{"id":10618,"date":"2021-03-25T01:51:12","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T01:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.min-on.org\/?p=10618"},"modified":"2022-11-18T08:50:22","modified_gmt":"2022-11-18T08:50:22","slug":"min-on-music-journey-no-30-finland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.min-on.org\/zh-hant\/10618\/min-on-music-journey-no-30-finland\/","title":{"rendered":"Min-On Music Journey No. 30: The Republic of Finland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Min-On\u2019s Music Journey! Today, the Min-On Concert Association and the Embassy of Finland in Japan welcome you to the Republic of Finland in Northern Europe.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\u00a9Visit Saimaa\/Silvennoinen<\/p>\n

About 30% of Finland lies inside the Arctic Circle. It also has over 180,000 lakes that account for 10% of the country\u2019s area. Finland is also the most verdant country in Europe, thanks to expansive forests that cover 2\/3 of its landmass. The UN put Finland first in their 2021 World Happiness Report (which ranks countries according to GDP, healthy life expectancy, social support, level of freedom and more) for 4 consecutive years, indicating that most Finnish people lead fulfilling lives.<\/p>\n

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\nHelsinki, a capital surrounded by natural beauty<\/strong><\/p>\n

About 650,000 people live in Finland’s largest city, Helsinki, located on the Gulf of Finland, which has a complex topography including beautiful small bays, peninsulas and islands surrounding the city. The downtown area is home to Helsinki’s modern art museum, central library and culture hall. These buildings feature modern architecture and are a joy to observe. Visitors will also find authentic Finnish saunas all over the city that are used daily by locals of all ages. On the outskirts of the city, Roihuvuoren Cherry Tree Park includes 315 cherry blossom trees, and large crowds gather to view them during cherry blossom season (May to June).<\/p>\n

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\nAmos Rex Art Museum\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>\u00a9Tuomas Uusiheimo<\/p>\n

\"\"A seaside restaurant\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a9Julia Kivel\u00e4<\/p>\n

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\nCharacters from the Moomin children’s books, a series created by Helsinkian author Tove Jansson <\/em>\u00a9Producer Mr. Dennis Livson<\/p>\n

\"\"Roihuvuoren Cherry Blossom Park (left) and Helsinki Central Library (right)\u00a0<\/em>\u00a9Antti Harkio<\/p>\n

The Fortress of Suomenlinna, a World Heritage Site <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Suomenlinna sea fortress was built on a group of islands outside Helsinki during Swedish rule in the 18th century, and it remains largely intact today. Historians believe Sweden built it to defend against attacks from nearby Russia, an enemy at the time. UNESCO registered the Fortress of Suomenlinna as a World Heritage Site in 1991. Helsinki ferries provide easy access to the fortress, and it’s a popular place for day trips and picnics. There are many restaurants and cafes on the islands, making them a popular tourist destination. The islands are also home to about 800 permanent residents.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a9Juha Kalaoja<\/p>\n

Finland, a sauna wonderland<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s said that Finland has enough saunas to accommodate its entire population of 5.4 million people at once. Saunas are often included in hotels and sports facilities, as well as universities and commercials buildings. There are even ferris wheels with sauna cars and sauna booths in ice hockey stadiums where you can warm up while watching the game! At lakeside saunas, you can relax and then cool off with a dip in the cold waters. Finnish company leaders have even been known to make important business decisions in saunas instead of conference rooms.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a9Eero Ahanen<\/p>\n

\"\"A local cooling off in an ice-covered lake after a lakeside sauna\u00a0<\/em>\u00a9Kari Ylitalo<\/p>\n

Santa Claus Village<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the rest of the world, Santa Claus comes just once a year, but in Finland, you can see him anytime. Santa is always waiting to greet visitors who come to Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi\u2014the Lapland region of northern Finland. The village’s post office receives hundreds of thousands of letters every year from all over the world.<\/p>\n

Here is Santa Claus’ official address:
\nSanta Claus, Santa Claus’ Main Post Office, T\u00e4htikuja 1, 96930 Arctic Circle, Finland<\/p>\n

\"\"Christmas is a wonderful annual event and a child’s dream come true\u00a0\u00a9Lauri Kivikataja (left)\u00a0\u00a9Jussi Hellst\u00e9n (right)<\/em><\/p>\n

Santa’s sleigh would be nothing without his reindeer. Reindeer are a symbol of Lapland, where locals raise them as semi-domesticated animals. It’s believed that Lapland has as many reindeer as humans.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a9Juho Kuva (left) \u00a9Riku Pihlanto (right)<\/p>\n

The charm of Lapland<\/strong><\/p>\n

About 6,000 native Sami people live in Lapland, which spans three Scandinavian countries and Russia. Their colorful national dress made of felt is called a kolt<\/em>. Most kolt<\/em> are woven by hand by Sami women. The ornamentation used varies by region, and locals can tell at a glance which region someone is from by the patterns they are wearing.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a9RIKU PIHLANTO<\/p>\n

Lapland has some incredible places to stay the night, and the glass igloo is high on the list. The ceilings of these special cabins are made of glass, and if you get lucky, you\u2019ll be treated to a full view of aurora borealis from your bed!<\/p>\n

\"\"Glass igloos, ideal for viewing the aurora borealis\u00a0\u00a9 Fox Igloo<\/em><\/p>\n

Unique sports and events<\/strong><\/p>\n

M\u00f6lkky<\/em> is a Finnish sport developed from a traditional game in the Karelia region. Players group wooden pins called skittles (similar to bowling pins) and throw a wooden stick called a m\u00f6lkky<\/em> to knock them down. Players earn points for the skittles they knock down, and the first to reach exactly 50 points wins.<\/p>\n

Check out m\u00f6lkky<\/em> below:<\/p>\n