The "I Love Taiwan" activity
originated with Shaun and has
earned an enthusiastic
response from the Taiwanese
people.

'I Love Taiwan' event creates a new Guinness Record

Words and photos by Information Bureau of Taichung City Government
Translated by Angel Pu

To express his love for Taiwan, British teacher Shaun Bettinson created an "I Love Taiwan" activity on Facebook that has attracted attention and participation all over the country. On the morning of the R.O.C. National Day, city government staff members joined Shaun and 2,012 people to utilize over-sized puzzle pieces to create a huge "I love Taiwan" mosaic on the front plaza of the new Taichung city hall, setting a new Guinness Record in the process.

On October 10, 2,012 people who love Taiwan just like Shaun does gathered on the new city hall's front plaza. Shaun and this group then raised both of their hands into the air and shouted "I love Taiwan!" in Chinese, in a demonstration of the iconic "I Love Taiwan" activity pose. At that moment, amidst much shouting and cheering, they became holders of a new Guinness Record, as they visibly demonstrated their love for Taiwan.

"I wanted to let the world know my love for Taiwan," Shaun said of this activity's origins. "This is nothing about money or politics." Living on this island for eight years, Shaun started his "I Love Taiwan" Facebook activity in April, encouraging people to take pictures with their favorite Taiwan scenic spots and upload them to the page. He since collected over 45,000 pictures. In the beginning, Shaun's goal was to collect 201,210 pictures before October 10 and hang them on the outside of Taipei 101. However, this turned out to be near-impossible as it would have required NT$10 million to accomplish. Fortunately, Taichung City Government Information Bureau Director Shih Jing-wen heard about Shaun's dream and invited him to move the whole activity to Taichung.

Special birthday present for Taiwan
According to Taichung Mayor Jason Hu, the origin of the pose in the pictures--everyone raising both hands into the air--comes from a sculpture titled "God bless Taiwan" in the city's 7th Development Zone. Originally, the goal was to have 1,458 people to join this activity but in the end 2,012 people turned up to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest human mosaic. This activity, the first Guinness Record set since this year's National Day, can be seen as a special present from the Taiwanese people to their beloved nation.

The event attracted people from all over the island eager to show their love for Taiwan, including a group of students from National Taichung Nursing College. Huang Mei-ching, a student who organized her fellow schoolmates for the gathering, said that when she was telling her friends about this activity, over 50 immediately promised to participate to show their love for Taiwan. Ko Chieh-mei, an 85-year-old woman from Beitun district, said that although there were already no vacant spots when she heard about this event, she still took an early bus and became one of the alternates--the 32nd, to be exact. A participating South African couple, Robyn Knox and MoVan Der Nerwe, also talked about how they had been really touched by all the friendly Taiwanese people in the two years they have lived here.

Emotional, high-energy atmosphere
On October 10, the heat was incredible, but everyone still sat on the hot ground and patiently waited for Guinness World Records staff to complete a counting of event participants. While waiting, city councilor Liu Shih-chou led everyone in singing a nationalistic song, before Huang Shin-hui, the city councilor who first brought the activity pose to the city council, began singing another song with participants. When everyone had been counted, certifying a new world record, people started cheering, shouting "Happy birthday, Taiwan!" and smiling in a very moving moment.

Shaun said that he was very grateful and touched that so many people from different walks of life attended this event. When asked about what the Taichung city government had charged to hold such an event--in light of the fact that a Taipei 101 activity would have costed NT$10 million--Mayor Hu immediately told Shaun, "I just need a smile", to which Shaun responded that he could "pay" with a hug for the mayor. The two then smiled and hugged.