On March 12th, Orlando Chinatown held a memorial Arbor Day event to commemorate the 98th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's passing. The tree planting event was organized by Taiwan Benevolent Associations of Kissimmee and attended by General Director Charles Chou and Expatriate Secretary Maria Liu from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China, emphasized the importance of afforestation and established the Department of Agriculture as well as the Forest Bureau. In honor of his contributions to the forestry industry, the government designated March 12th, the day of his passing, as "Arbor Day." The Arbor Day event in Orlando Chinatown has been held for over a decade and was hosted this year by Paul Liau, the founder and consultant of Taiwan Benevolent Associations of Kissimmee, with former president of Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of Greater Orlando, Paul Hsiao, as the emcee.
Following Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s legacy of promoting green environment, Paul Liau planted a tree in the Chinatown square. He then led the attendees in paying tribute to Dr. Sun Yat-sen by laying flowers at the bronze statue of him donated by his granddaughter, Dr. Lily Sui-fong Sun, and bowing in respect. During the ceremony, Paul Hsiao introduced Dr. Sun Yat-sen's life and the process of building the statue while George Lin read the introduction of “Three Principles of the People”, and Mary Liang, the chairwoman of the Florida Emergency Assistance Association, read "The Great Way ", a Chapter from “The Book of Rites.”
As Dr. Sun Yat-sen was a Christian, the memorial event also invited Patricia Chambers, a local accountant, to lead a prayer to bless the attendees. The event aimed to promote a greater understanding of the history of the Republic of China and Dr. Sun Yat-sen's contributions to the country's revolution.
After the memorial event, the organizers invited guests to visit an art exhibition by artist Grace Liu and her students at the Lai Lai Plaza in Chinatown. The students explained their creative ideas and backgrounds while master Grace Liu talked about the establishment of her studio and a sketching competition held in 2012 during the unveiling of Dr.Sun Yat-sen's statue. The event ended with a commemorative luncheon, during which Director Charles Chou introduced the origins of Arbor Day in the United States and the role played by journalist, J. Sterling Morton, in promoting afforestation starting from Nebraska. In 1872, he proposed April 10th as "Arbor Day" at an agricultural conference. The first Arbor Day was celebrated with the planting of one million trees, and the once dry and barren land Nebraska is now lush and green.
Likewise, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's advocacy for "afforestation and reforestation" in the past not only taught farming techniques to farmers but also improved their livelihoods. Today, it holds new meanings in terms of environmental protection and greening efforts. Director Chou expressed his gratitude towards Paul Liau and the Taiwanese community for their annual Arbor Day tradition of planting trees and taking care of the Dr. Sun Yat-sen statue and the friendship archway in Chinatown. The Taiwanese community's distinctive historical affiliation and profound emotional bond with Taiwan serve as a crucial impetus for the nation's progress and its active involvement in global affairs. The luncheon ended warmly with a review of the history of building Orlando Chinatown's friendship archway and a feast of delicious Taiwanese cuisine.
