Opinion: New Taipei's NT$10 Billion Budget Should Not Be Wasted on 'Dinosaur Egg' Operational Pitfalls!

I. Taiwan does not need a fifth large dome. New Taipei should show the courage to stop losses. From Taipei, Taoyuan, Kaohsiung to the under-construction Taichung, this small domestic market of Taiwan is already overloaded and saturated. At this moment, Taiwan does not need a fifth large dome at all! While local legislators are initiating a petition of ten thousand people with the mindset of 'stir-frying a night market in a large pot' and downgrading international competition venues to community activity centers to snatch them, the official 'site selection evaluation' is nothing more than a self-deceptive political fireworks show. Under the squeeze of the tsunami of low birth rates and the loss of international tourism appeal, this dinosaur egg, no matter where it is stuffed into the forest or anywhere else, the day it is completed is the day the birth of the largest golden mosquito net in Taiwan. Even the essence like the Taipei Dome exposes the cruel reality of the 'closed black hole' monopolized by conglomerates and 'after the dispersal, people follow the MRT to walk, and there is no economic bonus around.' What New Taipei City government needs to show is not the cowardice of compromise, but the courage to stop losses. The New Taipei Dome is confirmed to be located in the Jiweiyong land in Jurong. Su Qiaohui (right 4), a candidate for the mayor of New Taipei City from the Democratic Progressive Party, said that the site selection of the Dome has all gone through professional evaluation, so no matter where it is located, she will fully support it. She said if she is elected, she has the confidence to build the New Taipei Dome into a new landmark. (CNA) II. Lifesaving Necessity! Teaching-level medical centers must be accelerated. The development of a city relies on a constant, high-quality industrial wage structure, not on the hollow hardware piled up by politicians to cater to votes. New Taipei City has a population of nearly four million, and the structural gap and regional imbalance of medical resources are a national security-level crisis that occurs every day. Rather than spending hundreds of billions of people's money to build a dinosaur egg that is idle on weekdays and paralyzed on weekends, the government should immediately flexibly allocate land and funds to accelerate the development of 'teaching-level medical centers' and high-end biotech clusters. This is not only a lifesaving necessity, but high-standard medical centers can also continuously attract top doctors, biotech research elites, and international medical talents. Creating high-income employment is the foundation of prosperity. Just like Hsinchu Science Park has never built a large dome in more than 30 years, its overall economic life is still very strong. These constant, high-quality populations naturally create a solid and healthy rigid consumption life circle for the local area, which is the only foundation for the prosperity of the city. III. Core for the Future! The NT$10 billion budget should be fully invested in 'AI Immersive Venues'. If the New Taipei City government really wants to demonstrate the city's landmark and technological strength through large venues, its vision should not stop at traditional sports venues of the last century, but should aim at the next generation of industrial waves. Nearby Keelung has introduced the world-class ARTE MUSEUM immersive venue, which directly activates tourism with technology. Especially in response to the future science city strategic planning, the science industry needs green living circles, solid infrastructure, and smart industry clusters. High-end science cities do not need energy-consuming, idle large domes, but need high-efficiency, low-carbon smart buildings as the base, combined with international business conferences (MICE) and AI-driven full-view 'AI Immersive Technology Venues'. Such a technology venue attracts cross-border high-tech investment, smart industry chains, and top digital content creators. It does not need a hollow shell of several ten thousand square meters, but can attract global tech tourists as a 'destination economy' through 5G high-speed networks and AI technology every day, truly bringing international water into New Taipei. IV. Remove political calculations and leave the most appropriate resources for citizens and the future. 'Building domes' is just a political issue for politicians to hype up interests and inflate shell dreams before elections; but 'the fiscal disaster of constant operation' and 'the survival issue of lack of international tourism appeal' are harsh issues that New Taipei citizens must bear for decades. Public construction is not about distributing candy, and it should not be consumed in the void illusion of 'dinosaur eggs'. The New Taipei City government should adopt rational and scientific professional advice: decisively stop the fifth large dome and honestly return the NT$10 billion funds and land to the teaching-level medical centers that can save lives and the AI immersive technology venues that can truly earn global tourism value. Creating high-income employment, ensuring citizens' health, and leading the technology industry is the magnum opus for New Taipei to move towards the international stage, and it is also the blessing of all New Taipei citizens. *The author is a master's degree holder from the Graduate Institute of Architecture and Urban Design, Chinese Culture University, a real estate writer, and a senior media observer.