Tainan Mayor Su Nan-chen

Koxinga, a famous Ming Dynasty general, liberated Taiwan from Dutch colonialism and established his first government in the City of Tainan in 1661. Tainan became the cultural, social and political center of Taiwan and held that position for two centuries. Today, newly reelected Mayor Su Nan-chen continues vigorous efforts begun in 1977 to rejuvenate the city.

When he took office in December, 1977, mayor Su moved to shorten the physical distance between the mayor's office and the electorate. He moved his remote office to a glass-windowed room on the first floor of City Hall. The public is welcomed to walk in anytime. From 7:30 to 10:30 each evening, a "meeting with the people" time has been set up. People come in with all kinds of problems: legal, social--even personal. It has been a keystone of Su's administration.

Su summed up the first four years: "This has been an excellent opportunity for us to learn from each other. The people now know which problems they should bring to the attention of the mayor's office. Through constantly communicating, I have learned to talk in a straight-forward but inoffensive way to people." In parallel with his open office and physically next to it, he set up a "Do-It-Now Center," comprising mostly volunteers with professional knowledge of the law, social welfare problems and other civic fields. The center helps the people battle with red tape.

In the first four years, it has responded to more than 42,000 cases. The center was originally designed to undertake cases relating to city administration. It has been expanded to handle cases ranging from construction holdups to family problems. Re-elected to his second term in a landslide victory, Mayor Su only sees a lot more are waiting to be done: "I gave my citizens 50 promises four years ago. These cannot satisfy the needs of the Tainanese anymore. I must revise and add many more new policies to the 50."

Tainan cannot compare with Taipei as a political and economic center, and has little chance to catch up with Kaohsiung's industrial development. But Mayor Su intends to restore Tainan's faded glory. "We hope to create a city that is both comfortable to live in and enjoyable to visit," he says. "With newly constructed roads, activity centers, libraries, seaside parks and a folk village, Tainan is much closer to his goals than four years ago.

Su lives with his parents in the simple and now very busy home he had lived in before he was elected. He refused to move to the more opulent official residence simply because "it was not necessary."

Mayor Su had no silver spoon, but worked his way upward. As a youngster he had to peddle to support the family. He held various jobs from primary school to university. His interest in politics was sparked by a book: Dr. Sun Yat-sen's "Three Principles of the People." He read the book in tears, seeing parallels in his own life. Dr. Sun Yat-sen showed how to build a just society and bring about more equal distribution of wealth. Then and there, at the age of 18, he determined to participate in the political process.

Although not a political party member, Mayor Su is not a lazy "independent." He believes in the Sun Yat-sen philosophy, and works hard in pursuit of his political ideals.

Each morning, to keep in shape, he gets up at 5 to go jogging, the start of a 16 to 17 hour working day. He detours to city construction sites on his morning jogging route. At noon, he shares lunch boxes with colleagues. He does not go home after midnight--after the "meeting with people" time.

A volunteer of the "Do-It-Now Center" asks, "What is the pleasure in working so hard?" And he answers himself: "I guess the satisfaction is in every little improvement he detects as he jogs around the city."

[Picture Caption]

1. Mayor Su in a relaxed mood. 2. He never lets paperwork lie overnight on his desk. 3. Accompanying President Chiang Ching-kuo on a tour of the night market in Tainan, Mayor Su recalls how he used to be a vendor himself in his younger days.

1. Local residents consulting with volunteer workers in the Do-It-Now Center. 2. In public housing development, Tainan ranks first in the nation. 3. The villa-like factories in Tainan's Anping Industrial Park, are typical of the development of small factories in Taiwan. The average age of the owners is 31 years. 4. Mayor Su, an eloquent speaker, attracts many young people whenever he makes a speech. 5. He takes time off to talk to primary school children.

1. In Su's four years in office, Tainan has established sisterhood relations with six cities in three countries. Picture shows the Mayor of Kansas City paying a courtesy call on Mayor Su. 2. The elder Mr. & Mrs. Su with their grandchildren by Su's younger brother. Mayor Su is a bachelor. 3. Mayor Su examines the damage caused by last summer's floods.

He never lets paperwork lie overnight on his desk.

Accompanying President Chiang Ching-kuo on a tour of the night market in Tainan, Mayor Su recalls how he used to be a vendor himself in his younger days.

Local residents consulting with volunteer workers in the Do-It-Now Center.

In public housing development, Tainan ranks first in the nation.

The villa-like factories in Tainan's Anping Industrial Park, are typical of the development of small factories in Taiwan. The average age of the owners is 31 years.

He takes time off to talk to primary school children.

Mayor Su, an eloquent speaker, attracts many young people whenever he makes a speech.

In Su's four years in office, Tainan has established sisterhood relations with six cities in three countries. Picture shows the Mayor of Kansas City paying a courtesy call on Mayor Su.

The elder Mr. & Mrs. Su with their grandchildren by Su's younger brother. Mayor Su is a bachelor.

Mayor Su examines the damage caused by last summer's floods.

Mayor Su is a bachelo.