Taiwan yesterday joined a worldwide 24-hour "Rolling Requiem," in which musicians in 25 countries performed Mozart's Requiem to mark the moment when the first hijacked plane flew into the New York World Trade Center.
The global performance of the Requiem was initiated by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the tragic day. A total of 180 choirs across 20 time zones participated in the event.
Beginning after Japan and ahead of Thailand, 85 members of the National Taiwan University Chorus and Orchestra, wearing heart-shaped badges, started their performance at the National Concert Hall at 8:46am.
It was 8:46am in New York when the first plane slammed into the Twin Towers.
Vice President Annette Lu (
Addressing the ceremony, she said the performance of the Requiem -- which honors the dead -- was designed not only to mourn the victims of the World Trade Center attacks, but also to remind the world to respect every living being.
Lu said that although only a small number of Taiwanese perished in the attacks, Taiwan also joined the global anti-terror campaign under the leadership of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
"The incident was neither a confrontation between nations nor one between civilization and barbarianism, but a fight between goodness and evil," Lu said.
She also appealed to all the people of Taiwan to discard hatred, embrace peace and open their hearts because only love can solve problems.
"People in Taiwan should also say prayers for those who passed away on Sept. 11 one year ago," the vice president said.
Lu then led the audience in a moment of silence to remember those who died in the attacks.
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