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On the morning of April 1 local time (evening of April 1 Taipei time), President Tsai Ing-wen, accompanied by Republic of Guatemala President Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla, visited Guatemala's Tikal National Park.
After arriving, President Tsai and her delegation first viewed a performance of Maya culture, including a candle-lighting ceremony to pray for good fortune, a ballgame symbolizing competition between the gods and the ghost world, and a traditional dance evoking scenes from the palaces in Tikal when they were still in use by Maya rulers.
After the performance, President Giammattei presented a gift of an indigenous Maya souvenir to President Tsai, and President Tsai also gave a gift to President Giammattei.
Guided by Guatemalan protocol officers, President Tsai then ascended Temple II at Tikal (known as Temple of the Masks) and listened to a guide's introduction after reaching the top, personally experiencing the historic Maya cultural site.
President Tsai then shared with the media her impressions on ascending the temple. She remarked on the broad view from the top, and welcomed her fellow Taiwanese to come see the site and get to know the history and Maya culture of our ally, saying that the culture at the site was truly amazing.
Located in a rainforest in the north of Guatemala's Petén Department, Tikal National Park is known as the heart of Maya culture, and is one of the world's largest and most important remnants of ancient civilizations. Designated as a World Heritage Site in 1979 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the park has more than 10 large temples and other pyramids, and is a major destination for ecotourism in Guatemala.
