The 2012 Commemorative Ceremony for Everlasting Marriage was held at Nan Shan Life Insurance Training Center on October13 and 14, 2012. Taichung Mayor Jason Hu extended his congratulations to every sweet and happy couple. While singing, Mayor Hu cut the cake with three couples who have wed for more than six decades. The atmosphere is warm and touching.
The 89-year-old Hong Kun-di (洪坤地) and the 90-year-old Hong Liao Mei (洪廖美) are a couple from Fengyuan District, who have tied their wedding knots for 70 years. Grandpa Hong likes to sing karaoke and play croquet, while grandma Hong is a vegetarian and prays to Buddha every day. Their family told us that grandpa loves grandma so much that he always holds grandma's hand when crossing the street.
Mayor Hu jokingly said that he thought he would have met many senior citizens here today but sees a bunch of kid-like young granddads and grandmas, instead. “I would like to congratulate each of you because you are so lucky to have a good companion in your marriage. It is the greatest pleasure of life to have a husband or wife who is so close to you for such a long long time,” added Mayor Hu.
There are more than two thousand couples who are celebrating their 50-year golden, 60-year diamond, and 70-year platinum wedding anniversary this year, said Wang Xiu-yan (王秀燕), Director-general of Social Affairs Bureau. “It is very difficult for Mayor Hu to take pictures with each and every couple. Therefore, Mayor Hu will only take pictures with those 60-year diamond and 70-year platinum couples today and tomorrow. Those 50-year golden couples will have to move to their respective district offices for picture taking and award ceremony in the next couples of weeks. It is expected that each district office will be happy and bustling recently,” added Director-general Wang.
In Taichung City, there are in total 2,664 couples celebrating their half-a-century marriage this year, including 1,992 golden couples, 626 diamond couples, and 46 platinum couples, according to the Social Affairs Bureau.