City celebrates 2015 New Taipei International Heritage Month
City celebrates 2015 New Taipei International Heritage Month
Today, New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu attended the 2015 New Taipei International Heritage Month event, “A Global Heart with the Local Spirit.” This an annual event that celebrates indigenous cultures and international heritage. The mayor noted that New Taipei City is a city of diverse cultural background; not only is it home to indigenous ethnicities and the Han Chinese ethnic group, which gradually migrated to the region in a span of 400 years, the city now welcomes many new immigrants and their cultural heritages as well. The mayor said that New Taipei has become an exciting and culturally-rich city.
Mayor Chu said New Taipei’s indigenous population is about 50,000, and in recent years, the city welcomed 100,000 immigrant new residents, making New Taipei City a truly diverse municipality. “A Global Heart with the Local Spirit” is a great example of the city’s goal of preserving cultural uniqueness — teach the children to treasure the local culture while using an globalized curriculum to broaden their perspective.
The month of June has been designated as New Taipei City International Heritage Month. In celebration, New Taipei City Education Department organized “A Global Heart with the Local Spirit,” an event that celebrates indigenous and international cultures. The attendees were treated to a rich and diverse program including onstage performances by the new residents in traditional garbs. Additionally, students from 35 schools, representing 30 countries and 5 indigenous ethnic groups, put on a series of shows that the audience received warmly.
Mayor Chu said that he is moved by the fact Taiwan’s new resident and indigenous children are able to gather at the same place for this event. He hopes that the children can learn from each other and understand the richness of Taiwan’s diverse cultural heritage. Through the series of events during the International Heritage Month, the mayor continued, he hopes the interaction between different cultures can bring about sparks of creativity and demonstrate the city’s effort in promoting international and diverse cultural education.
After his speech, Mayor Chu, the Education Department Commissioner—Tengjiao Lin, and Indigenous Peoples Department Commissioner—Xinyi Yang ceremonially began the event together and officially announced the start of 2015 New Taipei International Heritage Month and its accompanying series of events.
For more information: Education Department; Administrative Counselor Zhihua Ou; Phone: 1999 or (02)2960-3456 ext. 2869