By Huang Chin-hsuan and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a video titled “The Album of a Nation” to mark Double Ten National Day, highlighting Taiwan’s democratic development and resilience in the face of adversity. It is available in 13 languages, including Chinese, English, Spanish, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese. As this year marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election, the video used artificial intelligence (AI) to help showcase Taiwan’s journey toward freedom, diversity and democracy, combining historical footage and interviews, the ministry said.
A frame grab from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ video titled “The Album of a Nation” is pictured in an undated photograph.
Photo: Screen grab from the video
The five-and-a-half-minute video opens with the narrator saying: “This is our family album. Its pages tell the story of Taiwan’s journey to the present day.” Veteran Chang Yung-cheng (張永正) guides viewers through key moments in Taiwan’s history, the ministry said.
The video recounts Taiwan’s withdrawal from the UN in the 1970s and the diplomatic setbacks that followed, which left the nation increasingly isolated internationally, it said. Then, it traces Taiwan’s democratic transformation through events such as the Wild Lily Student Movement after martial law was lifted and the 1996 Taiwan Strait missile crisis ahead of the nation’s first direct presidential election, the ministry added. The film weaves together Taiwan’s national development with Chang’s personal experiences, illustrating how the nation persevered through hardship, never gave up on hope, and emerged with a stronger sense of determination and resilience, it said. The video highlights Taiwan’s growing international presence, featuring interactions between President William Lai (賴清德) and leaders of diplomatic allies, as well as Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) speech at an Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China forum, the ministry said. It also includes pivotal moments, such as Taiwan becoming the first nation in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, the nation’s contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and its role as a key hub in global AI and semiconductor supply chains, it added. The film ends by revisiting major milestones in Taiwan’s history through an intergenerational lens, including Taiwanese athlete Yang Chuan-kwang (楊傳廣) winning the nation’s first Olympic medal in 1960, the lifting of martial law in 1987 and the 921 earthquake in 1999, it said. Taiwanese have moved forward despite crises and challenges, and the memories of hardship and achievement have not only strengthened national identity, but also shaped the unique spirit of “Team Taiwan,” the ministry said.