Mayor's historical claim about candidate's ancestry debunked by writer

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen's endorsement of KMT Yilan county candidate Wu Tsung-hsien has sparked a historical debate. During a campaign rally at the Zhaoying Temple in Yilan, Lu presented Wu with a "Mazinger Z" figurine and declared him a descendant of Wu Sha, a pioneer settler who arrived in Yilan from mainland China 300 years ago. Lu urged Wu to inherit Wu Sha's spirit of development and protect Yilan.

However, writer Ko Ling quickly challenged this assertion on Facebook. Ko pointed out that Wu Tsung-hsien's ancestral roots are in Guangdong province, while Wu Sha was originally from Zhangzhou, Fujian province. Ko sarcastically questioned whether the mayor was uneducated or resorting to vote-buying tactics, or if she simply couldn't find any genuine connection between Wu Tsung-hsien and Yilan.

The public reaction online has been mixed, with some netizens likening the political maneuver to the fictional "Mazinger Z" and others accusing the mayor of fabricating historical ties. Some jokingly suggested that all people surnamed Wu are descendants of Wu Sha, while others made comparisons to historical figures like Wu Sangui.