Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin attended one of the events of the Xikou Cultural Festival at the Chengmei Riverside Park on May 15. According to Songshan District Office, the annual festival seeks to raise public awareness on the culture and history of the district.
The Xikou Cultural Festival is one of the major events for Songshan District, and he expressed his gratitude to the local borough chiefs and city councilors for supporting the cultural event. He remarked that he will continue to attend the event every year and hopes the Xikou Cultural Festival will continue to be held year after year.
Following the opening lion dance, a number of local borough chiefs took to the stage dressed in the costumes of historical figures such as Guan Gong and Wu Xong. In the company of representatives and elders from Songshan District, the mayor crossed the “Gate of Happiness” and sounded the “Gong of Good Fortune” for good omens.
In addition to the borough chiefs of Songshan District, a number of city councilors also showed up at the event, including Chen Yung-te, Hsu Shu-hua, Wang Cheng-ter, and Chang Mao-nan, as well as legislator Alex Fei.
The opening event of the 2010 Xikou Cultural Festival took place alongside the celebrations marking Goddess Matsu’s 1051st birthday at Songshan Ciyou Temple. Other activities of this year’s festival include a workshop on the culture of Xikou and a lecture on similar topics.