Teachers, students and alumni of the Department of Spanish, Tamkang University (TKU) joyfully celebrated the 40th founding anniversary of the department with a series of colorful programs.

The celebration activities included a two-day Spanish and Latin American Cultural Relics Exhibition and a gathering of departmental alumni.

When entering the Chueh-hsuan Garden classrooms, the taste of coffee perfumed the classrooms. You could appreciate paintings by Arts Master Pablo Picasso and other while tasting Spanish red wine and Mediterranean salted olive. A flamingo dance played by Prof. Soang Lih-Lirng sparked the two-day Spanish and Latin American Cultural Relics Exhibition.

Hawking olive soaps, llama blankets, red wine, olive oil on the scene. Teachers and students visiting the exhibition exchanged greetings in Spanish as if they were in a Latin American market. The mysterious and primitive sheep horn candlestick, totem picture of God, ancient solar calendar, silver sacrificial knife, sculptural wooden spear were displayed at the exhibition ground.

Wei Chiu-hui, junior of Spanish Department, who wore Mexican clothes, kindly introduced and explained the Spanish and Latin American cultural relics to visitors. Wei said that the Latin American culture was like very much that of aborigines in Taiwan. Their arts works have always been demonstrating the nature and the existing living. Huang Min-an, a junior from Department of Japanese who selected Spanish as her selective course, said that she was personally enjoying the beauty of Latin American culture after escaping a while from books. She said in smile that she would learn Spanish with more vigor and efforts.

The Spanish Department also played host at a dinner party in honor of more than 150 departmental alumni on Nov. 30, 2002 with the aim of reviving their old friendship.