Ko Chih-en Launches 'Temple Square Naka-si' Tour in Dashu, Hsieh Lung-chieh Endorses and Urges Voters to Supervise the DPP

KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate and legislator Ko Chih-en held her first 'Kaohsiung Naka-si: Sing with Ko Chih-en' concert at Dashu Baoan Temple on the evening of the 18th, officially launching her 35-stop temple square tour. Tainan mayoral candidate Hsieh Lung-chieh appeared in support, performing 'Heart in Hometown' to energize the crowd and calling on the public to supervise the DPP government through ballots, urging the ruling party to deeply reflect. The event opened with a performance by the Lo Yu-ching Opera Troupe, followed by host Chen Chao-wei singing multiple nostalgic hits, drawing many locals to sing along, creating a vibrant temple square cultural atmosphere.

Kaohsiung City Council candidate Chen Jo-tsui stated that after the last election four years ago, Ko Chih-en continued to deepen her engagement in Kaohsiung, caring about local development and municipal issues. Regarding the recent tainted oil incident, she urged the government to take food safety and public health rights seriously, quickly clarify the truth, and improve the system. Kaohsiung City Councilor Wu Li-cheng said that if Ko Chih-en is elected mayor, cooperation between the city government and local communities will become smoother, and he hopes residents will continue supporting her to jointly promote local development.

Hsieh Lung-chieh criticized the Executive Yuan's handling of the tainted oil incident, noting that over two weeks have passed without identifying the source or offering a public apology. He called on the ruling party to be accountable to the people and for citizens to express their voices through ballots.

Ko Chih-en expressed gratitude to Hsieh for traveling south again to support her. She recalled that during her campaign four years ago, Hsieh was the first guest speaker, and they once pleaded for support in the rain in front of Sanfeng Temple. Standing together again, she said she was deeply moved and earnestly asked Kaohsiung residents to support Hsieh's mayoral bid in Tainan.

Ko Chih-en outlined her vision for Dashu, explaining that choosing Dashu as the first stop was not only due to its name but also symbolic—mayors should be like large trees, sheltering citizens from wind and rain. She aims to build a more hopeful future for the next generation in Kaohsiung. Highlighting Dashu's pineapple industry and Fo Guang Shan as key tourism assets, she pledged that if elected, she would extend the Purple Metro Line to Fo Guang Shan, improve traffic planning around the relocated 205 Arsenal, and alleviate bottlenecks on Provincial Highway 29 to boost local development and tourism.

On energy policy, Ko criticized the DPP's governance, pointing out that 51 hectares of forest in Dashu and Heshan were developed for solar power, sparking public concern. She argued that after long-term DPP rule in Kaohsiung, a party alternation is needed to re-examine policy directions.

Ko emphasized that as a native of southern Taiwan, her return to Kaohsiung is not for personal political gain but to serve her hometown for the rest of her life. She pledged to fairly distribute resources, promote agriculture, tourism, and major infrastructure, connect Kaohsiung with the international community, and, if elected mayor, stand like a great tree protecting citizens and leading Kaohsiung forward.