The Taipei City Government yesterday held a flag-rising ceremony in front of City Hall, where Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
The city government usually holds a flag-raising ceremony on New Year's Day. This was the first time it held one on Double Ten National Day in the square in front of the city hall.
At about 6am, a crowd of about 1,000 people wearing raincoats and waving national flags gathered in the city hall plaza before the mayor and city governmental officials arrived for the ceremony. At 7am, the flag-raising ceremony started, on schedule. With the crowd singing the national anthem, the flag was hoisted slowly in the rain. The ceremony ended with Ma and the participants shouting "happy birthday to the Republic of China" three times.
PHOTO: CNA
Ma stressed that the city government held a flag-raising ceremony this year to rekindle people's respect for the national flag.
"We see that many governmental chiefs seldom sing the national anthem and show little respect to the national flag," Ma said.
"Hopefully this special ceremony can restore people's pride in the national flag," he said.
Many participants chanted "President Ma, go! go!" when they saw Ma. Ma did not react and only smiled.
However, Ma suddenly seemed displeased when he heard the master of ceremonies yell "let's help Mayor Ma to move forward to the Presidential Office" as Ma was about to leave the ceremony.
"Our flag-raising ceremony had no political intention. We did this just because many residents suggested it," Ma said sternly.
Ma also said that he participated in the official Double Ten National Day ceremony in his capacity as Taipei City mayor, not as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman.
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