Chiang Wan-an Rebuts Shen Pao-yang's Criticism of 'No Progress' on Taipei Grand Trail, Citing 'Many Concrete Achievements'

(CNA, by reporter Chen Yu-ting, Taipei, 6th) DPP's Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Pao-yang recently questioned the lack of progress on the Taipei Grand Trail during the Chiang city government's tenure. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an responded today, stating that since he took office, many activities and environmental optimizations have been promoted, leading to many concrete results.

A recently viral video of Chiang being unable to name the Four Beasts Mountains during a past inquiry has sparked discussion. When asked about it on the 4th, Shen said that Taipei is a city where one can easily get close to nature, and that activities like the Grand Trail could be integrated with culture to reflect on Taiwan's history, but claimed the event has seen little progress under the Chiang administration.

Taipei City's Geotechnical Engineering Office of the Public Works Department issued a press release today stating that the claim of no progress on the Taipei Grand Trail is inconsistent with the facts. Following the introduction of a new Grand Trail badge in 2024, a 'Monthly Gem King' challenge was launched this year. The average number of participants in the last three years has grown by nearly 80% compared to the previous seven years.

The Geotechnical Office stated that during Chiang Wan-an's term, new trail highlights such as the Caoshan Waterfall Suspension Bridge and the Houkan Aqueduct Trail Suspension Bridge have been built. The nighttime lighting environment of the Zhinan Gong Zhubo Trail was also optimized. Last year's overall satisfaction rate reached 95.6%, showing that the related construction and planning have been well-received by the public. The office urged outsiders not to pretend to know what they don't understand before learning the actual situation and concrete results.

Before attending the opening ceremony of the 2026 Taipei City Education Expo today, Chiang Wan-an told media that upon taking office, he began planning for the new Grand Trail badge and monthly challenge activities, which significantly increased participation over the past three years. He also mentioned many new trail highlights, nighttime lighting optimization, and improvements to the Xiangshan entrance and photography platform spaces, stating there are many concrete achievements and that efforts will continue to attract more participants. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150606