Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) Minister Lung Ying-tai made her first trip on Sunday to a rural village in Taiwan after assuming office, pledging to bridge thecultural gap between urban and rural communities.
'We have chosen Qieding District as our first stop, not only because it is my hometown, but because it is a typical small village in Taiwan,' said Lung.
The Minister received an enthusiastic welcome from villagers and local representatives, who crowded the streets to greet her and show her around the fishing village in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City, where she lived for nine years as a teenager.
'I believe the equal distribution of cultural resources will be an important task for the Ministry of Culture in the future,' Lung said during a meeting with village representatives and local officials after touring the district.
The CCA will be upgraded on May 20, with Lung expected to be named the first Minister of Culture.
The renowned essayist and cultural critic had vowed to be a Minister who would often visit local villages.
She said one of the Ministry's goals in the future will be to include the needs of communities and villages into its cultural policies.
There are 7,000 villages in Taiwan and the Cabinet-level Ministry of Culture can form policies with a focus on villages to ensure that all its citizens have equal access to cultural resources, Lung said.
She mentioned Qieding as an example, saying the fishing village, with a population of some 30,000, has only one library and lacks a public space where villagers can gather for community events.
She said this problem, however, is not a political one, but one resulting from the gap between urban and rural areas.
Lung urged the community to take an active role in bringing about changes in rural areas.
'Don't put your expectations on the government, because it will not be sustained. It is more important to enhance the community's own strength,' she said.
'Even though Qieding is lacking in cultural resources, it is also rich with culture. What it needs now is for the younger generation to step out and serve their community,' said the Minister.
Lung visited major temples in the district, the building site of a gigantic boat for a local ritual to carry away plagues, as well as a nearby salt pan wetland and a fishing market to learn about local life.