A massive foot-washing activity to demonstrate filial piety is set to be held in Taipei in October, event organizers said.
The activity, which drew 20,000 participants last year, is scheduled to take place on Oct. 11 in front of the Presidential Office Building.
Republic of China Sports Federation president Chang Chao-kuo (張朝國) said organizers hope that as many as 30,000 participants would take part this year, calling it an opportunity to “express gratitude for those who have helped us with love and dedication.”
Chang said that parents are not the only targets of this year’s foot-washing ritual.
“You can [wash feet] for your elders, teachers, coaches and mentors,” he said.
Chang, an athlete and former president of the Chinese Taipei Weight-lifting Association, said that a grateful person is more inclined to be thoughtful and therefore succeed.
He said he has seen many incidences of proud and not-so-humble athletes who would not heed the advice of their coaches or elders.
“Such athletes more often than not miss the chance to get ahead in their careers,” he said.
Chang said that young people should also take the initiative to show their gratitude to their seniors, telling them to “give me a chance” to return the favors they have received.
When the foot-washing event was first held in 2013, 4,363 pairs of feet were washed, shattering a Guinness World Record for the most people washing their elders’ feet at the same time.
The standard ritual calls for children to first bow to their parents, kneel to present them a cup of tea, massage and pound their backs, and then kneel on one knee to wash their feet.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS