On June 27th, Ambassador Roy Lee was invited by the Mayor of Clervaux, Georges Keipes, to visit the city. Upon arrival, Mayor Keipes gave the Ambassador a brief introduction to the Castle of Clervaux where the city hall is located. Ambassador Lee also visited the famous permanent photo exhibition, “The Family of Man”, which toured the world before becoming a permanent fixture at the castle. Then, he visited the Edward Steichen International School at the invitation of its acting director, Max Wolff, and recognized the achievements of its mandarin language teacher, Ms. Irene Kuo.
Clervaux
Mayor Keipes introduced the city, which is located in the north of Luxembourg, neighboring Belgium and Germany. Famous for its natural scenery, it is a popular destination for tourism and leisure. The Mayor also shared his wonderful experience of leading a delegation to Taiwan to participate in the 2024 Smart City Summit & Expo in March. He praised the organization of the exhibition, which helped the participating cities effectively gain new knowledge and learn from others’ experiences in the transformation of smart cities, as well as find potential mapping company partners. Mayor Keipes also complimented Taipei's clean city environment and delicious food, emphasizing that he will definitely visit the city again, so as to further understand the cultural flavors of Taiwan's different counties and cities.
The Edward Steichen International School (LESC)
Acting director Max Wolff of LESC introduced the school as a fully government-funded public school with a new, well-equipped building, top-quality teachers, and an open and international school culture that attracts the children of cross-border workers from neighboring countries. Ambassador Lee spoke to the students about how Taiwan is internationally recognized for its innovation and manufacturing industries in the information, communication, and biotechnology sectors. He also explained how the Taipei Representative Office is happy to assist in facilitating exchanges between the young people of both countries and welcomes students interested in technology fields who hope to pursue further studies and employment in Taiwan.
The school also invited Ms. Irene Kuo, a Chinese Language Teaching Assistant (CLTA) recommended by the Ministry of Education of Taiwan and recruited by the school, to give a brief introduction of her teaching experience at the school since February. Ms. Kuo's lively teaching style, which combines language teaching and cultural promotion, has been highly praised by the school and demonstrates the quality of Chinese language teaching talent in Taiwan.
“The Family of Man” Photo Exhibition
Founded in 1955 by internationally renowned photographer Edward Steichen, the exhibition has traveled to major cities around the world for decades before finally becoming a permanent display at the Castle of Clervaux.
The works in the exhibition feature photos of people from all walks of life during the two world wars, with the aim of expressing that from the beginning to the end of one's life, regardless of the differences in wealth, language, race, or culture, the precious thing is the glory of humanity and that we are all one family of man. It also reflects on the nature of humanity and the desire for peace and harmony in the context of the two world wars and the Great Depression. The exhibition is particularly thought-provoking at a time when the international geopolitical situation is rapidly changing and tensions are rising.
