Five days of light shows in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei are to commence on Tuesday next week and run until Double Ten National Day on Saturday next week, the General Association of Chinese Culture said Thursday.
The light show, titled “Confident Island, Greeting the Sunrise,” is to start every 30 minutes from 7pm to 9:30pm over the five days, it said.
Association deputy secretary-general Lee Hou-ching (李厚慶) said that the show is meant to express courage to face challenges head-on, grow through tribulation, express oneself digitally and be proud of Taiwan’s democracy.
Photo provided by the General Association of Chinese Culture
“For the past four years … we felt that the National Day celebrations should last for more than one day and bring the nation together in different ways,” Lee said.
This year has been challenging, but Taiwan has demonstrated previously unseen self-confidence and capability, shown solidarity in the face of COVID-19, achieving technological breakthroughs and showcasing our great culture, he said.
“The Presidential Office is like a lighthouse at sea, guiding our people and protecting them,” Lee said, adding that the “Taiwan model” is only possible because of the nation’s adherence to democratic ideals.
Former Taipei Pop Music Center preparatory office director Ding Duan (丁度嵐) and artist Feng Chien-chang (馮建彰) were commissioned to design the light show.
The show is to open with a storm scene representing this year’s challenges and continues depicting daily-life themes — the relaunch of baseball games, and the crowds at popular tourist sites and concerts — representing how life carried on with little disruption in Taiwan, the association said, adding that this was envied by much of the world.
It is difficult to tell the public that things have taken a turn for the better, Ding said, adding that while the rest of the world has been struggling to obtain masks, “we can even choose their color.”
With 5G networks being introduced, advances being made by the high-tech industry and farmers being free to export local pork, “Taiwanese people should be more self-confident,” Ding added.
Sound artist Lin Keng-nung (林耿農), who was tasked with selecting the music for the event, said that most pieces used would be symphonic, while some would venture into other genres.
“For instance, the section describing the rapid takeoff of the Taiwanese high-tech industry will be accompanied by techno music, while the section on Taiwanese pork will be accompanied by a folksong, Peach Blossoms Over the Ferry (桃花過渡), to symbolize the coming of spring and new hope,” Lin said.
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