A selection of special gifts for visiting overseas dignitaries encapsulating the finest aspects of Taiwan, its people and culture was launched June 5 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Designed by local artists, the gifts are of the highest quality and considered signature items of the country’s agricultural, cultural and creative, and technology industries, the MOFA said. They also represent a willingness to utilize every opportunity to advance Taiwan’s soft power in the international arena, the ministry added.
Some of the standouts among the seven gifts are Alishan tea leaves and tea bags packed in handcrafted wooden boxes; a board game featuring endemic fauna and fruit; ceramic tile coasters bearing eye-catching patterns; classic song CDs presented in a stainless steel lunchbox; and a light-emitting diode, or LED, Bluetooth speaker.
The gifts, one of MOFA Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu’s eight main objectives during his first 100 days in office, are complemented by a pop-up art gallery featuring 22 pieces by 18 local artists on the fifth floor of the ministry’s headquarters in Taipei City. All of the creations are sourced from the Ministry of Culture’s Art Bank Taiwan collection overseen by Taichung City-based National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in central Taiwan.
According to the MOFA, the gifts and pop-up gallery initiative spotlight Taiwan’s achievements, cultural values and the world-class creativity of homegrown talents. It is anticipated they will prove effective in heightening awareness and understanding of Taiwan abroad, as well as laying the foundations for expanded people-to-people exchanges, the ministry said. (KWS-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw