Residents from all over the island started lining up early in the morning, and some even days earlier, to wait for the red envelopes at the Town Office, where 150,000 of the believed-to-be-lucky envelopes were handed out and 15,000 portions of the dishes were served to celebrate the occasion.

Vice President Annette Lu and other officials arrived later at the township and joined Chen in handing out red envelopes, which contained an NT$10 coin and were printed with the words “Taiwan, the dearest name,” to assert to sovereignty of Taiwan as a country.

When Chen was reminded later by the media that it was his birthday, he said he had been so busy that he had forgotten that his birthday is Feb. 18, but that he was glad to spend it at home with his fellow townsmen.

Chen said he wished Taiwanese people peace and good health for his birthday.

But as long as one is alive, one should live every day as happily as if it were one’s birthday, he added.

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