Kaohsiung’s richest neighborhood head faces a third uncontested election

Jianlong Village in Kaohsiung’s Cianjhen District has drawn attention in the 2026 village-head elections for two reasons: it has held the city’s title as the “richest village” for three consecutive years, and its incumbent head is once again running unopposed.

Only 73-year-old Lin De-lu registered before the deadline, giving him his third uncontested election. Lin, a well-known master chef, first ran in 2010, the year Kaohsiung County and City merged. He won 558 votes despite having no challenger. In the 2014 uncontested race, his vote total rose to 593.

Lin faced an opponent for the first time in 2018 and won with 498 votes, or 56.08 percent. In 2022, he defeated his challenger with 443 votes and 61.19 percent.

Jianlong has about 800 households and more than 1,400 residents. It is a small village by Kaohsiung standards, but its location in the Asia New Bay Area gives residents access to the metro and light rail. Dream Mall and the Sanduo shopping district are about a 10-minute walk away, making the neighborhood a sought-after central area that has attracted businesspeople and wealthy residents.

Average declared comprehensive income reached NT$2.343 million in 2024, securing the “richest village” title for a third straight year. But Lin said inclusion in the Asia New Bay Area had driven land and property taxes up twofold and threefold. With luxury homes continuing to rise, he lamented that property speculation had badly hurt longtime residents.

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Property speculation has badly harmed longtime residents.