Ximending's 2 Red Umbrellas Criticized as Basic; City Hall Says Pilot Program Will Continue to Improve

(CNA, reporter Chen Yu-ting, Taipei, July 1) Two red sunshades recently installed in Taipei's Ximending shopping district have been criticized by many netizens for their basic design. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said today that different forms will be piloted strategically in different locations, and that feedback from all parties will continue to be gathered to see how adjustments and improvements can be made.

DPP Taipei City Councilor Chien Shu-pei previously stated that the Taipei City Government plans to implement a "City Cooling Pedestrian Sunshade Program," with an estimated budget of nearly NT$60 million, to install a total of 8 sunshades in 5 locations around City Hall in the Xinyi Planning District.

However, some netizens yesterday uploaded photos on the social platform Threads showing two red sunshades appearing in the Ximending shopping district, sparking discussion. Many citizens criticized that if this was the result of the city government's previously announced installation, which cost millions of New Taiwan dollars, it would only anger passersby and fail to provide cooling.

Chien Shu-pei posted on Facebook that the sunshades, which took a long time to appear, were of this color and quality, no wonder netizens called them ugly. She questioned that Chiang Wan-an had previously said that sunshade facilities should have "public art" value, which is why the budget was high, but now the sunshades in Ximending clearly lack public art and are not wind-resistant or earthquake-proof.

Chien Shu-pei said that after understanding from the city government, these two sunshades were proactively proposed for construction by road patrol contractors in May, and they bore the costs themselves. In addition to Ximending, two more will be installed on Nanjing East Road and Dunhua North Road. However, she does not understand why the city government still needs to spend tens of millions of dollars to build sunshades if contractors are willing to bear the costs themselves.

Chiang Wan-an, when interviewed by the media today before visiting the Futai Community in Xinyi District, stated that this is a pilot program where different forms and different contractors are used strategically in different locations. Yesterday, the sun was very strong around noon, and the sunshade in Ximending could accommodate more than 15 people, with very high usage. The city government will continue to gather feedback from all parties to see how the installation locations and types can be adjusted and improved.

Regarding the appearance and function of the sunshades, Chiang Wan-an said that the environment around the Xinyi commercial district is more fashionable, and those to be installed here will be specially considered to take into account the overall urban landscape. However, during the pilot period, continuous adjustments will be made based on public opinion. (Edited by Long Ba-an) 0701

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