Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-Tsan headed to Sanmin Sports Park at the Taoyuan District to attend the Opening of Lantern Lighting Ceremony: “2018 Taoyuan Lantern Festival- Prosperous Taoyuan Celebrating the Harvest Year by Riverside” on February 21. He then headed to the Guishan Area, Luzhu Area, and Shuibiantou Area to light the lanterns. Mayor Cheng stated that “2018 Taoyuan Lantern Festival with a theme of Festival- Prosperous Taoyuan Celebrating the Harvest Year by Riverside” took place at the water park near Nankan River. During February 21 to March 4, visitors are welcomed to tour Taoyuan and soak into the holiday spirit. This year(2018), there are 4 main themed areas: Main Area (Sanmin Sports Park), Guishan Area (New Moon Bridge), Shuibiantou Area (Shuibiantou Bridge), and Luzhu Area (Ju-Mon Bridge). The exhibition is available from 6 pm to 10 pm on weekdays, while on the weekend it will be extended till 10:30 pm. During the exhibition, there are markets and performances. Lovable dog-shaped handheld lanterns will be distributed to citizens at 4 main themed areas at 5 pm every weekend. We hope that through Taoyuan Lantern Festival, we can show different charm of Taoyuan.

Mayor Cheng said that Taoyuan Lantern Festival normally takes place at Longtan Pond, however, the suspension bridge reconstruction and riverbank landscape redesign are being carried out at Longtan pond currently. As a result, this year, we chose to hold the event at the Nankan River. We are authorized by Snoopy's management company this year. Accordingly, we can use Snoopy as our theme lantern, creating the image of Snoopy in Taoyuan, which shows creativity of Taoyuan. In line with Lantern Festival, a short tour package is launched so that visitors can appreciate the lantern as well as have a tour in Taoyuan. Dogs bring prosperity and fortune in the Year of the Dog in the Chinese zodiac. We hope that Taoyuan Lantern Festival can bring exuberant vitality to Taoyuan.

Mayor Cheng stated that the Main Area, named Taoyuan as a Global Village at Sanmin Sports Park, where a lantern lighting ceremony will be held tonight themed World Traveling when he was at the Main Area at Sanmin Sports Park. The area has been decorated with lanterns that are full of characteristic symbols of countries around the world. This symbolizes that Taoyuan Aerotropolis has become an international city. The nearby area, Le Tao-Tao, sponsored by the Department of Education, Taoyuan, is full of decoration of lanterns that are created by teachers and students as well as lanterns that are full of features of local district offices. You are welcome to visit the lantern exhibition.

Mayor Cheng said that after Taoyuan being upgraded, the city government has completed 4 bridge construction projects, that is, Shuibiantou Bridge, Xinchun Bridge Nankan Bridge, and Ju-Mon Bridge. Green and riverside spaces along the Nankan River will be designed and completed within 2 years. The construction of Impression Bridge, which connects the left bank to the right bank of Nankan Bridge has begun. In the future, Jiulukeng River remediation, a gravel contact oxidation treatment system at Dongmen River at Chaoyang Forest Park, planning of the reconsolidated area at Xiaokuai River will be implemented. After the constructions are completed, there will be green and riverside spaces with a total length of 22 km along the Nankan River, which will not only transform the Nankan River into the Taoyuan River of Life, but also make the spaces become a feature of Taoyuan.

Mayor Cheng also said that the city government will continually make an effort on enhancing happiness and convenience of Taoyuan citizens' daily life and making Taoyuan become a more international and modern city. In addition, Taoyuan will become better and better through our endeavor, including: 
1. MRT Green Line will soon be outsourced and constructed
2. The feasible scheme of MRT Brown Line will be finalized. 
3. The engineering design of Taoyuan underground railway will soon be carried out.
4. 10 sports centers, such as Taoyuan Civil Sports Center and Nanping Sports Park will be completed and launched respectively. 
5. Establish a general library and 10 more library branches and art museums.
6. Develop a plan for Asia Talent Exchange Center and Hutou Mountain IoT startup hub.

Mayor Cheng pointed out that the origin of Nankan River is Guishan and this time, the Guishan Area features Taoyuan as a capital city of technology that has industrial clusters when he was at the Guishan Area. The Guishan Station is the first stop of MRT Airport when entering Taoyuan. Guishan is a pearl of Taoyuan. The city government has launched MRT Brown Line with a total length of 11 km, consisting of 8 stations, which will connect Xinzhuang, Guishan and Taoyuan. The line will help improve quality of life in the Guishan Area and make the area become a lead in Taiwan's technology industry as well as a place that has good quality of life and is filled with decent jobs and dreams to pursue.

Mayor Cheng stated that the Airport MRT has been opened when he showed up at the Luzhu Area; MRT Green Line will also soon be outsourced and constructed. Luzhu Civil Sports Center and Dachu Assembly Hall are under construction. In addition, road widening construction of Nankan Bridge, Tao-19 line (Dazhu Rd.), the bridge at Aerotropolis, Dahua N. St. (the third phase) have won Public Construction Golden Quality Award issued by Executive Yuan. In the future, Wu Jiou Tung Mountain Eco Park will be transformed into a good place that is eco-friendly as well as close to mountains. Tourist attractions and trials will be completed gradually. The city government will keep creating an environment in Luzhu Area that is not only suitable, but also in line with international conventions so as to become the role model in terms of the development in Taoyuan.

Mayor Cheng said that the city government plans to carry out bank revetment construction, creating 11 hectares of water bodies where citizens can row a boat when he was at the Shuibiantou Area. A gravel contact oxidation treatment system will also be constructed under the Shuibiantou Bridge, which will be integrated with the sewer system. The system is expected to make the Nankan River clearer and more beautiful. Meanwhile, night lighting and scenic trails will be established in order to make “rambling around Nankan River at night” a highlight in Taoyuan. Taoyuan is changing. We hope that through “Sensible Construction, Silent Change,” we can continually enhance citizens' happiness.