The Taiwan Cultural Year in Europe initiative launched earlier this year is introducing Taiwanese culture across 26 European countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced today.
The campaign “would help the nations of Europe see a side of Taiwan other than technology,” the ministry said in a news release.
The Ministry of Culture, MOFA and the National Palace Museum have collaborated with 30 overseas missions to put on more than 70 events throughout the year, Department of European Affairs Director-General Eric Huang (黃鈞耀) told a news conference.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This year’s slogan is “From Tech to Culture, Taiwan Leads the Future,” while the logo combines the word “Taiwan” with a Roman column and semiconductor chip motifs.
The event was formulated in February by MOFA and the Ministry of Culture, overseen by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠).
The cultural events are to showcase the nation’s rich cultural heritage and creative spirit, while reflecting its shared values with Europe, including democracy and diversity, Huang said.
"Through a series of cultural activities, Europe can gain a better understanding of Taiwan's rich culture, and allow more Europeans to see the richness of Taiwan through prisms other than technology, economic activity and security," Huang told today’s news conference.
Important events attended by Taiwanese representatives so far this year include Italy’s Venice Biennale, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Napoli COMICON, he said.
The National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra embarked on a concert tour of Austria and Lithuania last month, while the Taiwanese Indigenous Children’s Choir — VOX Nativa — performed in the Vatican, Germany and Austria, and were granted an audience with the Pope, he added.
In the latter half of the year, pieces from the National Palace Museum are to be exhibited in the Czech Republic and France in September and November respectively, MOFA said.
Meanwhile, U-Theatre, a performance group combining Taoism, drumming and art, is to perform in Italy, Greece, France and Bulgaria in September and December, its Web site states.
The National Chinese Orchestra and Ju Percussion Group are to also be touring Europe in the coming months, Huang said.
Additional reporting by CNA
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
RSS