As the Republic of China’s National Day approaches, the 114th National Day celebration light show at the Presidential Office Building debuted on the 7th. President Lai Ching-te attended the lighting ceremony in the evening and invited everyone to come and enjoy the show in front of the Presidential Office Building. Through more than 80 classic film and television works, the history of the Golden Bell Awards in Taiwan was revisited, inviting everyone to experience the diversity, confidence, and openness of Taiwan’s democratic society.
In his speech, President Lai Ching-te first mentioned that this year’s Presidential Office Building light show specially featured the words “Hualien, Stay Strong” on the building. This gesture was to express condolences to the unfortunate victims of the recent Hualien disaster and to wish a speedy recovery to the injured. More importantly, it was a gesture of gratitude to the 37,000 volunteers and heroes who had been working tirelessly in Hualien for 12 days.
President Lai Ching-te mentioned a volunteer who had been working in disaster relief in Hualien for 8 consecutive days and tragically lost his life due to an infected wound. The entire nation deeply felt the spirit of this victim and the altruism and great love shown by the volunteers. He believed that such a spirit would forever remain in the hearts of the Taiwanese people.
He pointed out that this year marks the 9th year of the Presidential Office Building light show, and he expressed special thanks to the Chinese Culture Association (文總), the curatorial team, and all the partners involved in the show for their continuous efforts and innovation. Every year, with a different theme, the show showcases the diversity and rich cultural significance of Taiwan, as well as the resilience of life on this land.
Regarding the performance earlier that included accompaniment by the National Symphony Orchestra, President Lai Ching-te said that they performed 16 familiar songs in a short amount of time, spanning generations, from the young to the present, and he expressed his appreciation for their performance.
President Lai Ching-te mentioned seeing many parents bringing their children to enjoy the light show, and he was pleased to see the participation of different generations because the original intention of the event was to use vibrant cultural performances to help the public better understand the historical splendor of the century-old Presidential Office Building and to embody the diversity, confidence, and openness of Taiwan’s democratic society.
In response to the 60th anniversary of the Golden Bell Awards, the theme of this year’s light show is “Don’t change the channel, come back immediately,” taking audiences on a journey through a corridor of time featuring over 80 classic film and television works from Taiwan.
Reflecting on the history of the Golden Bell Awards in Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te mentioned that for his generation, many people’s fondest childhood memories involved returning home or going to a neighbor’s house after school to watch cartoons, news, puppet shows, dramas, and variety shows, as well as staying up late with their families to watch baseball broadcasts and cheer loudly for Taiwanese athletes. Watching TV at that time not only brought joy but also served as important moments to unite emotions and memories.
President Lai Ching-te noted the special appearances of veteran media personality Shen Chunhua and actress Chen Yalan, who performed at the National Day light show. Shen Chunhua is a record holder of Golden Bell Awards and reporting the news is a shared memory for many people. Chen Yalan’s portrayal in “Jia Qingjun’s visit to Taiwan” was the first actress in Taiwan’s history to win the Best Actor award at the Golden Bell Awards in a male role. He specially thanked the two for their participation, making the National Day light show even more spectacular.
He also thanked the staff from various TV stations and production companies present at the event for their passion for the film and television industry and their pursuit of quality, which has led to the thriving development of Taiwan’s film and television works, bringing beautiful memories to different generations of Taiwanese. He hoped that more and better works would continue to be produced, allowing the world to see the diverse and colorful Taiwan.
Following that, President Lai Ching-te, Speaker of the Legislative Yuan and Director of the National Day Preparatory Committee Han Kuo-yu, Minister of Culture Li Yuan, Vice President of the Chinese Culture Association Jiang Chun-nan, and others jointly lit up the National Day light show and together with the audience enjoyed the impressive light show.