Today marks the 100th day since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in the Republic of China (Taiwan). President Tsai announced that he has entrusted the construction of his ancestral home in Wanli, New Taipei City, to a trust, prioritizing its use as a commemorative museum for miners’ lives for public benefit. He expressed hope that through personal visits and understanding of the historical context, the people of Taiwan can come to understand each other and unite.
President Tsai took to Facebook today to share that on his 100th day in office, in addition to sharing the vision of his administration, the “Wanli Miner’s Life Memorial Museum” also announced its opening plan on this day. During his presidential campaign, concerns were raised by residents of the mining area in Wanli about their homes being considered illegal structures, potentially facing demolition. President Tsai expressed his responsibility to find a solution to safeguard the residents’ housing rights.
After ensuring the housing rights of the residents in the mining area, President Tsai expressed his willingness to turn over the construction of his ancestral home to a trust to be used primarily as a public benefit for the Miner’s Life Memorial Museum. Prior to taking office, he had already arranged for a notary public to handle the subsequent trust affairs. Currently, the protection of residents’ housing rights in the mining area is under review by relevant authorities. The management of his ancestral home has been entrusted to a local community in Wanli to be used for the “Wanli Miner’s Life Memorial Museum.”
President Tsai stated that the Miner’s Memorial Museum is initially planned to be set up in an exhibition manner, incorporating interview footage, oral history from the area, and more. He expressed special thanks to renowned mining photographer, Professor Zhu Jianxuan, for his authorization, and the assistance of the Land and Resources Center. Some photos are sourced from the Ruisan Company and provided with the help of Zhou Chaonan, Chairman of the New Taipei City Mining Retirees Association, showcasing the mining industry’s development.
It is anticipated that in October of this year, guided tours of the Miner’s Memorial Museum will begin, with registration now open. The tour will combine the “Wanli Miner’s Life Memorial Museum” with the surrounding “Wanli Liukeng Office” and “Wanli Liukeng Coal Mine Entrance,” creating a historical and cultural tour route at the “Wanli Miner’s Life Memorial Park.” This initiative not only commemorates the miners’ contributions to Taiwan’s economy but also aims to encourage the people to visit personally, understand the historical context, and thereby promote unity in Taiwan.
President Tsai also released a special episode of the animated series “Lai Sang and Me” on Facebook today, introducing a dog named “Banban” that he recently adopted, which lost its left front leg. He mentioned that in the many upcoming increments of 100 days, he will continue to work diligently with a spirit of bravery, determination, and never giving up.
“This summer, we witnessed countless touching moments on the stage of the Paris Olympics, seeing each Taiwanese athlete breaking through difficulties and challenging limits with astonishing courage and resilience. I deeply admire them and they inspire me and my administration to uphold the spirit of never giving up, leading democratic Taiwan to continue standing firm in the world,” President Tsai said.
President Tsai expressed that serving this country is the greatest honor of his life. The first 100 days are just the beginning, and he looks forward to walking hand in hand with the people through many more increments of 100 days in the future. He expressed his deep gratitude to the talented and popular cartoonist Lady Jie for portraying so many respectable Taiwanese heroes with a distinctive yet warm and touching style, as well as capturing the interaction between “Banban” and himself.