To promote the traditional custom of writing spring couplets on Chinese New Year and celebrate the 50th anniversary of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, “The 50th Anniversary in the Year of Tiger- Live Demonstration for the Spring Festival” was specially held at the corridors of the main entrance by National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Ministry of Culture, today (Jan. 22). There were 14 distinguished guests attending the first-writing ceremony, including Political Deputy Minister of Culture, Hsiao Tsung-huang, Taipei City Deputy Mayor, Tsai Ping-kun, Chairman of Foundation of Chinese Culture for Sustainable Development, Liu Chao-shiuan, the famous calligraphers, Tu Chung-kaoand Chang Ping-huang, the winner of Golden Bell Award for Best Leading Actress, Chung Hsin-ling, and the senior hostess, Hou Li-fang. They wrote the spring couplet created by the famous calligrapher, Tsai Ming-tzan, “ren yi feng hua xin yin qu, yin chun han ya le chuan cheng (create the new charm and fun in the year of tiger, pass on the heritage of classic culture in spring).”
To encourage the participation of the calligraphy circle and share the joy of the 50th anniversary of the hall, the event invited 50 calligraphers from 16 calligraphy groups to write together and give the spring couplets to the citizens on the scene. The visitors at the age of 50 or with the last two numbers of the ID card “50” were given the seven-character spring couplets personally written by the calligraphers.
On behalf of Minister Lee Yung-te, Political Deputy Minister of Culture, Hsiao Tsung-huang, attended today’s “first-writing ceremony.” In the time of the spring rain, it is expected to start a year full of hope in the cultural circles. Deputy Minister Hsiao said National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, established in 1972, has been the most important cultural and recreational field in Greater Taipei Area in the past fifty years. The outdoor landscape renovation is expected to be completed at the end of the year. Then the building of the hall will be under renovation next year. In the future, there will be the underpass connecting to Taipei Dome. Together with Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Taipei Railway Workshop, there will be a large cultural, sports, and recreational park. It is expected that National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall will continue to be the core of the area providing more diverse and abundant art and cultural activities and greeting the next fifty years.
In his speech, Director-general of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Wang Lan-sheng, introduced the couplet in I Ching (Book of Changes): “da ren hou bian qi wen bing, jun zi bao bian ju zhen ji.” The couplet comes from the 5th and 6th lines of the Ge (reform) hexagram, featuring doing away with the old, reforming, and making changes. The two lines mean: “The changes of saints are like the glowing tiger stripes with the outstanding achievements and awesome merits. The changes of gentlemen are like agile leopards with exuberant literary talent. Without restlessness, maintaining the achievements and following the right path is auspicious.” This year is the 50th anniversary of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. In retrospect of the past and in expectation of the future at the end of a year, Director-general encouraged all colleagues not only to get rid of the old but also to keep making innovations. Director-general Wang also announced that the main lantern of Taiwan Lantern Festival held in Taipei next year (2023) will be displayed in front of the reflection pond of Chungshan Park to make Taiwan seen by the world.
In his speech, Taipei City Deputy Mayor, Tsai Ping-kun, said National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Taipei City Hall have been good neighbors for long. Together with Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Taipei Dome, they integrates the new and old culture and creative development, consolidate the cultural power, and work hard together to promote the policy of Taipei Ecomuseum to introduce art to life.
The event started with the honor guard team performance of JingMei Girls High School. After the grand first-writing ceremony, the children from Dodo Montesorri Preschool dressed in the New Year costumes brought the joyful atmosphere by singing and dancing. Chung Hsin-ling, who played a pastry shop owner in drama, led the distinguished guests to give the brown sugar bun cakes printed with “Zhao Cai Jin Bao (Bring in Wealth and Treasure)” to the visitors on the scene and wish a happy Chinese New Year. To greet the year of tiger, the event specially invited the paper-folding master, Lin Shi-hong, to teach how to make a tiger hat. It is hoped that everyone can stay away from the pandemic under the protection of the tiger hat and that COVID-19 will soon come to an end.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary, National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall will hold many great activities this year. Besides holding the exhibitions of the hall’s history, collection, and life aesthetics, the hall also develops the AR APP and publishes the special issue of Journal of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall for the 50th anniversary, the special issue in Sunology research for the 50th anniversary, and the guidebook of the historic building. All U People Theatre is specially invited to produce the 50th anniversary comedy, “Renai Road 6,” to represent the important historic pieces and great days of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, which is located at the greenfield site of “Park 6” in Taipei City, in the past fifty years. A series of image films are also filmed for the first time to lead everyone to look back on the beautiful days of the past fifty years and start the new prospect for the next fifty years.