Speaker of the House and delegation conclude visit to Taiwan
|
|
|
Contact: Embassy of Taiwan
Monday March 29, 2010 – At the invitation of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Honourable Hilda Rosemarie Husbands-Mathurin, Speaker of the House of Assembly led a delegation consisting of her husband Andre, Honourable Senator Gaspard Charlemagne, Minister in the Ministry of Education and Culture, and Honourable Jeannine Compton, Parliamentary Representative for Micoud North, to visit Taiwan from 21st to 26th March, 2010. The focus of visit was on culture and education.
They came at a time when Taiwan’s President Ma, Ying-jeou, Foreign Minister Timothy Chin-tien Yang, and Minister Sun Da-chuan of Indigenous Peoples Council were all on a journey to visit six diplomatic allies in the South Pacific, namely the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Republic of Nauru, the Solomon Islands and the Republic of Palau. However, Madame Speaker and her delegation were warmly greeted and received by Vice President Vincent Siew and Acting Foreign Minister Javier Ching-shan Hou, among others, with courtesy call and luncheon. A special group of escort officers from the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ad hoc teams of police and security officers at different cities and counties were accompanying the delegation to ensure smooth passage wherever they travelled from the north to the south of Taiwan.
When paying a courtesy call on the Vice President Siew at the Presidential Office, Madame Speaker Mathurin exchanged views on ways to strengthen cooperation on education between the two countries. Vice President Siew agreed that the two governments should embark on closer collaboration on education by facilitating more exchanges of students’ visit and creating more opportunities of scholarships for the youth in Saint Lucia to expand their vision and develop their future career through studying in Taiwan’s Universities. There are over twenty Saint Lucians currently studying at Universities for different degrees. Later this summer, there will be some graduates with master degrees. They went to Taiwan on full scholarships in 2007 as the first group immediately after the resumption of diplomatic relationship between Saint Lucia and Taiwan.
In addition to visits in Taipei City in the north, which included Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Flower Auction Market, Taipei 101, Fu Jen Catholic University, Ju’s Percussion Group performance at the National Concert Hall, Taipei School of Special Education, National Palace Museum, Shihlin Night Market, Madame Speaker and her delegation also took the bullet train from Taipei to Kaohsiung in the south in 90 minutes for a distance of 400 kilometers.
They paid a visit to Sandimen Township which is well-known for its preservation of houses and artifacts of the Paiwan indigenous tribe, especially the glazed beads workshop and its social and economic impacts on local housewives whom were recruited to design and hand make the popular glazed beads for making necklaces and bracelets with blessedly implications. The Mayoress and her colleagues at the Township Office all gathered together to welcome the Speaker’s delegation from Saint Lucia. They were shown to a Chief’s house to appreciate the inside decorations and understand their symbols in both religious and social terms aside from traditional songs and dance of the Paiwan tribe. Subsequently they toured the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park situated nearby where they witnessed more preservation of houses and life styles of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples.
As a resident of Gros Islet, Madame Speaker would not miss the opportunity to visit the Lion Township, which is the sister township of Gros Islet. They were greeted by the Mayor, Councillors and colleagues of the Township Office, especially the songs by an awarding winning choir from a local primary school which warmly touched the hearts of the visitors. They toured the Museum and were entertained with welcoming remarks and local fruits of watermelon and giant wax apples. On that day it was full of indigenous culture, friendship and hospitality that the delegation heartily experienced with amazement and appreciation.
The Kenting Night Market at the southern tip of Taiwan was another scene of wonder where hundreds of varieties of food and commodities were sold at a very reasonable price alongside the streets when thousands of tourists shopping and eating around. The magnitude of business and hustle and bustle atmosphere were extremely exciting and impressive. The delegation found geographical similarities between Kenting and Saint Lucia, even there is a place very much like Pigeon Point, let alone the climate, flora and fauna!
Almost every where they visited, there is a museum to preserve culture and artifacts of a specific tribe, township and theme park. All the members of the delegation share the intention to recommend that the government and people of Saint Lucia spare more resources to conserve cultural heritage by establishing museums to showcase its rich and colourful history.
Their six-day visit was highlighted by the meeting and luncheon with Mr. Wang, Jin-pyng, Taiwan’s Speaker of the Legislative Yuan (the Parliament), who is famous for his hospitality and ocean capacity in drinking! Madame Speaker and members of the delegation were encouraged to taste different Taiwanese liquors, and in return the host and invited guests appreciated Saint Lucian rums! It is indeed another form of cultural exchange, also a good way to promote Saint Lucian products!
Before they left for the airport, Madame Speaker and her delegation had the opportunity to visit the most efficient trade promoter, Taiwan External Trade Development Council, where proposal for a training workshop for Saint Lucian trade promoters were discussed and agreed upon in principle. This is an area to further enhance collaboration between the two governments in the years to come.
Taipei 101 was the last scenic spot of their visit where the delegation had a bird-eye view of Taipei City from the top of a building of over 358 meters high. It is both an architectural, engineering and cultural landmark in Taiwan which has won admiration from across the globe. Upon returning in Saint Lucia, Madame Speaker spared no time phoning the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), expressing her appreciation and those from members of the delegation to the government of Taiwan for the invitation and arrangement of programmes which proved to be one of the most fruitful and memorable visits to them.
Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) |
|
© 2010 Government Information Service. All rights reserved. Read our privacy guidelines. |
