"Mountain Builders" Premieres in Brussels, Inspiring Students to Cherish Taiwan More

(Central News Agency correspondent Wu Po-wei, Brussels, 9th) The documentary "Mountain Builders: A Century's Gamble," chronicling the history of Taiwan's semiconductor development, was screened for the first time in Brussels. An overseas Taiwanese drove over an hour from another city to Brussels just to see the film. Some students said the film made them cherish everything Taiwan has now even more. "Mountain Builders" premiered on the evening of the 9th at a cinema in Brussels, attended by hundreds of people, including local Taiwanese expatriates, students, and foreign nationals. Representative Hsieh Chih-wei of the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium stated in his address that the work is a story of a dream to challenge an "impossible mission," recounting how a group of young people in their 30s half a century ago went to the US to study for several years, brought back results, and turned "the impossible into possible." Hsieh also explained the Chinese title "Mountain Builders" to the foreign audience as "the people who built the protective national mountain." Through "Mountain Builders," the audience witnessed the development process of Taiwan's semiconductor industry from nothing to something, as well as the challenges it faced at different times. After the film ended, thunderous applause erupted. In an interview with CNA after the screening, Hsieh pointed out that the documentary conveys the life stories of a generation, a chapter that is both glorious and bittersweet. He said that when many foreign friends see this work and then hear others talk about Taiwan or see messages about China's threats to Taiwan, their feelings will become stronger. This will create an emotion in them that such a hardworking, strong-willed people facing such high-intensity challenges deserve better treatment. "I believe this film conveys these messages and feelings," he said. Among the audience were younger students who, when interviewed, admitted they were not fully aware of Taiwan's early semiconductor development history and the hardships encountered. Through this work, they saw the efforts of their predecessors and understood how difficult it was for Taiwan's semiconductor industry to achieve its current success, making them cherish everything Taiwan has now even more. (Editor: Tang Shengyang) 1150610