The government is gearing up for the arrival of the Republic of China’s (ROC) 100th founding anniversary when the new year kicks in, with a preparatory committee planning celebration activities across Taiwan.
The first in a string of activities will be on Dec. 31 at the Dajia Riverbank Park in Taipei City, where a large 3D New Year’s Eve countdown will be held.
The year-long celebration will come to a conclusion on Dec. 31 next year, when 1 million cyclists will start riding simultaneously in a clockwise direction from 10 points around the country, said the committee, which held its third meeting on Saturday.
Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), who heads the committee, said the year-long celebration was aimed at making Taiwan more visible around the world, cementing national unity and forging harmony in society.
Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) also said a peace ceremony would be held on Aug. 23 on Kinmen to commemorate the 823 Artillery Bombardment that was launched by the Chinese Communists in 1958.
On the Oct. 10 National Day, an evening party will be organized in Taichung to mark the ROC’s centennial anniversary.
To give people a clearer picture of the scope of the centennial festivities, Sheng said a virtual “Taiwan museum” has been set up online to highlight all the celebrations and activities.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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