A Century-Spanning Friendship of Mountains & Seas: Canadian Executive Director Marie-Louise Hannan Visits Hualien County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei

(中央社訊息服務20260518 15:02:10)Marie-Louise Hannan, Executive Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, led a delegation to Hualien yesterday (May 14) to meet with Hualien County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei. The two leaders had a warm conversation and shared views on cultural preservation, post-disaster recovery, and youth development. Highlighting Hualien’s unique appeal as a “living museum,” Mayor Hsu emphasized that the county is actively realizing its vision of “bringing the world to Hualien” through international sporting events and global talent residency initiatives.

The meeting opened with a story of cultural connections dating back more than 130 years. Mayor Hsu noted that in 1888, Dr. George Leslie Mackay sent a Kavalan ceremonial garment to Canada. This became one of the earliest cultural links between the two sides. Building on this history, Pan Ching-Ying, a craft artist from the Hualien County Kavalan Cultural and Educational Foundation, shared an exciting update. With support from the local Cultural Affairs Bureau, she will soon start a cultural exchange project in Canada. The Bureau also announced that applications for its international artist residency program will open next month. The program warmly welcomes Canadian artists to come to Hualien to create art.

In response to Hannan’s interest in Hualien’s post-disaster recovery, Mayor Hsu underscored the county’s remarkable resilience. She highlighted two major international sporting events coming to Hualien later this year: the International Children’s Games (ICG) and the IDBF Club Crew World Championships (CCWC). To support these events, the county government is launching the Taroko Tourism Marketing Program, which pairs Hualien’s beautiful natural landscape with its “Nomad Hualien” residency initiative. Featuring premium private studios and community networking spaces, the program aims to invite Hannan and international visitors to stay longer and feel the pulse of this “living museum.”

On youth development, Mayor Hsu shared that the county works closely with two local universities. Together, they provide resources to help young people build careers in their hometowns. To foster a global outlook among local youth, the county regularly hosts the International Entrepreneurship Forum. It also supports top students through the “Education Hope Project”—a government-funded study abroad program—and international affairs training, offering subsidies for overseas language and cultural studies.

Furthermore, the Youth Development Center of the Hualien County Government provides complete support, including startup mentorship and financial incentives, helping young entrepreneurs put down roots in Hualien while connecting with the world.

Representative Hannan noted that the visit yielded fruitful insights across culture, education, and startups, expressing deep admiration for Hualien’s strides in internationalization and youth policy. Mayor Hsu added that she looks forward to deepening this friendship and unlocking further opportunities for cross-border cooperation.