Tears, excitement, warmth, friendship, tiredness and even sickness were experienced by participants in the "Walk Against the Wind" march that started in Oluanpi (鵝鸞鼻), the southernmost tip of the country, and finished yesterday in Taipei.
The march was initiated by 12 young people, including former National Youth Commission chairwoman Cheng Li-chun (
Along the way, supporters gave participants high fives and hugs. Many joined them on the way, expanding the team to more than 200 people yesterday.
PHOTO: HUANG LI-HSIANG, TAIPEI TIMES
"[On the walk] I found Taiwan to be a very, very lovely place," Sam Lang (郎恩祺), a 23-year-old graduate student in Canada, said. "You can always find something touching everywhere in the country."
Lang said that he was especially touched to see elementary or senior high school students leaving their classrooms to cheer them on.
"When I was in high school [in Taiwan], the teachers never allowed us to show an interest in politics," he said. "But it's different now -- I see hope for the country in these young students."
Although many people lost weight during the walk, Lang gained 2kg.
"People fed us really well along the way," he said, with a big smile on his face. "During the walk today, when people lined up along the roadsides were giving us high fives, someone put a meatball into my mouth all of a sudden," Lang said. "I was surprised, but I felt touched."
A college student who wished to known only by her last name Hung (洪) and one of the original dozen, said that the spirit of some accompanying walkers made her cry.
"I remember once when we were in Changhua County, a very, very old lady who could barely walk insisted on joining us. As we were walking fast, she tried very hard to catch up." she recounted as she walked on Zhongshan N Road in Taipei towards Zhongshan Soccer Stadium, the end of the journey.
Although the walk was harder for the old lady, "she tried to show her care for us by putting a candy into my mouth," Hung said.
Henry Yen (嚴江龍), also among the original dozen, was shocked when he realized how little he knew about Taiwan.
"We visited many places where key events in Taiwan's history happened -- but I never heard of those places before," Yen told the Taipei Times during an interview at the stadium.
Yen injured his knees four days into the trip, but continued to walk regardless of the pain.
"I couldn't give up. How could I?" Yen said. "I had to carry on after all the support and good wishes we got from supporters along the way, I just couldn't give up."
Friendship among walkers was also an important support.
"Many of us started out as strangers, but became best friends along the way," Yen said. "We got together every night to share what we saw and felt during the day and give support to each other."
Besides joy, sorrow was something that Lang felt at the end of the journey.
"I feel a bit sad because I know that it will be a long time before I can run into high fives and hugs from strangers again on the streets," he said.
There was also appreciation.
"A lot of supporters along the way thanked us but actually we owe much more to them. We really want to thank them for their support and the warmth they showed us," Yen said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS