Today (Nov.12) is Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s 154th birthday anniversary. National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall specially hosted four events on the theme of “Diversity, Prosperity, and Love.” Besides inviting the public to pay tribute to Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s statue at the hall and holding “Sun Yat-sen Thinking and International Changes Seminar” together with Sun Yat-Sen Academic and Cultural Foundation and Chinese Culture University, we specially invited National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan, administered by the National Center for Traditional Arts, to present “Splendid Taiwan Concert” and held “Embrace Books: Artists’ Book Signing and Giving Event.”
“Sun Yat-sen Thinking and International Changes Seminar” taking place this morning features “the discussions on the present international changes from the perspective of Sun Yat-sen thinking” with the meaning of connecting to the current news. Director-general of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Liang Yung-fei, said at the seminar that the studies on Sunology have been the most basic core business of the hall. This year, there were many local conferences, including the first “Chungshan Youth Academic Conference,” the conference of “Sunology and General and Cultural Education” in the central area, and the conference of “Diverse Ethnic Culture and Hakka Cultural and Creative Industry” in the southern area. Corresponding to both district balance and diverse topics, they all start from Sun Yat-sen thinking or spirit, combine the diverse concern for the land of Taiwan, and put Mr. Sun Yat-sen’s concept of “fraternity” into practice. At the same time, it is also announced that “National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Youth Day” will take place next year for more youths’ participation. At the same time, we also form the strategic alliance with fifteen senior high schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools and four colleges and universities so that the students’ exhibitions and society activities will enter the hall to achieve the young generation’s participation and inheritance. Furthermore, to connect to the world, it is scheduled to hold the international conferences. The young students will not only have the chance to participate in the foreign conferences. Also, the foreign young friends will be invited to take part in the conferences at the hall.
At the main hall, the event of “Birthday Celebration: Tribute to Dr. Sun Yat-sen” was held. A few hundred people from different groups in the society gathered together at the hall to pay floral tribute to Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s statue and express the respect to him. The atmosphere was warm and touching. What’s worth mentioning is that this year Little Soldier Diary Children Military Experience Camp leads a group of 46 little soldiers to make use of the rare opportunity to visit National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and pay tribute to Dr. Sun Yat-sen. The lively and lovely children’s action touched the visitors deeply.
The concert of National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan, administered by the National Center for Traditional Arts, was held in the afternoon. This is the first time for the orchestra to perform the suite of “Splendid Taiwan Concert” at the main hall. The repertoire including “Four Seasons in Taiwan,” “Suite of Taiwanese Ballads,” and “Birthday Celebration” struck a chord with the visitors at the scene.
“Embrace Books: Artists’ Book Signing and Giving Event” invited the calligraphers Liao Zhen-xiang and Chen Wei-de, artist Jiao Shi-tai, who specializes in oil painting and woodcut print, sculptor He Heng-xiong, printmaker Zhong You-hui, poet and ink painter Luo Qing to sign on the books at the scene. The albums of various categories including western painting, ink painting, calligraphy, print, and sculpture published by National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in the past years were also given to the public for free. The total number of the albums is more than 2,000.
“Diversity, Prosperity, and Love: Series Celebrations of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s 154th Birthday Anniversary” invites the diverse ethnic groups to perform together. Meei-Chih Lin Dance Academy and Hanyang Beiguan Troupe will perform on November 16. There will also be outdoor concerts on November 27 and 30. The shows rich in contents are worth expecting. For more information, please visit the website of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall at www.yatsen.gov.tw.