The director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Brent Christensen, buried a time capsule at the institute's new office complex in Neihu on Thursday (July 18) as part of an American custom to communicate with people of the future.
In a Facebook post, the AIT noted that the practice is intended to carry on the custom of placing items in a time capsule upon the completion of a new building. The tradition dates back to 1795, when U.S. Founding Fathers Paul Revere and Samuel Adams reputedly buried a time capsule in a cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House.
The AIT's new complex, cost US255 million and took nine years to build, represents “the United State’s brick-and-mortar commitment to Taiwan,” according to the post. It added that the time capsule, buried beneath the flagpole, would not be unearthed for 50 years.
The capsule contains items celebrating the completion of the complex’s construction last year. Both American and Taiwanese officials contributed items to the capsule, including coin sets, photos of staff members, publications marking the countries' bilateral relationship, and letters addressed to the institute's future directors and deputy directors, AIT spokesperson Amanda Mansour told the Central News Agency.
Source：Taiwan News
