Not in my backyard: Banqiao residents oppose plans to expand funeral parlor

Not in my backyard: Banqiao residents oppose plans to expand funeral parlor

2025-02-21

As Taiwan’s population ages, there are more deaths than ever. And as a result, there have been controversial discussions on whether to expand the New Taipei City Funeral Parlor in Banqiao or move it to a new site. Banqiao residents have not been happy with either option. On Friday morning, residents in the funeral parlor’s neighborhood protested the latest city government plans to expand the institution at its current site in front of the city council. They also delivered a petition with some 10,000 signatures.

Residents of New Taipei’s Banqiao District are protesting plans to renovate and expand the New Taipei City Funeral Parlor in their neighborhood.

Protester
Why are you pushing to expand the Banqiao funeral parlor? Six stories above and five stories below. Such vileness. What do you take us Banqiao residents for? You’re stepping on us people of Banqiao. You’re stepping on us right below your foot. You’re really, really disgusting.

New Taipei City Councilor Chou Sheng-kao, the leader of the protest, presented a petition with some 10,000 signatures.

Chou Sheng-kao
New Taipei City councilor (KMT)
We hope the city council can convene a working project group and that the city government will consider our appeal in today’s petition.

The project proposal came amid a rising number of deaths in recent years. Whether to move the site or optimize existing facilities has been a contentious issue. The city government hopes to re-build the site, and local residents are clearly not happy with this.

Chou Sheng-kao
New Taipei City councilor (KMT)
It’s inappropriate to have the funeral parlor here. What nobody else wants, we also don’t want. Will the city government and the city council please have some mercy on the people of Banqiao.

Local residents prefer that the city government phase out the current funeral parlor, while the city’s Department of Civil Affairs say they’ll continue to communicate with local borough wardens in the area.

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板殯遷擴持續延宕市府提議原地優化引居民反彈

2025-02-21

板橋殯儀館擴建或遷建討論多年，目前市府偏向原地優化為主，讓不少在地居民認為，是變相的擴建板橋殯儀館，引起反彈聲浪！市府先前舉辦三次說明會，每每都在爭吵聲中結束！今天（週五）早上，身為自救會會長的國民黨新北市議員周勝考，發起野菊請願運動，帶上百人前往新北市議會抗議，遞交連署書。

板橋居民來到新北市議會，高舉看板、拉起白布條，要反對板殯擴建。

[[抗議民眾]]
“非得要強硬擴建板殯，什麼上面六層，下面五層，真的是可惡極了，你把我們板橋人當做什麼啊，你踐踏我們板橋人，你把我們板橋人踩在腳底下，你真的非常非常的可惡啊”

自救會會長、國民黨新北市議員周勝考，帶上萬份連署書到場，希望市府聽聽人民聲音。

[[新北市議員(國) 周勝考]]
“希望市議會能夠成立專案小組，希望今天的請願，市府能夠接納我們的意見”

板橋殯儀館擴建、遷建討論多時，目前市府希望原地改建優化為主，惹得住在殯儀館周遭居民不滿，認為根本變相增加板殯量能。

[[新北市議員(國) 周勝考]]
“整個殯葬設施在這裡是不宜的，別人不要的，我們也不要，拜託市政府，拜託市議會，放過板橋人”

在地居民認為應該分散殯葬設施，減緩板殯現有量能。新北市民政局回應，已經著手調整優化方案，會再與周邊里長溝通交流。

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Chiu Tai-yuan
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