TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Olympic bronze medalist Chen Nien-chin (陳念琴) shared her joy after attending the Amis Harvest Festival (阿美族豐年祭) in her hometown of Tafalong (太巴塱) for the first time last week. On Tuesday (Aug. 20), Chen described her grand welcome and expressed how the experience made her incredibly happy.
Chen took advantage of a break in her busy schedule to return to Hualien and participate in the festival. She noted that this was her first formal attendance, likening the experience to feeling like a kid again. Her grandfather, a respected priest in the tribe, contributed to the warm reception she received, which left her both surprised and delighted.
Although Chen abstained from alcohol for health reasons, she thoroughly enjoyed the dancing segment of the festival. She learned five new dance steps and mentioned that while she initially struggled to keep up, she expects to do better next time.
Following her Olympic medal win, Chen's return to Taiwan has been packed with engagements. Her social media following has surged; she is even recognized on the streets.
Chen discovered that fans had created a "Support Nien-chin" (支持念琴) group a day earlier. She found this "super cool" but emphasized the importance of athletes focusing on their performance and not getting distracted.