Baseball field to become parking lot for lantern festival; county to lease new site

Miaoli County plans to convert the Touwu riverside baseball field into a parking area for the 2027 Taiwan Lantern Festival, a decision that has sparked concern among local baseball enthusiasts and players.

County Councilor Yang Ming-yeh, who also chairs the Miaoli County Baseball Committee, voiced the community's worries during a council session. He highlighted that the baseball field's temporary closure would leave young players without a place to practice and disrupt scheduled games. Yang urged the county government to explore alternative venues, suggesting leasing land from Taiwan Fertilizer Company (TAI-FORMOSA) to accommodate the baseball teams.

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We will contact Taiwan Fertilizer Company and I will personally visit them. I believe TAI-FORMOSA will agree to lease the land, and the county government will quickly prepare the site so that children can play baseball there.

County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin acknowledged Yang's concerns and agreed to the proposal. He stated that the county would contact TAI-FORMOSA to lease a suitable site and prepare it for baseball activities. Chung assured that the conversion of the baseball field for the festival would be managed to minimize disruption, with plans to restore it promptly and reinforce the red clay layer for player safety.

The decision reflects a common tension between hosting large-scale events and preserving local sports facilities. While the Taiwan Lantern Festival is a significant cultural event for Miaoli, the county government's commitment to finding a new home for its young baseball players aims to balance these competing needs.

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The county government will ensure that this parking lot is restored to its original state as soon as possible, and the red clay layer will be thickened to make it safer for students to practice or compete.