Department of Cultural Affairs

2009 Taipei Heritage Day, organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, presents a program of family fun from 2 to 8 p.m. today.
 
This event is held to echo World Heritage Day, which was initiated by the French Ministry for Culture and Communication in 1984. World Heritage Day falls on the third weekend of September and is aimed at directing global attention to the preservation of historic monuments.
 
"We would like to stir up cultural asset preservation and get a response from the general public,” said the deputy director of DCATCG, dressed in a chef's outfit to suggest ‘heating up’ cultural delicacies. He added that the value of a city should be based on its cultural properties rather than the price of real estate.  
 
As a modern city, Taipei demonstrates not only its material advancements but also its precious legacies from a history of more than three hundred years. To name just a few, the North Gate, a first-class historic relic constructed in the Qing dynasty; and the nearly one hundred year old Futai Street Mansion and Chungshan Hall, one of four convention halls erected during the Japanese rule period.    
 
"When you walk into a historic monument, it's like entering a cinema where a film about history is playing," said Chuang Yung-ming, an esteemed cultural worker, adding that “We shall start from nourishing a deep knowledge of our own land, and then we can get to know the world.”
 
In addition to a visit to the three historic relics, 2009 Taipei Heritage Day will also feature activities such as free traditional steamed cakes, cultural creativity, an art and gourmet bazaar, story-telling based on Taipei's history, folk song performances, riddle guessing, and even a sound and light show.