Taipei City Government

After last year’s well-received Brimstone Hill Fortress-themed lantern display, St. Kitts and Nevis was invited again to participate in the Taipei Lantern Festival. Jasmine E. Huggins, Ambassador of Saint Christopher and Nevis to the ROC, announced that this year’s entry is a lantern with the theme of the Berkley Memorial, a popular hangout and photo-op spot for St. Kitts and Nevis residents and tourists alike. The lantern consists of a replica of the memorial’s clock and its drinking fountain surrounded by palm trees representing the tropical island nation. Come have a peek at this lovely Caribbean twin-island nation and feel the passion of its people.

Deputy Secretary-General of the Taipei City Government Hsueh Chun-ming said that although St. Kitts and Nevis is quite far away, it has nevertheless been a close friend and ally of Taiwan for more than 35 years. Taipei City proactively engages in exchanges with cities around the world from a perspective of city-to-city diplomacy and fosters friendship ties with its diplomatic allies. This year’s continued participation of St. Kitts and Nevis further deepens the familiarity and exchange between the peoples of both countries and mutual understanding of each other's cultures. Hopefully, St. Kitts and Nevis will contribute many more beautiful lanterns to Taipei Lantern Festivals for many years to come.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Tsao Li-jey noted that this year the embassies of Caribbean diplomatic allies St. Kitts and Nevis and Belize both participate in the 2019 Taipei Lantern Festival, with the former joining for the second time. Its entry is inspired by the Berkeley Memorial in its capital Basseterre, which commemorates the efforts of Thomas Berkeley, the president of the General Legislative Council at that time, to defend the welfare of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis in 1880. Taiwanese enjoy the right to 90-day visa-exempt stays in the Caribbean twin-island nation, which warmly welcomes Taiwanese to come and visit with friends and family to experience its culture. 

In 1983, St. Christopher and Nevis established diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and this year marks the second time that its embassy has participated in the Taipei Lantern Festival. Ambassador Huggins pointed out that this year’s participation serves to celebrate more than 35 years of deep diplomatic friendship between the two countries. Last year’s entry was inspired by Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the UNESCO World Heritage Site on St. Kitts. This year’s entry represents the historical monument of the Berkeley Memorial, a public clock mounted on a baroque pedestal and surrounded by Masquerade dancers. The ambassador invite local citizens to come visit their twin island nation to see the memorial and many other sites for real and experience the tropical hospitality of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The Berkeley Memorial Clock was established by St. Kitts and Nevis to commemorate its former legislator Thomas Berkeley. Built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1883, the Berkeley Memorial Clock was erected in the heart of the Circus in the capital Basseterre. The monument consists of a clock and a drinking fountain, surrounded by palm trees that represent the island’s nature and culture. It is a must-see landmark for tourists and a popular hangout for local residents as well. In December during the St. Kitts and Nevis Carnival, the memorial forms the heart of the Masquerade, a street parade of dancers in traditional masks and costumes.

The 2019 Taipei Lantern Festival will be held from Saturday February 16 through Sunday February 24 in the West District of Taipei. The Berkeley Memorial will be on the east side of Zhonghua Road (between Wuchang Street and Youyang Street). All the latest updates on the 2019 Taipei Lantern Festival are published on the event website http://2019.lanternfestival.taipei/.