We're finally unveiling her to the world, after almost a month spent on design, engineering, quarantine, and dressing up all the details with dozens of workers, volunteers, and cute puppies helping ☺️
With a dozen media crews and almost 200 guests from nine native villages in attendance, we kicked it off with song, dancing, light, and a sumptuous feast despite POURING rain all day long. The picture above is all of the sponsors, designers, and government VIPs turning on our candles as the Tree of Light is lit up for the first time!
All the major news outlets drove 4 hours (one way!) from Taipei to cover the opening here in Laiji village. Here's one story from that night:
Most of you won't get a lot of what they're saying... but that's the local county official and then me with Corbett Wall, who is my partner in Taiwan on this project. You can read more about him in my first post on this project.
We had the Laiji church choir singing, plus a Rabbi from Taipei and local native singer Tanivu belting out the Tashan Tree of Light song!
We had a great feast afterwards, with all manner of delicious food, including some local fare and even an entire roasted pig 😋
That's my house puppy pal Malu begging some tasty treats while I'm about to enjoy a local specialty- rice and pork cooked in a bamboo stalk!
Us VIPs got first taste of the crackling pig skin. They even unknowingly offered some to the rabbi, who graciously declined!
It was a great cap to over a month's worth of hard work and planning that put a big smile on lots of faces.
Next, we're adding even MORE lights outside and some twinkly touches inside to finish off the Tree of Light.