Linkou Guanyin Temple Senior Banquet Becomes Politically Charged Election Battleground

The Double Ninth Festival banquet held today at the Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple in Linkou became a focal point of the mayoral campaign between New Taipei City's pan-blue and pan-green camps. At around 10 a.m., amidst the swirling incense inside the temple, candidates from both sides arrived separately, drawing large crowds of citizens and seniors. The event served not only as a traditional celebration of the Double Ninth Festival but also as an important platform for both parties to vie for voter support in the Linkou area. As the spiritual center of the local community, the Guanyin Temple has historically been a popular venue for political activities, effectively combining religious and social issues to provide candidates with opportunities for direct dialogue with voters.

The Double Ninth Festival banquet has a long history in Taiwan, originally serving as a festival for ancestor worship and praying for longevity and peace. In recent years, many local political figures have incorporated such events into their election strategies, using banquets and the distribution of holiday gifts to convey messages of care to seniors and families. As an important township in northern New Taipei City, Linkou's demographic structure shows a year-on-year increase in the proportion of elderly residents, coupled with a noticeable outflow of the younger population. Consequently, the Double Ninth Festival banquet has become an ideal occasion for candidates to showcase their commitments to elderly welfare and youth employment.

In this electoral contest, Su Chiao-hui of the pan-blue camp and Li Ssu-ch'uan of the pan-green camp approached the issues from different angles. Su emphasized that if elected, she would prioritize upgrading elderly welfare and dedicate efforts to creating a safe and comfortable living environment. She mentioned plans to strengthen facilities in community care centers and promote senior housing renovation projects to ensure that the elderly can live with peace of mind in familiar communities. This approach aligns with Linkou's current demand for improved living conditions for seniors and echoes the national policy call for dual-track long-term care.

Li Ssu-ch'uan put forward three major appeals: "peace of mind for seniors in aged care, peace of mind for youth to strive in their careers, and a happy environment for parents and children," articulating his camp's vision for overall community well-being. For the elderly, he proposed strengthening the allocation of medical resources and promoting community mutual aid groups to reduce feelings of isolation. For the youth, he advocated creating more employment opportunities and providing startup subsidies to encourage young people to develop locally. As for parents and children, he called for upgrading school and community support facilities to build a safer and happier growth environment. Li's proposals not only focused on the elderly but also addressed youth and families, presenting a comprehensive social care blueprint.

The campaign atmosphere at today's Double Ninth Festival banquet—ranging from commitments to elderly welfare to care for youth and families—reflects Taiwanese society's emphasis on three major issues: elderly care, youth employment, and family well-being. As a key development area in New Taipei City, if Linkou can successfully implement these policies through the elections, it will have a profound impact on the local economy and social stability. The performances of the pan-blue and pan-green parties at this event will also serve as an important reference for evaluating their competitiveness in the local elections.