Tainan hosted the 16th President and Vice President Inaugural State Banquet, which drew numerous guests from all over the world. This is the city’s first time hosting such an event. Following the state banquet, Hon. Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, and Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu (both nations having formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan) stayed in Tainan and visited several local attractions accompanied by Deputy Mayors Chao Ching-hui and Yeh Tse-shan.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che expressed that having the opportunity to welcome important state guests this year is of great significance to the city, as this is also the year of Tainan 400. As the cultural capital of Taiwan, Tainan has a wealth of tourist attractions in addition to historical and cultural resources. He hopes that the Prime Ministers, who are visiting Tainan for the first time, can fully appreciate the city’s distinct charm and looks forward to enhancing the friendship between the three nations through this interaction.
For the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, the Chimei Museum was his highlight destination. The museum was established by Mr. Hsu Wen-lung to provide Tainan citizens with access to Western art without going abroad. Together with Tainan City Deputy Mayor Chao Ching-hui and Chair of the Chimei Museum Kuo Ling-ling, Prime Minister Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo and his entourage not only appreciated the magnificent architecture and copious exhibits of the museum but also witnessed the importance of culture to the locals. Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo specifically requested to see the violin section upon learning that the museum has a sizable collection of violins. The Prime Minister also stopped to admire several classic masterpieces in The Masterpieces From The National Gallery, London Exhibition, which is also shown in the museum.
Expressing great interest in Tainan’s technical and vocational education and regional revitalization measures, the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia Hon. Philip J. Pierre was accompanied by Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan on a visit to Kun Shan University. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of education and thanked the university President Tien-Shang Lee for looking after the Saint Lucian students in Tainan. He also met each of the students and listened to them talk about their lives and studies in Tainan. At the Chimei Happiness Factory, Chairman Song Guang-fu showed Hon. Philip J. Pierre and guests how to make their own pineapple cakes and introduced the food industry and culture in Tainan. The final stop of the Prime Minister’s tour was the Ten Drum Culture Village, which was originally an old sugar mill. He expressed he was excited to apply Tainan’s cultural experience as a model for the development of cultural tourism in St. Lucia. During his stop here, the Prime Minister also came across a group of students from Jiufenzi Elementary and Junior High School who greeted the guests with their school song. The pleasant exchange between the two groups brought the Tainan visit to a touching conclusion.