President-elect Tsai Ing-wen traveled to a temple in her hometown in southern Taiwan on Thursday to pray for the victims of last Saturday's earthquake.
So far the death toll has risen to 61, with most of the deaths attributed to the collapsed Weiguan Jinlong building in Tainan.
Legislature President Su Jia-chyuan accompanied Tsai as she burned incense at a temple in Checheng, Pingtung County. The president-elect prayed for the deceased, and also that the search efforts can help reunite the missing people with their families.
Tsai also wrote on her Facebook page on Thursday that nothing can topple the best of Taiwan. She said she did not ask the gods to ensure that everything will go smoothly for Taiwan in the future, but rather, that the Taiwanese people can learn something and grow stronger after every calamity.
The president-elect said she asked the gods to bless the nation and give it courage and hope. She said that she understood that nothing in life is permanent, but that no matter what happens the people of Taiwan will always remain united.