"I can’t afford to buy votes. Riding this bicycle all over the place has been my golden ticket to winning support for nearly 20 years." At 64, Hualien civic representative XU Yuanshen is running for re-election, maintaining his uniquely individual style, while his younger brother, Zhuan’an Village Chief XU Shizhang, who is also seeking re-election, comes across as more serious. The brothers may be climbing the mountain in their own ways, but they always keep an eye on each other.
At 64, XU Yuanshen has been honored as a National Model of Good Deeds and recognized as a "Fragrant Grass Personality" by the provincial government. He previously served as Zhuan’an Village Chief in Hualien City. Four years ago, he switched paths, handing over the village chief role to his younger brother XU Shizhang. He always rides a bicycle equipped with a broom, mop, clamp, dustpan, and recycling bags—ready to clean up and take away recyclables on the spot. Many politically indifferent residents have been moved and have turned out to vote for him.
He doesn’t just clean up the environment; he also successfully advocated for fixing the poor drainage in Fujian Street Lane 132, installing three new streetlights in Zhuan’an Village, and repaving multiple asphalt roads including Lane 168, Alley 13—all examples of the brothers working together to achieve results.
"Apart from holidays, I ride my bicycle every day to sweep the streets and clean drains. There was even a time when a resident ran out of water halfway through a shower. I got the call, bought mineral water, and handled the emergency quickly." XU Yuanshen may seem a bit eccentric, but it’s actually a kind of playful wisdom. His latest flyer reads: "Raised by an Aboriginal father at age 2, a Hoklo father at 6, returned to my Hakka birth father’s home at 10, and married into a Shandong family at 30." Many don’t get it—but he’s just trying to show that he is the best representation of ethnic harmony in Taiwan.
As for the upright Zhuan’an Village Chief XU Shizhang, he served as an MP squad leader at the main gate of the Presidential Office for three years. Back in ’71, when he saw
Xu Shizhang, 59, is also the director of the Lian’an Care Association. He patrols the community daily, organizes activities for vulnerable groups during the three major festivals each year to foster community unity, established the Zhuan’an Li Taiko Drum Team to create a unique community culture, and set up an environmental volunteer team that periodically greens and beautifies the neighborhood. He often repurposes unused spaces to create small community gardens.
During community patrols, he addresses any concerns raised by residents on the spot whenever possible — including littering, marital disputes, neighborly conflicts, cat and dog noises, and more. He tries his best to meet the needs of residents. “I once even had a resident who got bitten by a hundred-pace viper while going to the bathroom at night. After being sent to the hospital and returning home, they asked me to get a snake catcher to deal with the snake!” said Xu Shizhang. Though he and his brother have different styles, their enthusiasm for serving the community is the same.
(China Times)