The two main candidates in the New Taipei City mayoral race each made their moves on the same day — one pushing hard infrastructure, the other emphasising culture and a family-friendly image — raising the temperature of the campaign.

• Kuomintang candidate Lee Shih-chuan visited temples and senior citizens' events in Tucheng, Xindian, Shulin and Bali, canvassing for votes and offering prayers along the way.
• He reiterated that, if elected, he would push forward the "Dahan River MRT Trunk Line," extending the Minsheng-Xizhi line to Shulin, and speed up completion of the "New Taipei Dome."
• He also pledged to accelerate local projects such as the Bali light rail, the relocation of Bali Junior High School and the Bali sports centre, and to expand long-term care and medical capacity at the Tucheng medical park.
• Democratic Progressive Party candidate Su Chiao-hui took a softer approach, releasing a video in which Hsu Hsiu-mei, manager of the Green Bookstore, an independent bookshop in Yonghe, appeared in support of her.
• Hsu Hsiu-mei stressed that Su Chiao-hui promotes mother-tongue education and parent-child reading, and has personally gone to book fairs to tell stories to children, showing that she values the cultural industry.

Outlook: In the near term, the two are expected to stick with the contrast between engineering achievements and cultural approachability, and the difference in their campaign themes is likely to become increasingly pronounced.