The Council for Cultural Affairs will team up with a US educational group to introduce Taiwan’s culture to 1,000 elementary schools across the US later this year as part of the Republic of China’s (ROC) centennial celebration.
The “Centenary Cultural Roadshow” will present the traditional values and diversity of Taiwan’s culture and lifestyle in square boxes called “ROC Centenary Treasure Chests” in 1,000 locations across the US.
1 million students
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Speaking at a ceremony launching the program, Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) said yesterday the boxes would be shipped to 1,000 Adventist elementary schools next month, allowing an estimated 1 million US students to get to know Taiwan through a “One Week in Taiwan” program in September and October.
“We want to present our beautiful country to the world. This will be an interesting way for US students to get to know Taiwan better,” Sheng said.
He added that the council was looking for similar opportunities to expand the cultural lessons to Europe and other countries.
Robert Christensen, chief operating officer of Adventist Educational Holdings in Taiwan, said his organization had joined the program because “we believe Taiwan is like a hidden gem.”
“So many people have heard about it, but they don’t realize how beautiful it is or how nice it is,” he said.
POP-UP
The treasure chest, he said, is designed around a pop-up book showcasing a traditional temple street, with miniatures of Taiwanese buildings and stores, such as tea shops, food stores, temples and clothing stores.
It also contains at least 38 items representative of Taiwanese culture, including divination blocks, traditional Taiwanese puppets, Hakka flower-print fabric, lanterns, a paper umbrella, a Taipei 101 postcard, old-fashioned toys and a CD of the theme song of the ROC anniversary sung by Taiwanese pop diva A-mei (張惠妹).
These and other props will be used by teachers to introduce Taiwanese culture and give students the chance to appreciate it for themselves.
When learning about Taiwanese tea, for example, students would be able to play with tea pots and utensils included in the treasure chest.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who was invited to attend the ceremony, said the roadshow would enable US students to discover the beauty and excellence of Taiwan, as well as showcase the solid relationship between the two countries.
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