The Presidential Office Concert took place April 6 in Taipei City, attracting around 30,000 participants in an eye-catching celebration of Taiwan’s finest cultural traditions.
Hosted by President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Chen Chien-jen, the event comprised three sections showcasing the beauty of the land, people and nation’s heart. A total of 10 performances over two hours spanned such musical genres as choral, hip-hop, indigenous and rock 'n' roll.
One of the evening’s highlights was an emotional tribute to late cinematographer and director Chi Po-lin, the creative genius behind “Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above.” Scenes from his award-winning aerial documentary were featured on a 100-meter wide LED, or light-emitting diode, screen to wild applause.
In a tweet on her official Twitter account following the concert, Tsai praised the success of the event. “We sang together, we cheered together and most importantly, we stood together as one. No matter where you come from in #Taiwan, we are all citizens of our #IslandOfResilience.”
According to the Presidential Office, other big-name attendees included Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, National Security Council Secretary-General David Tawei Lee and Minister of National Defense Yen Teh-fa.
In addition, more than 50 members of the Taiwan diplomatic corps were present. They comprised ambassadors from many of the nation’s allies, as well as American Institute in Taiwan Director Brent Christensen.
Launched in 1991 as a cultural event for foreign officials, the concert became a free public show in 2001. After a five-year hiatus, it was restarted in 2016, with the previous two editions staged in Pingtung and Changhua counties in southern and central Taiwan, respectively. (SFC-E)
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