Preservation activists held a press conference in front of New Taipei City Hall in Banqiao District last week to affect change in the city's decision-making processes prior to a meeting with officials from the city's Cultural Department over a controversial cemetery development project in Xindian District.

At the heart of the matter is the activists' mistrust of the city's intentions over the ancient cemetery land, which contains tombs dating as early as the reign of mid-Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796).

The press conference was intended to pressure the city away from its typical "black box" meetings, a style of hearing in which public participation is strictly limited.

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