Today is National Day. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je joined the flag-raising ceremony at the city government early in the morning, then went hiking in Wenshan District and climbed up to Zhinan Temple. Before setting off, he remarked that it was impressive to see so many people exercising and arriving so early on a holiday, joking that he himself had barely managed to get out of bed.
Seeing hundreds of residents participating, Ko exclaimed, “Incredible!” and asked the organizers if they had prepared a lot of prizes—otherwise, why would so many people come? Wenshan District Chief Tsai Pei-lin said they had prepared 50 bicycles and more than two 42-inch TVs. Upon hearing this, Ko laughed and said, “No wonder. I was wondering when Taipei citizens became so into sports.” He hadn’t expected it, but it turned out to be the effect of the bicycle raffle.
He also said that exercise is definitely beneficial to health. Medically speaking, one should exercise three times a week, each time for over thirty minutes and to the point of sweating. By that standard, Taipei’s exercise culture still isn’t strong enough. He hopes the opportunity of the 2017 Universiade will help make Taipei a city with a sporting spirit.
(China Times)