2015 National Junior High School Games Passing Ceremonial Fire to Three Off-isla
2015 National Junior High School Games Passing Ceremonial Fire to Three Off-island Counties
The 2015 National Junior High School Games will begin on April 25th, and, today, the pre-game fire-passing ceremony took place. New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu was present to release three helium LED sky lanterns to symbolize the “passing” of the fire to Kinmen County, Lienchiang County, and Penghu County, all are separate from the main island by bodies of water. The ceremony was also live-broadcasted to the three counties. Today’s event also marks the beginning of the 11-day, nation-wide fire-passing ceremony for the games.
In his speech, Mayor Chu especially thanked Kinmen County Magistrate, Mr. Fuhai Chen, Lienchiang County Magistrate, Mr. Zengyin Liu, Penghu County Magistrate, Mr. Guanfu Chen, and all of the counties and cities for participating in the event. This year, aside from the traditional fire lighting and passing ceremony, the organizers designed and used sky lanterns to symbolize the passing of the ceremonial fire to Kinmen, Lienchiang, and Penghu, and the three county magistrates were able to light the fires simultaneously and send off the ceremonial fire teams.
The Mayor said that this year’s games will begin on April 25th, and the athletes are already eagerly waiting for this major sports event. This year’s theme, “We are Young,” speaks to the vitality and passion of the junior high students but also encourages all citizens to participate in sports and exercise and to keep their mindsets young.
After lighting of the ceremonial fire, the Mayor passed the torch to the Taekwondo silver medalist of the 2004 Olympics Games in Athens, Councilperson Mr. Zhixiong Huang; the Mayor hopes that the excellence that Councilperson Huang has demonstrated in the past can be passed on to the new generation. Education Department reports that the ceremonial fire will depart from New Taipei City and will proceed southward and, in a counter-clockwise fashion, promote the games in 22 counties and cities across the island. The entire tour will cover a distance of 1,700km, and the fire will return to New Taipei City on the 20th of April. From April 20th to 23rd, the fire will travel within the city limits of New Taipei City and will be guarded by a team made up of students from the 83 high schools and junior high schools in the city. Dragon and lion dances, cultural performances, and other activities will symbolically welcome the ceremonial fire. Mayor Chu encourages everyone to join in the ceremony and cheer on the athletes.
For more information: Education Department; He, Wanyan; Tel: 1999 or (02)2960-3456 ext. 2830