The butterfly (Phalaenopsis) orchids produced by Taiwan Orchid Professionals Co. Ltd. have received carbon reduction certification from the Environmental Protection Administration, making them the first living plant product worldwide to receive this designation.

The certification attests that the flowers are grown in an environmentally friendly, low energy consumption and low carbon production environment. Having this label sets Taiwan’s orchids apart from those of other places, boosting their international competitiveness.

The company explained that the world community is increasingly focusing on environmental topics in the wake of climate change and the effects from increasing greenhouse gases. Major firms around the globe are seeking to obtain carbon reduction certification for their items in an effort expand their exports to the United States and Europe.

The orchid carbon footprint label, along with orchid virus and sales databases, will serve as the pillars of a future radio-frequency identification system and cloud platform, helping to promote Taiwan as a global orchid logistics center, the company said.

Some 60 percent of the world’s daily orchid production is centered in Taiwan. The Taiwan International Orchid Show, the largest exhibit of its kind in the world, opens March 5 at the Taiwan Orchid Plantation in Tainan City’s Houbi District, running until March 13.

(This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times March 3.)

• Publication Date：03/04/2011
• Source： Liberty Times

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Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou made three wishes Wednesday for the country in the new Year of the Rabbit, one of which was for the economy to take off.

In his Lunar New Year’s eve address, the president also said he wishes to see a more dynamic Taiwan and a warm society in which underprivileged people will get the care and assistance they need.

Speaking in Mandarin, Hoklo, Hakka, and aboriginal languages, Ma greeted the people of the country and outlined his vision for the development of the country.

During his 2011 New Year’s Day message, he recalled, he spoke about creating a Golden Decade that would “lay the foundation for a prosperous second century in the Republic of China.”

With the concerted efforts of the people, Taiwan’s economic growth has reached nearly 10 percent, its gross national product per capita was nearly US$20,000, and its unemployment had dropped to 4.67 percent last December, Ma said.

Taiwan has gradually come out of the financial crisis and economic decline, he said.

“As we enjoy a more affluent life, we should also be grateful and take care of the elderly and the underprivileged in the society,” the president said.

Ma’s New Year Eve talk was pre-recorded at a nursing home for the elderly in Taipei last month. During the recording, the elderly, single mothers and disabled patients were invited to express greetings to the public for a happy and prosperous new year. (By Lee Ming-chung and Lilian Wu) enditem /pc

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Thanks to Chinese tourists, Taipei 101 — the world’s second tallest building — has turned a profit for the first time in 2010, two years ahead of its operator’s forecast.

With a profit of NT$123 million (US$4.1 million) during the first half of 2010, Taipei Financial Center Corp. is expecting its full-year net profit to reach NT$300 million.

Taiwan’s opening up to China and the building’s landmark status have helped increase the number of visitors to its 91st-floor observatory and boost sales in its six-story shopping center.

“In the past, 100,000 visitors per month was a big number. Now the monthly average is 150,000-160,000, with 180,000 being the current highest record, “said Liu Chia-hao, the company’s spokesman.

Half of the visitors to the observatory are from China and it is estimated that Chinese shoppers contributed 13 percent of the NT$4 billion in revenue earned by the shopping center in the first half of 2010.

However, Harace Lin, chairman and president of the six-year-old company, said the achievement can be attributed in part to the fact that new initiatives have been taken by the management. Lin took up the chairman post at the end of 2008, when the company was posting losses of N$900 million a year and had a debt of NT$30 billion.

Since then, the layout of the shopping center has been changed to give prominence to brands and products that Chinese shoppers find appealing.

Another of the company’s initiatives is its ongoing effort to form a partnership with China UnionPay in light of the fact that more than 3,000 UnionPay cardholders spent over NT$1 million each at the shopping center last year.

The company’s office management division has also been visiting key businesses in China for the last 18 months to offer them rentals of office space at Taipei 101 for their Taiwan operations. Despite an 85 percent occupancy rate and the rising cost of rent in the real estate market, the division has not yet made a profit.

Head of the Sinochem Group’s Taiwan Office Ke Xiting, said the oil company, the fourth largest in China, was impressed with Taipei 101′s enthusiasm.

“Chairman Lin personally received us when we were negotiating (for a location in Taipei), which made a good impression on us, ” Ke said.

Even though Taipei 101 now has only seven Chinese tenants, including Levono and Bank of Communications, dozens of Chinese companies inquire every month about renting office space there, Liu said.

On the outlook for the Taipei 101 tower, Lin forecast more opportunities for growth after Taiwan lifts its restriction on visits by individual Chinese tourists. The remodeling of the shopping center in 2012 and opening of a metro line nearby would also contribute to growth, he said. (Global Views Monthly 295)(translated by Kay Liu) enditem/pc

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Taipei, Jan. 28 (CNA) The famous Broadway musical “Cats” might have a solid fan base around the world, but now a Taiwanese children’s group is proving that a self-made musical “Dogs, ” featuring a 20-strong cast, can also be a box-office hit.

The If Kids Theatre Company is currently staging the musical, which made its debut in Taipei in 2002 and tells the tale of Lucky, a pet dog who is abandoned by his owner and learns to live on the street with a gang of stray dogs.

Tickets for six performances staged from Friday to Sunday at the Metropolitan Hall in Taipei are sold out, the company’s Ruby Chen told reporters Friday.

She said the support of the troupe’s longtime fans, as well as the subject of the musical, explains why the tickets sold like hotcakes.

“The show is actually a tribute to `Cats, ‘” Chao Tzu-chiang, the head of the troupe and the musical’s writer, said after a short rehearsal that day. He added that he had always wanted to prove that a NT$3 million (US$103,500) production could win the hearts of local audiences just as well as a NT$30 million musical imported from Broadway.

An actor and a TV host, Chao established the children’s theatre troupe in January 2000, and has faced quite a few financial difficulties in the ensuing 11 years.

However, he went on, he still gets very excited every time the troupe presents a show for children, “because children are the best audience, who always give the most direct response when watching a performance.”

As part of the show’s production process, Chao continued, he interviewed members of an animal rights group who told him many moving stories that helped him shape the 20 canine characters in the drama. One of the most touching, he said, was about a husky, which, despite being harshly beaten and abandoned by its owner five times, still found its way back to his house.

“I think homeless dogs are just like homeless children — they will miss their owners, just as children will miss their parents, when they are forced to live on the street,” he said. (By Hermia Lin) ENDITEM/J

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On 24^th December 2010, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) hosted the Taiwan Tourism Development Conference, which was attended by 300 representatives from industry, government and academia. Revolving around the Conference theme of “New Products, New Markets, New Trends”, a total of 6 forums were convened that discussed cultural creativity, agriculture, international health care, fine food and shopping, and MICE and green tourism.

Among the sessions most relevant to business events was “How to Enrich the MICE Industry through Tourism.” Mr. Ming-Huei Lee, Ph. D., President of Taiwan Hospitality and Tourism College, summing up the views of participants, stated that Taiwan should look to combine the MICE resources of both its cities and counties, incentivize the use of existing and new resources so as to generate USPs (Unique Selling Points) that lend charm and add fascination to destinations, and launch MICE-related tourism products. In so doing it would attract more MICE activities to Taiwan and make it the desired MICE centre of Asia.

Mr. Lee pointed out that whilst the MICE industry encompasses multifaceted and integrated features, it is however inseparable from tourism. As a matter of fact, it has a multiplier effect, so it can be leveraged to spur development of MICE-peripheral industries (hospitality, hotels, etc.), so it is well worth the investment. In particular, considering that the global MICE sector is shifting more and more towards Asia, the inclusion of MICE service industries in the Early Harvest List of ECFA, and opportunities generated by the rise of emerging markets in both mainland China and India, our Government and industry should strengthen cooperation and redouble efforts to market and promote Taiwan’s MICE services and facilities to the world systematically and effectively. By doing so, Taiwan can occupy a vantage position in markets with high development potential.

Ms. Huei-Fang Chiang, Director of the Trade Development Division, Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), said that the Government’s future MICE promotion strategy will be driven through “MEET TAIWAN” and the “Plan to Enhance the International Competitiveness of Taiwan’s MICE Program.” These are intended to achieve the visions of “expanding the MICE industry scale to drive substantial economic and export growth,” “enhancing Taiwan’s MICE standing in the world and building Taiwan into Asia’s undisputed MICE hub,” and “assisting the development of the MICE industry in local cities and counties, stimulating internal demand to bring about local prosperity.” It is anticipated that by 2011, about 130,000 job opportunities will be created, 2,560 MICE professionals will be trained, and private investment to the tune of US$0.43 billion will be generated, creating US$83.3 billion of direct and indirect economic benefit.

Mr. Walter Yeh, Executive Vice President, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), said that besides making full use of the resources of related industries in the promotion of MICE, a more important focus should be placed on the promotion of convention cities through the concerted efforts and mutual support of host cities. He cited the example of world-renowned exhibition cities like Dusseldorf and Hanover in Germany, which offer participants Exhibition Passes to take public transport for free during exhibition periods.

Mr. Kuo-wei Nieh, Chairman, Taiwan Convention & Exhibition Association (TCEA), said that in 2010, many overseas exhibitors attending Computex Taipei visited the Shanghai World Expo before making their way to Taiwan. This shows that businesses are mindful of the cost-savings achieved by covering multiple destinations on single journeys. Moreover, this is likely to represents a future trend. Therefore, one strategy to improve the prospects for Taiwan’s MICE industry is to link or coordinate its events with those in Mainland China or Hong Kong.

Mr. Jenn-Jia Huang, Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication, Tamkang University said that BOFT has spared no effort in promoting the development of Taiwan’s MICE industry, and that it works tirelessly with Taiwan Tourism Bureau to exhibit at international MICE trade shows to market Taiwan. Currently, it is the administrative bodies in charge of MICE and tourism and various research institutions that are responsible for jointly promoting Taiwan’s MICE industry. However, from the longer-term marketing perspective, the future may be best served by a body that can combine tourism-related industries, other local industries, associations and members of the general public to create the right atmosphere for convention cities.

Taiwan – the Place to Meet!

About MEET TAIWAN

The Taiwan MICE Advancement Program is a special task force, branded globally under the name of MEET TAIWAN, responsible for promoting Taiwan’s unique business events industry. This program comprises four subsidiary projects, which together ensure the highest quality of business event in Taiwan. For media relations, sales promotion and related marketing cooperation, please contact Taiwan MICE International Marketing and Promotion Project.

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The National Convention and Exhibition Center is to be jointly funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), R.O.C and the Taipei City Government. It is to be located at the previous site of the Taipei Municipal Nan-Gang Elementary School. Covering an area of about 3.36 hectares, it consists of nine levels in total, three underground and 6 above-ground. It will have a floor area of 150,000 square meters, with a capacity to accommodate 5,000 exhibition stalls, and when completed, it will become one of the largest, state-of-the-art exhibition halls in the world.

The Kaohsiung World Trade Exhibition and Conference Centre is located at the Kaohsiung Multifunctional Commerce and Trade Park, in close proximity to various top-end international hotels, a mega shopping centre, pier, airport and MRT stations. Occupying a land area of about 44,929 square meters, it will consist of a conference hall with a seating capacity of 2,000, two meeting rooms seating 800 each and 20 to 40 small meeting rooms. The Exhibition Hall will be able to accommodate 1,500 stalls or exhibition stands. The Centre is scheduled for completion towards the end of 2013, and it will commence operation in 2014. Some 2,000 jobs are expected to be created as a result.

Besides building professional, world-class advanced international convention and exhibition venue facilities, Taiwan also cultivates MICE venues with unique characteristics through the use of its existing resources. Huashan 1914 Creative Park, for instance, houses Linkou Sake Brewery (previously known as the Taipei Winery, which changed its name to Linkou Sake Brewery in 2002). It has perfectly preserved the Japanese brewery structure, which was built during the Japanese colonial period, and it also serves as a museum showcasing industrial building techniques. Moreover, more green open spaces, creative design workshops and creativity showrooms have been planned; all can all be utilized as MICE venues. The old Kaohsiung Pier 2 is now the Pier-2 Art Center, which is the Centre for Creative and Innovation Technology in the South. The art deco touches make it an ideal setting for MICE activities or business events taking place here.

Taiwan – the Place to Meet!

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Taiwan is one of the most famous of the Asian economic miracles and millions of products sold all over the world are labelled “Made in Taiwan.”
While all this is well known, many do not realize that Taiwan also has much to offer the tourist. Natural beauty, rare wildlife, modern cities, ethnic diversity – Taiwan has all this and much more besides. It’s little wonder, then, that many travelers leave Taiwan with more than they expected.

Allow me then, if you will, a moment to outline some of the many attractions for tourists in my homeland. Taiwanhas more than 293 mountains over 3,000 meters high. It is also famous for a wide range of volcanic springs and there are six national parks in Taiwan, all boasting world class scenery.  The island supports tens of thousands of animal and plant species, making it one of the richest biological treasure troves in the world.

In addition, Taiwan boasts a wonderful array of festivals and celebrations and has a vibrant art scene and cultural life.

Our delicious food is undoubtedly what is most memorable for many visitors and I can say without equivocation that there are very few places in the world today where you can find more authentic Chinese food.

Many tourists are, naturally, drawn to our capital, Taipei. It is our biggest and most energetic city and, in recent years, has turned itself into a modern international metropolis. It also boasts the wonderful National Palace Museumwhich exhibits a fine collection of Asian art including bronzes, lacquer ware, textiles and religious artifacts.

But there is rather more to Taiwan than Taipei. Take, for example, Tainan in the southern part of the country. In terms of the number of historical sites, it ranks first in Taiwan. Both Rueisuei and Hongye on the east coast are popular with tourists for their hot springs while Penghu is known as the “Small Hawaii of Taiwan” because of its beautiful beaches.

This brings me to the best reason for visiting Taiwan – the kindness and generosity of its people. A few years ago, the marketing people came up with a catchy little slogan for the country: “Taiwan – it touches your heart”. If you are lucky enough to ever visit my homeland, I think you will agree that this phrase perfectly sums up Taiwan.

Finally, you are cordially invited to the Asia – Pacifique Cocktail, an exclusive B2B event that will take place onThursday, February 3^rd on Asia’s New Year’s Day. This event will take place from 16:00 till 18:00 hours at the ‘Asian Pavillion’ in Brussels Expo. We would be most honored to have your presence at the Taiwan Stand, number 7526 in Hall 7.

For this special event, we will organize an animation programme of aboriginal dances by the ‘People’s Opera Theater’, coming especially from Taiwan, as well as a calligraphy demonstration. Our guests can have their names inked in Chinese calligraphy to take home as a present.

Please consult www.brusselstraveltop.eu for all information on B2B events andwww.vakantiesalon.eu/nl/BrusselsTravelTop for free entrance tickets.

In the meantime, I would like to seize this opportunity to wish you a happy and peaceful ‘Year of the Rabbit’.

Looking forward to welcoming you on this occasion and in Taiwan in the near future,

Patrick Wang Chen-Tai

Director, Information Division

Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium

Representative, Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Belgium and Luxemburg

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Hong Kong, Jan. 26 (CNA) An exiled Chinese dissident said Wednesday that the “one country, two systems’ formula that China has applied to Hong Kong is nothing but a total lie.

Wang Dan, one of the student leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democratic movement that was squelched by the Chinese army in a bloody crackdown, made the statement after the Hong Kong government denied him entry to pay tribute to a late leader of the Hong Kong democratic movement.

“I’m sorry and angry to hear that the Hong Kong government has rejected my entry application without giving any reasons, despite my guarantees that I will not get involved in any political activities there,” Wang told the Central News Agency.

Wang was hoping to visit Hong Kong to pay tribute to the memory of Szeto Wah, the late chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. Szeto died on Jan. 2.

“Refusing me entry again tells the world that the ‘one country, two systems’ formula is a total lie, as the Hong Kong government has totally given up its right to autonomy, and Beijing’s will prevails in all of Hong Kong,” he said.

Wang was imprisoned and arrested several times for his role in the Tiananmen incident and for leading various democratic movements in China before his eventual exile to the U.S. in 1998.

He holds a doctorate degree from Harvard University and now teaches Chinese history at National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu. (By Wang Man-na, Kuo Mai-nan & Bear Lee) Enditem/ pc

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Leading chefs from Taiwan will converge on Brussels next month on the Belgian leg of a European ‘gourmet tour.’

The six are all members of the prestigious Taiwan Formosa Chefs Association which earlier this year scooped 11 gold medals in an international culinary competition in Singapore.

They will prepare a range of authentic Taiwanese-style dishes which will give people here a rare chance to sample the very best of Taiwan cuisine for themselves.

The chefs include Yueh Chia-Ching, vice-president of the Association, Alan Hsu, head chef at the Novotel Taipei Airport Hotel and Tokyo University lecturer Andy Hsu.

They will be joined by Li Chia-Chi, head chef at Orchard Park hotel, Ko Pei-Chung, head chef at the Tom Wyatt Hall Spa Resort and Chang Te-Feng from the Lalu Sun Moon Lake Hotel.

Each a re heading for Brussels with one aim: to allow even more people here to taste for themselves genuine Taiwan gourmet food.

Taiwan cuisine has earned a stellar reputation in recent years as evidenced by a recent survey showing that some 58% of foreign tourists cite Taiwanese food as the main reason for visiting the island.

It incorporates a range of diverse styles, including Chinese and Japanese-style cuisine.

The European gourmet tour aims to promote the reputation of Taiwanese food and, in doing so, increase the number of visitors from Europe.

Another aim is to extend Taiwan’s “soft power” using culinary arts to gain a better understanding of this small but vibrant country.

A spokesman for the Association said, “Taiwan cuisine is unique. Some of the dishes which will be prepared by these chefs have even been described as masterpieces. They will truly be a feast for one’s eyes and palate.”

The gourmet food tour will take in the Marriot Hotel, on Rue Auguste Orts, on 8 December and the Hilton Hotel, on Boulevard de Waterloo, on 9-11 December.

Further details are available from;

Information Division, Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium

Tel. 02/517.17.23, karin@taipei-office.be (Karin  De Backer)

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