Said Dr. Chang: "Evergreen has enjoyed a successful and professional relationship with the Netherlands for more than three decades. This is a tremendous honor that has significant meaning both to me and to the good people of Evergreen worldwide."
Evergreen's links with Rotterdam date back more than 30 years when the Group's shipping division, Evergreen Marine Corp, successfully broke the monopoly of Far Eastern Freight Conference on the Far East - Europe container trade and made its first vessel call at the port of Rotterdam.
The Order of Orange-Nassau has six grades, including Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer, Knight and Member. The honor is awarded to the people who deserve appreciation and recognition for their special contribution to the Dutch society and the world economy. Since this order was created more than a century ago, this is the first time that the honor is conferred on a member in the global Chinese community, reflecting the Dutch government's high regard for Dr. Chang.
The Netherlands is situated in the transport center of Western Europe. With its strategic location, the country has built the largest and busiest container port in Europe and the leading Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
EVA Air began service to Schiphol when the company launched the Taipei - Amsterdam freight route in 1995 and commenced passenger service in 1997. With high standards of service quality and flight safety, EVA Air soon garnered the support from both cargo owners and passengers.
In addition to his contribution to the development of international transport, Dr. Chang spares no efforts in charity and social welfare.
In 1985 he founded the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation, which provides charitable aid and emergency relief. Financial sources of the charitable fund solely come from Dr. Chang himself and subsidiary companies of Evergreen Group. To ensure that charitable funds are received by those truly in need, the foundation has six liaison offices across Taiwan. Dr. Chang demands that all voluntary workers should take the initiatives in visiting each case supported by the foundation. This ensures deprived families can receive proper care and financial assistance based on their hardship. Therefore, more poverty-stricken families or individuals seek help from the foundation.
Besides his successful commercial endeavors recognized by this honor, Dr. Chang's efforts also include the promotion of culture and education. The foundation offers free subscription of "Morals", a monthly digest issued to promote good deeds and moral principles. The publication aims at awakening the spirit of kindness and the inner beauty of humanity through moral lessons. With a circulation beyond 300,000 copies, the journal is the most widely distributed publication in Taiwan, reaching out to schools and even prisons. After reading the periodical, many people express their gratitude to Dr. Chang for his efforts to strengthen moral values in the society.
He founded the world-class Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, which has performed more than 300 concerts and received widespread acclaim both in Taiwan and abroad. Furthermore, Dr. Chang believes maritime education is crucial to Taiwan because of its position in the surrounding ocean. He established Evergreen Maritime Museum for the promotion of maritime education and the preservation of local maritime cultural heritage. Dr. Chang has donated 4,500 pieces of his collected items to the museum for exhibition and research, serving as a role modal to fulfill corporate social responsibility.
In recent years Dr. Chang has been bestowed with several prestigious honors in Taiwan and abroad attribu
