Make the Best Use of Something Better

The Presidential Palace is opening its doors!

In the past, if a person lingered on Chiehshou Road in front of the Presidential Palace to do some sketching they would be stopped by the police. For anyone who had this experience, the news must sound a little like a fairy tale, yet it's true: on January 2, 1995, the doors of the P residential Palace will be opened for guests to enjoy a tour. And in August, the public will have yet another opportunity. The imposing Presidential Palace's forbidden places are no longer unapproachable.

The Presidential Palace does not combine working space and living quarters as do the White House or Buckingham Palace, which can reveal markedly different styles of interior design through the deliberate arrangement of chambers and gardens by the successive occupants. Nevertheless, for the average citizen, the Presidential Palace holds its own unique charisma. The areas that are being opened this time are ones of special interest or ones where misgivings about security are the lowest. Therefore, the tour does not include the offices of either the president or the vice president.

For our readers who are interested in viewing the palace, Sinorama has prepared some "travel information," including the history surrounding the Presidential Palace, its legends, and the course this tour will take, compiled in a single detailed report. We have also collected information on and rare old photographs of the surrounding Po Ai Special District, examining the relationship of buildings in terms of architecture and space, so that visitors may see the process of evolution that the Presidential Palace has passed through.

If you are not able to take the tour in person, you might as well let Sinorama be your guide. Our stories and pictures will give you a peek at the splendors of the palace.

Assiduous readers may already have noticed-Sinorama's contents have seen a few changes! First among these is the addition of our reader participation sections.

After we publicized our request for contributions, we have received a constant stream of stories and pictures from all over the world. Interestingly, of all the different topics, the most commonly reported on was "Bringing Up the Next Generation." These contributions were also written with a more precise focus, and we will continue to process and publish them. Concerning other topics, our magazine wishes to petition our old friends and new acquaintances to generously share your experiences and thoughts, and let us pass them around for the enjoyment or our friends all over the world.

We also welcome contributions from our readers for our photo essay section. Some people have given us the feedback that our photo essays are "low key" and "pessimistic," that they have a melancholy effect. Nonetheless, if many of our friends feel the mood could use a lift, we would be happy to "optimize" our outlook a little. We invite everyone to gather up your own pictures, be they humorous or special in some other way, and join with us.

Another enthusiastic reader wrote in to ask, why do the reports in Sinorama not cover bright, positive topics, instead choosing many subjects that are negative or controversial?

In fact, putting together a magazine which only looks at either the "bright side" or the "dark side" is probably much easier than publishing a magazine that reflects reality. The former variety needs only to grab hold of a few "facts" and they can go to press. But does such reporting capture the "real picture"?

Sinorama has always enjoyed profiling the warm and intriguing stories or people of our society, and we love to introduce the most fascinating aspects of Chinese culture. But we cannot ignore the conflicts which are encountered during the Republic of China's process of development, or the difficulties encountered in cross-strait relations. or the sorrows and joys of life experienced by Chinese all over the world. These are all very important subjects for our magazine.

And our editorial team believes that when a nation has confidence in itself, its people can bravely confront all their problems, be they in politics, diplomacy, economics, the environment or any other issue. And they should be willing to make painstaking examinations to discover the true nature of their problems. This is why we introduce you to the rich beauty of our natural resources, and at the same time report on how mankind is damaging them. That is why we tell you the whole story of "Taiwan's economic miracle," but also ponder the consequences of all-out competition.

Perhaps discussing the real picture makes some people uncomfortable. But we feel that this demonstrates that we are addressing the practical world, which leads to improving it. To immerse ourselves in the glorious historical legacy our ancestors left might be easier. Why should we choose the more troublesome path?

A few months ago, we published an article titled "Ah Kun's List," which profiled poverty-stricken people in Taiwan's countryside and the "underground mayor" who helps them. The writers, photographers and editors of our magazine were all very moved, for we found it hard to imagine that in today's Taiwan, which has been described as "up to its eyeballs in money," people could live such bitter lives. This is certainly the dark side of life, and these underprivileged people surely live at the margins of society. But when we report on them, it is to remind us that society still has those who suffer, and they desperately need our help.

To this day we continue to receive donations from both Taiwan and abroad, which the senders ask us to pass on to the "underground mayor." We want to say "thank you" to this group of friends for lending a helping hand to the underprivileged people in the article, and also for indirectly substantiating our ideas!