The mayor presided over the National Day flag-raising for the last time during his tenure. Chen Qimai: Kaohsiung is a place where life hangs in the balance.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Qimai presided over the last National Day flag-raising event during his tenure. In addition to detailing the achievements of six years of construction, he verified that Kaohsiung's progress is never an easy road. He also emphasized that he always believes that dreams are not far away, but in his hometown. Kaohsiung is a place where life hangs in the balance.

When delivering his speech on the National Day flag-raising ceremony, Chen Qimai first wished the Republic of China a happy birthday and mentioned that today is the last time he will attend the National Day flag-raising ceremony with everyone as mayor.

He said that the six-year term was very fast. He remembered that when he ran for mayor six years ago, he proposed four major priorities: industrial transformation, employment creation, transportation construction, and solving air pollution. Six years later, investment attraction reached 2.7 trillion yuan, creating 100,000 jobs. Major international companies, including TSMC, ASE, Hon Hai, and Xinhua, have invested in Kaohsiung and continued to expand the scale of the AI ​​ecosystem, making Kaohsiung's industrial layout more and more complete.

The concert economy has held a total of 471 concerts from 2023 to July this year, attracting more than 5 million people and creating an economic output value of 18.9 billion yuan. In November this year, the international group BTS will also come to Kaohsiung.

The completion of the light rail and the simultaneous development of four MRT lines will make Kaohsiung's transportation construction and MRT network more complete, allowing not only elders seeking medical treatment and children attending school, but also tourists visiting Kaohsiung to have more convenient transportation.

The city government has also established Putting Green Park, Starlight Water Park, and Kaohsiung Amusement Park at the Taiwan Railway Machinery Plant, allowing citizens and friends to hike, play in the water, and the scenic spots around them become more and more beautiful.

He said that Kaohsiung's progress has never been an easy path. It has encountered a century-old epidemic, Typhoon Shantol, Typhoon Kemi, and various extreme climate challenges. However, citizens and brothers and sisters of the military officers and soldiers of the People's Republic of China have joined hands, stood up, and united to overcome various challenges with the great city of Kaohsiung.

Like the flag-raising today, people come from different places and have different stories, but they have a common emotional connection with this great city. But everyone also has one goal, which is to hope that Kaohsiung will get better and better, because Kaohsiung is everyone’s eternal home.

He pointed out that everyone also hopes that Taiwan will get better and better, because the Republic of China is our country, and the mayor's term will eventually end. However, being a Kaohsiung native is a lifelong pride. He always believes that dreams are not far away, but in his hometown. Kaohsiung is the place where our lives hang on.