The Executive Yuan will hold a series of activities in the areas that were worst affected by the 921 earthquake to mark the 10th anniversary of the disaster, the Government Information Office (GIO) said yesterday.
GIO Deputy Minister Hsu Chiu-huang (?? said the activities would be held mainly between Sept. 19 and Sept. 21.
Hsu announced the plans a day after Minister without Portfolio Fan Liang-shiow (范良銹) briefed the Cabinet on plans for the anniversary.
Apart from a commemorative evening gathering to be held in Taipei, the activities will be centered in the three areas that were worst hit by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 21, 1999.
Hsu said the Council for Hakka Affairs are organizing a Hakka activity in Dongshi Township (東勢), Taichung, the Council of Agriculture plan to hold a “thank you” function in Wufeng Township (霧峰), Taichung County, and that Jiji Township (集集), Nantou County, plans to host a cycling event.
In addition, the Council for Cultural Affairs are organizing a commemorative concert in Chung Hsing New Village (中興新村), Nantou County, while the 921 Earthquake Reconstruction Foundation plans to stage a similar event at National Chi Nan University in Puli, Nantou County, Hsu said.
After the briefing, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) said that the activities should also pay tribute to the earthquake relief work that was done by foreign rescue teams and the Ministry of National Defense, while highlighting the results of school rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas.
The 921 earthquake, with its epicenter in Jiji , left 2,416 people dead or missing and more than 11,000 wounded. About 44,000 homes were completely destroyed in the quake and the total damage was estimated at NT$300 billion (US$9.2 billion).
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