Wen Langdong bluntly said that the Executive Yuan approved the pilot plan in June 2023, and it was the residents who were stuck. Representatives of the self-rescue association said that residents did not know that their homes were included in the park until early July 2023. On July 26, the Zhuke Management Bureau held a public hearing on the expropriation. After the situation was broken, Zhang Shanzheng shifted the responsibility to the central government, saying that the Bamboo Branch Management Bureau was the sponsor and the city government was only providing local assistance.