Inauguration prompts souvenirs

Businesses are looking to make a quick buck by releasing souvenirs marking the nation's 11th presidential inauguration on Thursday.

The nation's central bank last Friday showed off gold and silver coins it had minted for the ceremony.

Portraits of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) are featured on one side of the coins, with a picture of the Presidential Office on the other.

The bank will issue 8,500 gold coins for NT$16,000 each, 41,000 silver coins for NT$1,200 each, and 14,300 sets comprising a gold and a silver coin for NT$17,500 each. The coins each weigh 31g.

The sales are expected to generate NT$435.45 million.

The public can buy the coins from now until the end of the month, although they won't be delivered until August.

Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp (台灣菸酒公司), the nation's largest alcoholic-beverage producer, released five kinds of liquor to mark the special event, with prices ranging from NT$1,500 to NT$20,000 per set.

Taiwan Tobacco chairman Morgan Hwang (黃營杉) said the liquor, bottled in specially designed containers, was worthy of collection.

"Apart from the premium liquor -- like Shaohsing wine (紹興酒), Kaoliang Liquor (高梁酒) or Brandy X.O. -- their [Chen and Lu's] political ideas and photo printed on the outside of the bottles make the souvenirs unique," Hwang said.

Taiwan Tobacco yesterday held a charity event to sell 14 sets of Kaoliang Liquor, with a local construction company placing the highest bid of NT$320,000 for one set.

The total proceeds of NT$3.3 million will go to 10 social welfare organizations, according to the state-owned company.

While state-run enterprises have been promoting their souvenirs with high-profile activities, private companies have been keeping a low profile.

Four years ago, I-Mei Foods Co (義美食品) released boxed cookies that bore pictures of Chen, Lu, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) and Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) on the cover to "mark the nation's first peaceful transfer of political power," company spokeswoman Paula Tsai (蔡寶來) said yesterday.

"No souvenirs will be launched this year since this is merely a normal [presidential] election, unlike the unprecedented significance last time," she said.

Tsai dismissed media speculation that electoral disputes had influenced the marketing strategy of her company, whose general manager, Kao Chih-ming (高志明), is an advisor to and long-term supporter of Chen.

Jumping on the bandwagon, while trying to avoid getting too close to sensitive political issues, major department stores have launched promotions that include certain goods -- such as shirts, shoes and electric shavers -- priced at NT$520, in reference to the date of the inauguration.

Frances Chiou (邱斐斐), assistant manager of the Taipei Railway Station branch of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store (新光三越) said, "This is just an innovative method to boost sales and it has nothing to do with politics."