Hsinchu County's government is scrambling to defend a 14-day overseas trip after opposition figures accused it of visiting a city hall that does not exist — bad news for county chief Yang Wen-ke's credibility at home.

• Yang took a team to Brazil and Portugal for two weeks, and critics say the results are thin and the costs unclear.
• New Power Party leader Wang Wan-yu accused the county of inventing a "Lisbon South Bay city government" that isn't real.
• The county hit back with fresh photos and a readout of talks with officials from Barreiro and Sines and a local property executive.
• The stated agenda was city management, old industry areas being redeveloped, clean energy, and foreign investment — with Hsinchu pitching its chip and AI parks.
• Pressure has been building since early August, when another group first attacked the trip's frequency and weak payoff, then its long silence in Portugal.

Outlook: Expect more day-by-day itinerary releases from the county as critics keep pressing on what the trip actually delivered.