Department of Cultural Affairs

By Psyche Cho
Staff Reporter

This autumn is the perfect time to take an urban trip while forging knowledge on the concrete legacies of Taipei. From now until the end of September, Taipei Heritage Day offers a series of fun-packed programs like real person Monopoly, historic site tours and many other creative products.

"Heritage is a gift bestowed by our ancestors," said Liu Wei-gong, Commissioner of Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, to officially kick off the campaign on August 13. "We hope the event will help to advance citizens' and visitors' knowledge of Taipei's historic sites," he said. 

From now until September 6, the first 100 players who successfully fulfill the tasks required by the realistic Monopoly game will be rewarded with a dinner featuring superb cuisine and performances on 2012 Heritage Day, which falls on September 15.
  
Here are the game rules: get a Monopoly card (downloadable from website), go visit the 16 designated historic spots, put down answers to the questions offered at each site, take photos at three of your favorite spots, attach the photos to the card, and send the card back to South Village at No. 10, Lane 80, Shida Rd., Taipei City.  

If you prefer a slower pace, here's another option. Every weekend during all of September, 24 routes planned under specific themes and guided by specialists in architecture or cultural fields are waiting for you. "Through rewinding the glories of the past, these sites will become closer to people's lives and not merely architecture," noted Liu. He continued by saying that "we also encourage citizens to discover new sites which have long been ignored."

To encourage participation, a creative product design event based on cultural legacies declared by the Taipei City is being initiated, running until September 30. Participants are encouraged to combine historic sites with their daily lives through different forms and methods. The top prize will be NT$30,000.

Meanwhile, a postcard event is also being launched. Visitors can put down their ideas about this year's events on hand-painted postcards offered in six spots and the postcard will be sent back to you before Heritage Day next year.

To learn more about the 2012 Taipei Heritage Day or sign up for events please visit http://101historic.blogspot.tw/  (in Chinese) or call 02-8369-2963.