2026 Elections: Su touts tourism; Lee pledges renewal in New Taipei

The Democratic Progressive Party’s New Taipei City mayoral candidate, Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), yesterday proposed boosting tourism in the city’s Jinshan (金山) and Wanli (萬里) districts, while her Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) opponent, Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), campaigned on extending the MRT and accelerating urban renewal in Yonghe District (永和).

Speaking at the opening of her campaign headquarters for Jinshan and Wanli, Su said the two districts are known for their mountainous and coastal landscapes, rich fishing heritage and diverse tourism resources.

If elected, she said she would accelerate an ongoing plan to extend Provincial Highway No. 62 to Wanli and Jinshan, improve the transportation network along the north coast and integrate tourism resources — including hot springs, fishing traditions and cultural heritage — to boost tourism and drive regional industrial development.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) New Taipei City mayoral candidate Lee Shu-chuan, center, shakes a vendor’s hand while visiting a market in the city’s Yonghe District yesterday.

Photo: Weng Yu-huang, Taipei Times

Meanwhile, during a campaign visit to traditional markets in Yonghe, Lee said he would accelerate plans to build the Zhonghe-Guangfu MRT line, which is still being reviewed by the central government, to make it more convenient for Jhonghe (中和) and Yonghe residents to travel to Taipei.

Large-scale urban renewal projects are important for Yonghe, a densely populated district with limited space, to upgrade aging and unsafe buildings, Lee said.

He pledged to establish a city government-level “Urban Renewal Promotion Committee” and make accelerating urban renewal a top priority of his administration.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator and New Taipei City mayoral candidate Su Chiao-hui, front center, waves to supporters at a launch rally for her campaign headquarters in the city’s Wanli District yesterday.

Photo: Huang Cheng-chia, Taipei Times

On Nov. 28, voters in 22 administrative regions are to cast ballots for candidates vying for nine types of local government posts, including city mayors, county commissioners, and city and county councilors.

Also up for grabs are seats for township mayors, borough and village wardens and indigenous district representatives.