I was born in the 1960s. When I was growing up, there was no such thing as a New Year’s Eve celebration in Taiwan to mark the change from the end of the previous year to a new year in the solar calendar. New Year’s Day was celebrated as the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (ROC), a holiday lasting two days.
The government would often organize activities to celebrate the ROC’s founding, holding commemorative events such as flag-raising ceremonies and parades that even included the chanting of slogans to express citizens’ patriotism.
The grandest celebrations our generation attended were rallies for the limited elections organized by members of the dangwai (黨外, “outside the party”) movement, the unofficial opposition to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime, which had prohibited opposition parties during the martial law period.
Each event included massive crowds listening intently to the speakers on stage as they delivered eloquent speeches and made righteous declarations, which ignited everyone’s passion. Our zealous hearts kept us warm on those cold winter days. Whether we were on stage or off, our hearts melded together as we expressed enthusiasm for a brighter future for Taiwan.
It was not until later that the government began to hold New Year’s Eve celebrations, inviting singers to perform. Fireworks naturally became an obligatory part of the entertainment. Various counties and cities gradually began competing with one another in hosting their own lively and exciting celebrations.
Young people followed the trend, rushing to New Year’s Eve party venues to celebrate with the crowds into the early hours of New Year’s Day, which became a shared memory of these generations.
To be frank, New Year’s Eve concerts and performances are little more than a capitalist marketing tactic.
Using the arrival of the new year as an opportunity, concerts allow singers to perform and gain exposure, thereby boosting their fame so that they could sell more records and tickets. The cost of such events is staggering, often reaching millions — or tens of millions — of New Taiwan dollars.
Once the concert dies down and the excitement fades, everyone must still return to the realities of their everyday lives.
No one’s new year would be less fulfilling or wonderful if they missed a New Year’s Eve celebration. However, participation from more passionate young people is needed for societal improvement and progress.
Social engagement does not require a large sacrifice — even just small gestures suffice. Small, thoughtful actions, incrementally over time — like grains of sand building a tower or drops of water forming a river — could become the greatest driving force behind societal progress.
For the new year, one could perhaps pay closer attention to political events, sign petitions organized by civic groups, donate a few hundred New Taiwan dollars to social welfare organizations that serve the underprivileged, or take care to accompany loved ones that are experiencing hardship, thereby providing warmth during the cold winter. Each of these actions, although seemingly small, could help to cultivate a more caring and compassionate social atmosphere.
Positive and diverse forms of expression are the crucial forces uplifting society. Providing help in times of need could contribute to a brighter and more hopeful future.
Chen Chi-nung is a political commentator.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
After nine days of holidays for the Lunar New Year, government agencies and companies are to reopen for operations today, including the Legislative Yuan. Many civic groups are expected to submit their recall petitions this week, aimed at removing many Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers from their seats. Since December last year, the KMT and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) passed three controversial bills to paralyze the Constitutional Court, alter budgetary allocations and make recalling elected officials more difficult by raising the threshold. The amendments aroused public concern and discontent, sparking calls to recall KMT legislators. After KMT and TPP legislators again
Taiwan faces complex challenges like other Asia-Pacific nations, including demographic decline, income inequality and climate change. In fact, its challenges might be even more pressing. The nation struggles with rising income inequality, declining birthrates and soaring housing costs while simultaneously navigating intensifying global competition among major powers. To remain competitive in the global talent market, Taiwan has been working to create a more welcoming environment and legal framework for foreign professionals. One of the most significant steps in this direction was the enactment of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) in 2018. Subsequent amendments in
US President Donald Trump on Saturday signed orders to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China effective from today. Trump decided to slap 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada as well as 10 percent on those coming from China, but would only impose a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy products, including oil and electricity. Canada and Mexico on Sunday quickly responded with retaliatory tariffs against the US, while countermeasures from China are expected soon. Nevertheless, Trump announced yesterday to delay tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month and said he would hold further talks with
Taiwan’s undersea cables connecting it to the world were allegedly severed several times by a Chinese ship registered under a flag of convenience. As the vessel sailed, it used several different automatic identification systems (AIS) to create fake routes. That type of “shadow fleet” and “gray zone” tactics could create a security crisis in Taiwan and warrants response measures. The concept of a shadow fleet originates from the research of Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. The phenomenon was initiated by authoritarian countries such as Iran, North Korea and Russia, which have been hit by international economic
RSS