Hualien County Government Invites Global Citizens from 16 Countries to Offer Strategies for Creating an Internationally Friendly City

The trend of relocation, second-home living, and digital nomadism is global. Hualien County Government invited 40 international friends from 16 countries to participate in a cultural exchange and workshop event entitled “Hualien, My Home：Exploring, Experiencing and Sharing with Global Citizens in Hualien”. They worked together to formulate friendly international policies to help Hualien become a livable city for international residents. County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei attended to engage with the international community and expressed his vision of “Hualien goes global, and global comes to Hualien”, aiming to promote Hualien as a friendly city for tourists and international residents alike.

Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei said that the county government has long promoted a friendly international policy, aiming to make Hualien an internationally friendly city for relocation. Currently, 6,715 international residents from 80 countries have moved to Hualien, attracted by its environment and pace of life. The exchange event aimed to gather various suggestions for international-friendly policies, making it easier for current and future international residents to integrate into Hualien. The Mayor metaphorically suggested “planting trees for future generations to enjoy the shade”, inviting open discussion and cooperation to create a friendlier living environment.

The visit included understanding Hualien’s geography, the origins of Austronesian culture, indigenous cultures, and organic agriculture. Through the “World Café” workshop, they discussed strategies for adapting to life, the natural environment, business, and education. 40 international residents from 16 countries (Turkey, Canada, Lithuania, India, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, the UK, the USA, Russia, Vietnam, Ivory Coast, Ireland, Germany, Philippines, and South Korea) enthusiastically discussed the challenges and benefits of living in Hualien.

Everyone agreed that Hualien’s beautiful natural landscape and comfortable pace of life are attractive features for international residents. They look forward to improved public transportation and bilingual information platforms to make it easier to explore and understand Hualien.