Lienchiang County residents were not only surprised to find out that some 67,000 people had entered an online draw to be the county’s “commissioner for a day,” but were even more astonished to find out that the winner was an American.
As Josh Wenger, a New Yorker pursuing his doctoral degree at the National Taiwan University Graduate Institute of National Development in Taipei, entered the draw under his Chinese name Wen Chia-shu (溫賈舒), officials didn’t realize the winner was a foreigner, although the draw was open to anyone who was able to answer at least eight out of 10 questions about Matsu (馬祖).
Wenger visited Matsu yesterday, where he was greeted by Lienchiang County Commissioner Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生).
PHOTO: CNA
“Matsu is really beautiful, I hope I can be a special envoy to promote Matsu and attract more foreigners to visit,” Wenger said in fluent Mandarin while responding to a “question-and-answer” session at the county council.
Wenger also visited the county’s major sightseeing spots.
Lienchiang’s Project Planning Office said the contest winner was required to share his or her experiences of Matsu on the county’s Web site and blog to give people a better understanding of the changes and development on Matsu over the years.
The event, designed to promote Matsu at very limited cost, was declared a success and the county government will consider a similar activity next year, officials said.
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