At 2 p.m. on January 1, 1998, Master Cheng Yen and Premier Vincent Siew pushed a button and Tzu Chi TV began broadcasting to the world. Premier Siew remarked that the mass media industry in Taiwan was constantly changing and fiercely competitive, but Tzu Chi TV could help to purify Taiwanese society. He also praised Tzu Chi TV programming as among the most valuable in Taiwan, and he hoped that the station could help purify our society.

The celebration at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall began with the Tzu Chi TV theme song, "Let's Light Up the World with Great Love." Professor Kuo Meng-yung, a famous conductor who composed that song, conducted an orchestra and 600 Tzu Chi chorus members from all across Taiwan to start the celebration for Tzu Chi TV.

That evening, more than 40,000 Tzu Chi members, celebrities from the mass media, and venerable Buddhist monks and nuns all gathered at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei to celebrate the official opening of Tzu Chi TV and the arrival of the New Year.

Wang Tuan-chung (center), CEO of the Tzu Chi Cultural Center , stated in his speech that the opening of the TV station on January 1 represented a new beginning. He observed that "Practicing what we preach is a special feature of Tzu Chi culture."

The well-known Cloud Gate Dance Troupe gave a presentation titled "Crossing the Sea." It depicted the spirit of the ancestors of the Taiwanese as they surmounted many hardships to reach Taiwan. It was the same spirit Tzu Chi had thirty-two years ago when the foundation was established.

Hualien, with its green mountains and white clouds, seems very distant from Taipei, where the main celebration was held. But through satellite connections, a traditional aboriginal dance was broadcast live, moving some members of the audience to dance to the beat.

Four groups of emcees took turns hosting the show. Local celebrities also gave performances. A group of famous TV entertainers performed Taiwanese opera.

The celebration culminated when Master Cheng Yen walked down the aisles with a heart lamp, lighting the candle of the first person in each row. Each person then lit the candle of the next person, and soon more than 40,000 candles were burning. Then, the six-story globe on the stage was also lit to display the Chinese word for "heart," to symbolize "Let's Light Up the World with Great Love."

Rekindling the Love in People's Hearts
Lu Jung (Singapore)

That night at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the temperature suddenly took a nose dive. It was raining and a freezing wind was blowing. To Tzu Chi members from Singapore , where it is summer year-round, this kind of weather was very hard to endure. However, the spirit of great love from the Tzu Chi members present and their care for each other helped to warm our freezing bodies.

By the time the heart lamp was passed down the rows, we had been at the plaza for four hours. The wind was freezing and I did not think I could stay any longer. But then, the frail Master walked onto the stage wearing her simple, thin clothes. I cannot express my feelings at that heart-warming moment. "Great mercy even to strangers and great compassion for all." Our compassionate Master wanted to bless all mankind!

Each single flame was like the light from a firefly, but when the tiny lights were gathered together, it was so stunning! We all hope that we can be that person who lights the way for others in a dark place, in the same way that Tzu Chi TV lights up the love hidden in people's hearts. (Compiled by Tsai Yueh-feng)

Sisters' Blessings
Lin Chien-yu (Hualien, Taiwan)

Through satellite connections, Tzu Chi members around the world could hear the bright singing voices of Catholic sisters from the Saint Martha Institute. Their every word sang out the hope of Tzu Chi members.

The sounds of applause and laughter echoed around the plaza before the Still Thoughts Hall, and everyone in the audience there had to open their umbrellas as they watched the singing. However, they did not know that in order to sing this song, the sisters had had to wait for more than two hours in the rain.

The sisters were from a remote township called Hsinchung, and it was the first time they had attended such a performance. They arrived in Hualien after 6 p.m. We did not see them talking to each other, but instead, they sat quietly at one corner, attentively flipping through the musical score, worried that they might forget the lyrics or miss the notes.

"Sisters, do you want some tea?" "Sisters, do you want something to eat ?" The staff kept asking the sisters if they needed anything, worrying that they would get thirsty or hungry while they were waiting. "No, thank you very much," the sisters replied. Nothing could distract them.

Although the satellite connection was delayed, the sisters were already waiting in lines on both sides of the stage at 9 p.m. The rain was still dripping, but the sisters did not carry any umbrellas because they worried that umbrellas would interfere with their entry onto the stage. They would rather be soaked in the rain than allow any tiny defect from ruining their performance. The television audience probably only saw less than one minute of the sisters' performance, but it was actually the result of many long hours of practice and rehearsals.

Love transcends national and religious boundaries. Tzu Chi's long-term effort has won friendships from all sectors. The sisters' singing was a great blessing for Tzu Chi TV.

The Future Will Speak of Today
Pan Ming (Editor-in-Chief, US Tzu Chi World Journal)

On this winter night in Los Angeles, I am sitting quietly by the fireplace and watching the opening ceremony. This tiny TV screen has brought me to Taipei.

I have never been to Taiwan, but some cultural events which have happened at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall have become symbols in Taiwan's history. They have also affected my way of thinking. Can the celebration of the opening of Tzu Chi TV become a shining memory in the cultural or even in the historical realm? With some joy, I also have some worries and expectations of the final cultural evaluation of Tzu Chi TV's future broadcasting history, as I try to determine the meaning of tonight's celebration.

The establishment of a TV station is a major investment for a cultural mission, because it will influence millions of people. The meaning of culture is not only defined as comforting suffering souls, but it also means developing the special, rich human nature and spirit with a good, beautiful and thoughtful force.

A person grows up in culture and is shaped by culture. The influence of a race, nation or period in this world does not come from its economy or other things, but from the expression of culture. For example, do we remember how the people of Mesopotamia transformed wild cattle and sheep into livestock? However, their language is well known throughout the world. Who remembers the name of some French king in the 16th century? However, da Vinci smiles at us through his famous painting, "Mona Lisa."

The development of human civilization depends on the elevation of a group's culture. All members of the mass media view it as their mission. I personally feel that if Tzu Chi TV wants to be successful and to be recorded in cultural history, the broad cultural perspective, the search for new creations, and the tolerance of the audience must all be present .

The dancing fire in the fireplace is like my heart at this moment: full of joy but also concern.

Because another New Year celebration at the plaza of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall finished early in the morning of January 1, workers had already planned how to set up the site at the shortest available time right beforehand.

In the early morning, about 1,500 uniformed Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members efficiently cleaned up the site within two hours. They set up all the seats for the tens of thousands of spectators who would arrive that evening. The truck driver who was responsible for transporting the equipment marveled: "This is the most organized, industrious army of ants I've ever seen!"

There was a lot of dew in the early morning, and Brother Li Feng-shih, chief of the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps northern division, handed out caps to the members. Before dawn, Tzu Chi sisters also came to hand out ginger soup and hot meals to the brothers. Although the weather was freezing, their hearts were filled with warmth.

During the evening celebration, medical staff from the Tzu Chi Medical Association and an ambulance from Hsinkuang Hospital stood by for any emergency. One newspaper reporter was astonished: "The power that Tzu Chi has to mobilize its members is incredible and can't be ignored!"