Strong winds swept across Kaohsiung from Monday afternoon into Tuesday, prompting some residents to compare the conditions to a typhoon. The Kaohsiung Weather Station said the winds were caused by the combined effects of a tropical disturbance over the South China Sea southwest of Taiwan and a Pacific high-pressure system to the east.

City officials attribute the increase to a six-year reform program that moved beyond basic shelter management to focus on public education, community activities, and responsible pet ownership. In 2023, the city launched the “Ban (伴)” branding initiative — a wordplay on companionship — to reposition shelters as community spaces rather than places associated with abandonment.

The same dataset showed that several other parts of Taiwan were also shrinking. Kaohsiung was listed at 2,713,913, down 0.32 percent, while Tainan was listed at 1,849,281, down 0.25 percent.

Performance event highlighting music and traditions from Taiwan’s Caribbean diplomatic allies is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27, at the Pier Garden (渡船頭啤酒花園), organizers announced.