Happiness in Kaohsiung Forever Bathing in Love River /幸福高雄 永浴愛河
On this year's Lovers' Day, there is a perfect romantic and joyful atmosphere during the rite of "Forever Bathing in Love River." Although it is a common phrase of blessing to couples, this is the first time the phrase is put into practice as an event.
Various activities
In a series of activities from July 31st until August 9th, there were several special activities that left people with unforgettable memories and talking with enthusiasm. The riverbank along Love River, sported public decorative arts─for example, the largest diamond ring in Taiwan─to show the attitude of people living in the port city, towards love's eternity and strength. Also, there were wedding fashion parades of dresses and hairstyles and, for the first time in Taiwan, films projected on to the water screen of the river - people can see some passages from classical love films while they were walking along the river.
Fantastic Love River
The idea of the rite "Forever Bathing in Love River" comes from Director-general of Information Department Yao-wen Lin. According to the ideas of Mayor Hsieh's "Ocean Capital and "Only One Kaohsiung," Love River is a really important element in a city that is rich in unique vitality and in its citizens' memory and character; therefore, he associated the name of the river with Lovers' Day to celebrate the meaning of the combinations of history, human sentiments, and city scenery which are most suitable themes to highlight Kaohsiung's character.
In recent years, Love River is neither dirty nor smelly─which people always criticized in the past. Along the river and seven bridges, beautiful scenes make people refreshed. After combining city scenery with urban ideas, we would like to encourage people to have mutual interaction against the background of the scenery. Through moving stories and public art (such as the Clock of Lovers and the Witness of Love) connected with resources along the river (such as Kaohsiung Municipal Film Archives), we hope to highlight the vitality of Love River.
A city of love─Kaohsiung
The rite of "Forever Bathing in Love River" has another benefit: improving the economy after the KMRT project had blocked the wedding industry for a while─through the new activities, many wedding firms and businesses could get people's attention. All the activities ended perfectly at the anti-piracy concert. In this concert, Kaohsiung largely closes its main road at first time. It not only highlights the capital's vitality, but also responds to young people's aspirations and let them have pride in Kaohsiung city.
According to Director-general Lin, through some activities with motionless state, the rite of "Forever Bathing in Love River" is no longer a rushed and temporary feature, but a part of life in which people can stay and appreciate everything surrounding them. In this kind of the imagery of happiness, we build the city of happiness that belongs to us.
Thanks to many compliments from citizens, Director-general Lin said that in the future he would consider having similar large-sized activities to celebrate the Western Valentine's Day and Taiwan's Lovers' Day so that residents and city have a more close mutuality. By such activities, we can attract more tourists to this special city and also make Kaohsiung a unique city of love.
今年七夕，「永浴愛河祭」在浪漫而熱鬧的氣氛中完滿落幕；「永浴愛河」雖然是一句常見的祝福話語，化為真實的行動，卻是頭一遭。
活動圓滿落幕
從七月卅一日延續到八月九日的系列活動中，有幾項是讓民眾記憶深刻且津津樂道的，如在愛河河畔裝置有全國最大鑽石戒指公共裝置藝術，見證港都人愛情的不朽與堅貞，此外尚有婚紗秀、髮型秀，還有全台首見的水幕電影秀，讓民眾在愛河畔散步的同時，可從水面上欣賞經典愛情電影片段。
亮眼愛河風貌
「永浴愛河祭」活動的發想者新聞處長林耀文表示，在市長建構「海洋首都」以及「高雄唯一」的理念下，愛河是高雄最富有獨特生命力、市民記憶與特色的重要城市元素，因此結合其名字，透過情人節活動的舉辦，將這條河的歷史意義、人文情感與城市景觀結合在一起，是突顯高雄特色最適合的主題。
尤其近年愛河不但不髒不臭，沿岸與河上七座橋樑更展現令人耳目一新的美麗景緻；城市景觀與城市意象兩相結合後，接著就是要讓人們與此景觀有互動，因此希望透過感人的故事以及公共藝術，並整合沿岸資源，如：電影圖書館，彰顯出愛河的生命力，而有了「情人鐘」、「愛情見證」等裝置藝術與系列活動的出現。
愛的城市─高雄
「永浴愛河祭」的另一項效益，便是使得因捷運工程而門面受阻的婚紗業者在活動中受到注目，而有復甦經濟的機會。為活動畫下完美句點的反盜版演唱會，是高雄首次嘗試封閉幹道開唱，不僅突顯城市的活力，更符合青少年朋友的期待，使青少年對城市充滿光榮感。
林處長表示，整體而言，「永浴愛河祭」透過各項動靜態活動，讓愛河不再只是匆匆呼嘯而過的街頭一景，而是能夠停留欣賞的生活一部份，在幸福的意象中，營造屬於我們的幸福城市。
由於此次活動頗受市民好評，林處長說，未來考慮配合西洋、中國情人節，使其成為固定的大型活動，不僅能讓居民與城市的互動更加親密，更能藉此吸引觀光客，品味高雄特有的城市風貌，讓高雄成為獨一無二「愛」的城市。