In order to greet the upcoming Christmas, Taichung City Government has placed two Christmas trees in water in Liuchuan in West District and Huludun drainage in Fengyuang District, respectively. The one in Liuchuan has been lighted up last night (7th) and the one in Huludun drainage would be lighted up by Mayor Chia-lung Lin and the citizens together at 7 p.m.「Merry Christmas！」Mayor Lin said, the successful improvement of Huludun drainage and Ruanpizai Creek in Flora Expo Site has made the people living in Fengyuang feel proud and the old town reborn. Welcome to Fengyuang to experience the most romantic Christmas here.

The lighting up ceremony tonight was hosted by Mayor Chia-lung Lin with Information Bureau Director Guam-ting Cho, Water Resources Bureau Director Ting-chang Chou, Councilors Ching-lung Chen, Jih-chung Hsieh and Ben-tien Chen etc. there to celebrate together. The opening show was performed by Fengyuang Elementary School chorus to sing a few songs under a warm and sweet atmosphere on site.

Tonight, before the tree was lighted up in Huludun, Mayor Lin has held his book signing event on site with many people queuing to ask for the signature of Mayor Lin and taking group photo with him. The queuing lines across two sides of the Huludun drainage; many people said,「The new book written by Mayor Lin is too popular to buy！」so they asked Mayor Lin to sign on their Flora Expo cards; even more, some passionate people sent him the scholar cake and champion rice to cheer Mayor Lin up. The atmosphere there was quite warm and soft.

Mayor Lin said, after the Huludun drainage uncovered and the fence of Fengyuang Elementary School moved away, the human culture by the watersides has been more fused in depth. The Fengyuang Huludun drainage is full of culture so we wish everyone to experience and enjoy the local gourmet foods, temples and the Flora Expo Site to feel the charming mountain town. Also, we’d like to appreciate the support of the audience on site to him, he will continue to live here in Taichung and visit Fengyuang frequently for its development as a sub-city center.

The designer of the Christmas tree, Wei Lu was here on site today; he has moved to Taiwan from Denmark in 2003 because he loves Taichung very much. And he was awarded with the first「Plum blossom card」, the permanent resident certificate for the people with special professionalism by Immigrant Agency in Taichung. He said, the installation art looks like 4「persons」 to present the idea of「people are the beginning of everything」to support the family, society and city. Also, it echoes to the sustainability concept of Taichung Flora Expo to rebuild a platform without destroying the original place to be ecology friendly.

Information Bureau Director Guam-ting Cho has indicated, the tree in Fengyuang Huludun drainage is designed by Wei Lu, the Chief Executive Officer of North Europe design consulting company and the winner of many global top design awards, with the height of 9 meters to deliver the idea of「people are the beginning of everything」. The structure of the tree is geometric with the steel framework in hollow engraving by laser, painted, acrylic, light plate and colorful LED lanterns etc., which is the integrated innovative materials cross territories and becomes a modern technological Christmas tree.

Water Resources Bureau Director Ting-chang Chou also said, Huludun drainage is one of the 3 major drainages in central region; it’s an important agricultural irrigation drainage in old days. In 1980’s, in response to the commercial development and parking demands in Fengyuang area, the river canal flowing through the downtown has been covered to be used as the parking lot for almost 40 years. The City Government now has completed the uncovering and improving project of Huludun drainage and moved one big step ahead for building Fengyuang as a flower city with watersides.

The event for these 2 Christmas trees in water,「River blossom mirroring to Christmas-Liuchuan, Huludun drainage creative Christmas tree」conducted in Taichung, has matched with the Liuchuan creative art light view exhibition and Huludun drainage installation arts exhibition with the daily lighting up from 17:00 to 22:00. The exhibition period lasts from December 7th to January 1st of next year. Welcome to leave for Liuchuan and Fengyuan Huludun drainage to experience the difference Christmas atmosphere by the watersides.