【Thursday Art & Culture】Taichung Christmas Concert Kicks Off This Weekend with Limited-Time Love Gift Collection

By MOOK Travel Life Network / Chen Guanxin, compiled & reported

 

The Taichung City Government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau will hold the “2013 Happy Taichung ‘Love Christmas Concert’” at 18:00 on December 21 at the Round Round Outdoor Theater and has planned a love gift collection event. The performance lineup includes Yin Zhengyang, Yili Gao Lu, South Africa’s Wailing Soul reggae band, and more. Admission is free and no tickets are required. The first 1,000 attendees who bring a love gift to the concert will receive a small green plant gifted by the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

Taichung Mayor Hu Zhiqiang stated that the Cultural Affairs Bureau hopes to collect 1,000 love gifts this year through the Love Christmas Concert to give to children in remote areas and underprivileged families, so everyone can have a joyful Christmas. The collected love gifts this year will be distributed after the concert to various social welfare organizations such as Guangyin Children’s Home, Qili Youth Home, and Ganlin Social Welfare Charity Foundation, as well as to hospitalized children at the Art Highlight Hospital. Distribution locations also include the remote Lishan area. Love gifts do not need excessive packaging—suggested items include stationery, toys, books, and warm clothing.

 

The Cultural Affairs Bureau launched the love gift collection campaign for the first time at the 2012 Happy Taichung Christmas Concert, which received an enthusiastic response from the public. Schools such as Dadun Junior High, Daxin Elementary, Dadun Elementary, Taiping Elementary, Yuren Primary, Huiwen Elementary, and Nantun Elementary actively participated. In total, over 2,000 gift boxes were collected, nearly packing out the Round Round Outdoor Theater. During Christmas, these gifts were delivered by special vehicles to remote schools and social welfare institutions including Lishan Junior-Senior High, Pingdeng Elementary, Guangyin Children’s Home, Cixin Youth Home, Qili Youth Home, and Ganlin Foundation. The smiles on the children’s faces upon receiving the gifts were deeply moving. Amidst the joy of care and sharing, the event became a powerful lesson in love.

 

This year, the Cultural Affairs Bureau continues the theme of “Love and Care, Sharing Happiness” for the Christmas concert. The performance lineup is strong, featuring top domestic and international musicians and local talent such as Yin Zhengyang, Yili Gao Lu, Japan’s Civilian Skunk band, and South Africa’s Wailing Soul reggae band. Musical youth Zhuang Pin-tD and caring school doctor Fang Yun will also perform on stage. The bureau is also recruiting music-loving citizens willing to share love to form a “Citizens’ Symphony Orchestra and Choir,” which will perform Christmas medleys such as “A Heart of Gratitude” and “Silent Night” during the event.

 

 

●  Extended Reading:

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