Mon, Apr 05, 2004 page3

• Chen mingles with crowd on hometown visit

  • By Lin Chieh-yu / STAFF REPORTER
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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday returned to his hometown in Tainan County for Tomb Sweeping Day, the traditional ceremony of ancestral and religious worship.

  Thousands of Tainan residents gathered in the streets to welcome the president. Tight security measures were in place, including Chen's wearing a bullet proof vest inside his jacket.

  

  President Chen Shui-bian and first lady Wu Shu-chen wave to local residents gathered outside Chen's old home in Kuantien Township in Tainan County yesterday, Tomb Sweeping Day, when the couple attended a traditional ancestral worship ceremony.

  PHOTO: CHEN YI-MIN, TAIPEI TIMES

  Upon arrival in Tainan County, he went to Fo-jui Temple (佛顓寺) in Hsinhua township (新化鎮) to pay homage to his late family members, his father, Chen Sung-ken (陳松根), his maternal parents and his uncle.

  In the wake of the shooting incident, the safety of the president was of the utmost importance. In order to ensure his safety, secret service agents formed a human chain to create a clear passage through the crowds for Chen. The president clasped both of this hands to show his appreciation to the people.

  Along with his wife, Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍), and mother, Li Shen (李慎), Chen headed out to Tsuochen Village (左鎮鄉) to pay homage to his late father-in-law, Wu Kun-chi (吳崑池). He also took part in a religious service at Huei-an Temple (惠安宮) in Kuantien township (官田鄉), where he grew up. The service symbolized the president's gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon him by his re-election.

  The streets of Kuantien township were swamped with residents who hoped to meet the president. Chen decided to walk from the temple to his old house, which enabled him to shake hands with supporters and greet the crowds.

  Chen promised the residents that in the next four years, he would strive for a stronger economy and turn Taiwan into a complete and beautiful nation of democracy.

  In the evening, the president met Lin Chin-yi (林進義) at the Tainan City Government. Lin is a man who practiced his filial piety by traveling from northern Taiwan to visit his mother in Tainan on a bicycle.

  Although the March 19 shooting took place in the afternoon on a street in Tainan City, Chen's insistence on visiting Tainan as his first trip outside of Taipei signified his high respect for his hometown.

  The visit was initially slated to take place on Saturday, but was postponed to yesterday due to bad weather.

  "The President's Office announced that the home visits of both the president and the vice president would be unaffected by the shooting incident. Besides, the president would not be kept from interacting with the crowds," said Presidential Office spokesman James Huang (黃志芳).

  DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) said the president is well known for his overwhelming stamina, and his staff members have become accustomed to following him everywhere.

  Being secluded in the Presidential Office for the past two weeks had been rather unexciting for Chen as well as his staff members, Gao said.

  "Maybe the public would have thought that after the shooting, President Chen would not be traveling as much as he had in the past four years. Nevertheless, being the headstrong person he is, the president would not be affected by the shooting," Gao said.
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