A huge crystal mosaic portrait of Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan (1162-1227) will soon be inaugurated at Ulan Bator's international airport thanks to the collaboration of Rotary Club members from Taipei.
The installation of the nearly three-story-high portrait -- made of 437,000 crystal mosaic tiles and created by German artists based on a portrait of Genghis Khan in the National Palace Museum's collection -- is expected to be complete in April, Rotary International District 3480 director Chan Ming-chu (
The portrait will be a place where all Mongolians will be welcome to worship and commemorate the greatness of a founding father, Mongolian Representative in Taiwan Migeddorj Batchimeg said.
Describing the Khan as "the main source of pride" for Mongolians, Batchimeg said he created the foundation for the largest empire in world history -- an empire that included China, the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia at its peak under Genghis' grandson Kublai Khan, who ruled from 1260 to 1294 and founded the Yuan Dynasty in China.
To many historians, Genghis Khan remains a puzzle because few artifacts directly related to him remain to shed light on his story. As a consequence, Mongolians consider the portrait in Taipei's National Palace Museum to be one of the most precious treasures connecting them to their past.
The 59.4cm by 47cm color portrait on silk is thought to be a likeness of the conqueror in his 60s, painted during the era of Kublai Khan. It is generally accepted as the most accurate portrait of him and Mongolian officials and tourists consider it a "must see" when visiting Taiwan, Batchimeg said.
The mosaic reproduction project started after the Taipei-based Rotary International District 3480, which sought to enhance ties between Taiwan and Mongolia, knotted sisterhood ties with the Niislel Rotary Club in Ulan Bator in 2004.
After visiting Taipei and viewing the National Palace Museum portrait several times, the Niislel Rotary club members said it was their "dream" to see the likeness moved to Mongolia, where they said it belonged.
While that dream has yet to be fulfilled, Chan offered to help the club bring the portrait to Mongolia in a different form -- a giant reproduction.
After drawn-out talks with the museum, officials finally agreed to provide a digitalized image of the portrait early last year. The portrait will be the centerpiece of a larger monument to Genghis Khan.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS