The opening ceremony of the World Games in Kaohsiung on Thursday night left many impressed, with a number of Internet users posting messages on the nation’s largest bulletin board system, PTT, to praise the show as the pride of Taiwan and Kaohsiung.
Posts began appearing on PTT while the ceremony was still in progress and continued yesterday, with the number of posts on that site alone exceeding 1,000.
“It was a glorious moment for the people of Kaohsiung,” an Internet user posted under the name “Tindong.”
Tindong said that he normally found traditional music irritating, but enjoyed it in the opening ceremony.
His post referred to part of the opening performance in which performers dressed as deities danced to folk music, evoking a scene from a typical Taiwanese temple celebration.
KAOHSIUNG PRIDE
“I’m proud to be a native of Kaohsiung,” another Internet user said.
“I can see the changes in Kaohsiung,” another wrote.
“I was so touched to hear [Kaohsiung mayor] Chen Chu [陳菊] deliver her speech in Taiwanese,” another post said.
Chen, who gave an address at the opening ceremony, said “no country in the international community should be forgotten, and Taiwan cherishes every opportunity to embrace the world.”
EXCITEMENT
An Internet user who posted under the name “Politik” described the World Games opening ceremony as exciting.
Politik said that although the opening ceremony may not have been on the same scale as that of other international sporting events, it was clear that all the performers had done their best to show the world the best of Kaohsiung.
Another Internet user, “Designet,” said he wanted to “shout out my love for Kaohsiung” and was so touched that he almost cried when he heard Chen say that “Kaohsiung has shown its confidence and its ability to shoulder the responsibilities of a member of the international community.”
CRITICISM
But some PTT posts leveled criticism at the Public Television Service (PTS), saying the quality of its broadcast of the opening ceremony was less than satisfactory.
A number of Internet users complained that PTS often lost the focus of action during the broadcast and aired too many commercials during the introduction of all the national teams.
“That showed a lack of respect for those countries’ teams,” one Internet user said.
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