CH's findings were gathered via a telephone survey conducted between June 30 and July 31 on 10,225 randomly-chosen participants who reside in 25 counties and cities throughout Taiwan. The survey focused on five main criteria: public safety, convenience, healthcare, financial security, and leisure.

Kinmen is "so safe that it's hard for those living on the main island to even imagine. There is no need to lock front doors, and when elders cross the streets, drivers will respectfully give way," according to CH in a report released yesterday.

In addition, the county government provides excellent benefits to retirees, including a monthly pension of NT$3,000, as well as free public transportation. Kinmen also received high marks for convenience and financial security.

Despite coming first in aspects such as healthcare, convenience, and financial security, "it's a pity that many of Taipei City's residents are wary of letting elders out the door due to public safety concerns and to the danger inherent in crossing the city's congested streets and intersections," remarked CH.

Surprisingly, popular visitor spot Hualien placed at the bottom of the list of places in the country to retire in, scoring low on public safety, leisure, and financial security. "We want to mention Hualien in particular because many in Taiwan consider it the best place to retire," noted the report.

Moreover, Hualien's healthcare institutions are not easily-accessible, with the larger medical facilities located in remote areas of northern, central, and southern parts of the county, making it especially difficult for residents in mountainous areas to seek medical attention.

Along with Kinmen, other outlying island counties of Lienchiang and Penghu also rated high on public safety, while central Taichung City and northern Taipei County scored the lowest.

Taichung City and southern Kaohsiung County were the places most participants said they did not feel it was safe to let elders go out by themselves.

Other findings were that the streets of eastern Hualien County, Taipei City, and central Changhua County "were most likely to make elders trip and fall," and drivers of Taipei County were the "rudest," with over 70 percent who do not give way to elders trying to cross the street.