Current and former mayors of Taipei yesterday attended a special exhibition to celebrate the city’s centennial, saying that today’s successes can be accredited to its hard-working leaders, who have “passed the baton” down throughout the years.
Many familiar faces came to see the exhibition at Shuxin Hall in Nishi Honganji Square in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華), titled “Journey of a Century,” including former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and others, all of whom have passed through the mayor’s office at some point during their careers.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) hosted of the event, which he touted as a special chance for the ideologically distant mayors to mark a rare milestone together.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Bringing society together is the core philosophy of government, Ko said, adding that although they all hold different views, everyone shares the same land and should live in harmony.
Hsu Shui-teh (許水德), the oldest living former mayor, said that when he held office from 1985 to 1988, the city had serious issues with flooding, traffic and garbage disposal.
Determined to solve these problems, he established the Department of Rapid Transit Systems, moved a landfill to Muzha (木柵) and drafted a plan to build incinerators in Muzha, Neihu District (內湖) and Shilin District (士林), he said.
The city used to flood and the water would shut off practically every other day, but now those problems have been solved, he added.
Wu also reminisced about the challenges they faced and thanked Ko for holding the “significant and impactful” gathering.
The history of Taipei’s governance is one of continuity and passing the baton down the line, Wu said, but added that it is sometimes a difficult and thankless job.
For example, former Taipei mayor Huang Ta-chou (黃大洲) received significant blowback for creating Daan Forest Park, but now it is a source of pride, Wu said, adding that such actions must be viewed through the lens of time.
Chen said he was happy that the former leaders could put aside their differences and come together for the event.
Coming together is in itself a good thing, Chen said, expressing the wish that Ko’s invitation was only the beginning of peaceful exchanges within society and between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Development has continued regardless of government, era or even partisanship, he said.
Ma discussed the the leaders of Taipei prior to its incorporation in 1920, including Shen Pao-chen (沈葆楨), a Qing Dynasty viceroy who governed Taiwan from 1875 to 1879, and Liu Ming-chuan (劉銘傳), who served as governor of Taiwan in 1887.
The city of Taipei is only here thanks to the efforts of those who built up the area before its incorporation, he added.
Hau also thanked the city government for its invitation, before saying how his own achievements — such as expanding public transportation and reducing waste — were only possible because they were started by those who came before him.
No matter each mayor’s political affiliation, they have all played a role in the city’s history of progress, Hau said.
However, without peace across the Strait and among political parties, there is no hope for Taiwan, he said.
The event drew special attention considering the rocky history between Chen and Ma, and Ko’s comment last year that Chen’s imprisonment was an “insult to all Taiwanese.”
“Doesn’t everyone want to move toward a shared future?” Ko said.
If everyone keeps attacking each other about things that happened in the past, the nation would keep devolving into chaos, Ko said.
“Journey of a Century” runs until Oct. 31.
Additional reporting by Cheng Ming-hsiang
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