Environmental groups continue to urge TSMC to disclose its air pollution reduction roadmap, and advocate increasing air quality monitoring frequency from “once a day” to “once an hour” to strengthen oversight.
In October 2024, Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Xiaogang, Kaohsiung, as a medium-strength typhoon, marking the first direct typhoon landfall in Kaohsiung in 47 years.
In 2024, Typhoon Krathon severely impacted Kaohsiung, with Xiaogang District recording gusts as strong as level 17. Trees were uprooted, signboards and shipping containers were blown over or displaced on the streets, and many shops and storefronts suffered broken windows and glass damage.
Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Kaohsiung, toppling numerous trees, while police set up cordons in the heavy rain.
In 2024, Typhoon Gaemi caused severe flooding in Taiwan. In Tainan’s Yanshui and Houbi districts, the breach of the Bajhang River embankment led to water inundating farmlands and residential areas, with flood depths reaching waist-high. Rescue teams used inflatable boats to enter the villages and evacuate affected residents.
In 2024, Typhoon Gaemi brought torrential rain to the mountainous areas of Kaohsiung, causing severe mudslide damage to Taoyuan Junior High School. Around 5,000 square meters of the campus were buried in mud and debris, and students from local indigenous communities voluntarily joined in to help clean up the school.
On January 21, 2025, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Nansi District in Tainan City, becoming one of the major natural disasters in southern Taiwan that year. The quake caused widespread damage in the Nansi area, with over 4,500 houses affected, including more than 900 classified as hazardous red- or yellow-tagged buildings. Many homes were severely damaged. Nansi, characterized by older housing and a high proportion of elderly residents, faced significant challenges in recovery. The rural economy and its high-value fruit industry were also hit hard. Frequent aftershocks following the quake further heightened fear and stress among residents, prompting many to seek temporary shelter or stay in evacuation centers.
On April 3, 2024, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien, the strongest quake in Taiwan since 1999. It left 18 people dead and more than 1,100 injured. Thousands of buildings were damaged or collapsed, with the worst impacts in Hualien County and surrounding areas.
The renowned Taroko National Park suffered severe damage, with multiple large-scale landslides, rockfalls, and infrastructure collapses. Several roads and hiking trails were cut off, and dozens of people were temporarily trapped. Ongoing aftershocks and hazardous terrain made rescue operations even more challenging.
The Mingba Kelu Bridge, located on Provincial Highway 20 (the Southern Cross-Island Highway) in Taoyuan District, Kaohsiung City, is a vital transportation link spanning the Yusui River and Laonong River. It serves as a crucial lifeline for the Fuxing, Lavalang, and Meishan tribal communities. Since the 2010s, it has been repeatedly destroyed by massive landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains and typhoons, leaving the villages isolated on multiple occasions.
In 2025, powerful winds and heavy rains from Typhoon Danas caused a massive blackout along Taiwan’s coastal Tainan region. The hardest-hit areas included Yanshui, Houbi, Liujia, Qigu, and Jiangjun, with over 200,000 households losing power at the peak of the outage. Numerous utility poles were toppled or snapped, power lines were brought down, and transformers were damaged, leaving parts of the region without electricity for more than a week.
State-run Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) mobilized more than 1,000 workers for round-the-clock repairs. The recovery effort was complicated by the huge number of broken poles—about 600 in total, each 12 meters long and weighing over a ton—as well as their locations in low-lying fish farm areas, which made transportation and installation difficult. Taipower deployed large cranes and flatbed trucks to move the poles, but some remote coastal districts, such as Beimen, still required several more days before full restoration.
In 2025, Taiwan saw a “mass recall” campaign targeting 24 Kuomintang lawmakers and a former Taiwan People’s Party mayor. All of the recall attempts failed, marking a complete defeat for the pro-recall side and a major setback for President Lai Ching‑te and the Democratic Progressive Party.
In 2025, Taiwan’s military conducted its annual major exercise, Han Kuang 41, from July 9 to 18. It was the longest and largest iteration in history, extended to 10 days and 9 nights, and mobilized about 22,000 reservists. The drills involved live-force and live-equipment training across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
A large-scale solar power development in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has sparked significant environmental and social concerns. The project involved clearing hillside land for solar panel installation across 51 hectares, exceeding approved boundaries and violating soil and water conservation laws. This has led to severe soil erosion, environmental degradation, and increased risk of landslides and mudflows.
The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is a unique and thrilling traditional event held annually in Yanshui District, Tainan City, Taiwan, during the Lantern Festival (usually in February). It is recognized as one of the world's three major folk festivals and is a significant religious and cultural celebration in Taiwan. The festival dates back nearly 150 years to the Qing Dynasty and originated as a ritual to ward off a deadly plague.
The centerpiece of the festival is the lighting of thousands of rapid-fire rockets from specially constructed "beehive" firework frames, creating flurries of rockets shooting in all directions, resembling a swarm of bees. Participants often wear protective gear as these bottle rockets are fired directly toward crowds, making it one of the most exciting and intense firework displays worldwide.
The February 28 Incident, which began on February 28, 1947, was a pivotal and tragic anti-government uprising in Taiwan that was brutally suppressed by the Kuomintang (KMT) authorities. The unrest first broke out in Taipei but quickly spread across the island, with Kaohsiung seeing intense clashes and violence. The 228 Incident holds a significant and sensitive place in Taiwan’s collective memory.
February 28 is observed as a memorial day for the victims and as a symbol of Taiwan’s progress toward democracy.
Taiwan is home to over 680 bird species, including 32 endemic species found nowhere else in the world. With habitats ranging from high mountains to wetlands just hours apart, birdwatchers can observe a remarkable variety of species in a short time.
Rare and beautiful birds such as the Mikado pheasant and the Taiwan blue magpie are especially beloved by international birding enthusiasts. While October to March marks the peak migration season, birdwatching is possible year-round. Safe and convenient transportation, well-developed birding facilities, and events such as the Taiwan International Bird Marathon and Bird Fairs make Taiwan a dream destination for bird lovers across the globe.
The Kanakanavu are Taiwan’s 16th officially recognized Indigenous group, primarily living in the Dakanuwa and Maya villages of Namasia District, Kaohsiung City, with a population of about 400–500. Historically, they were mistakenly classified as part of the Tsou people, but due to significant cultural and linguistic differences, they were formally recognized as a distinct ethnic group by the government in 2014 a milestone in Taiwan’s ethnic recognition efforts.
