The 2017 Asia-Pacific Culture Day is set to take place Sept. 23-24 at Taipei Main Station, highlighting government efforts to strengthen ties with Republic of China (Taiwan) diplomatic allies and partners throughout the region in line with the New Southbound Policy.
 
Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the annual festival is currently in its sixth year, with the previous event drawing up to 100,000 visitors. This year, dance and music performances will feature heavily, in addition to cuisines from six ROC diplomatic allies—Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu—as well as 13 other Asia-Pacific countries.
 
According to the MOFA, several dignitaries will attend the festival, including Premier Lai Ching-te as well as various foreign representatives. The APCD will give the people of Taiwan the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the nation’s allies and partners, the ministry said, adding that it will serve as a platform for fostering cultural exchanges.
 
The festival will also feature performances by renowned Taiwan artistic ensembles such as Chio-Tian Folk Drums and Art Troupe, which will showcase traditional arts commonly seen during temple celebrations, as well as lion dancers from Taipei City-based National Taiwan College of Performing Arts.
 
Other local performers to be featured at the event include contemporary dancers from New Taipei City’s National Taiwan University of Arts and members of the indigenous Amis tribe.
 
Six Taiwan cities, namely Kaohsiung and Tainan in southern Taiwan, Taichung in central Taiwan, and Taipei, Taoyuan and New Taipei in northern Taiwan, in addition to the northern county of Hsinchu, will be represented at the festival. The ministry noted that each of these areas’ local governments have signed friendship or sister city agreements with municipalities in New Southbound Policy target countries.
 
A key plank of President Tsai Ing-wen’s national development strategy, the initiative aims to deepen Taiwan’s relations with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand in areas spanning agriculture, business, culture, education, tourism and trade. (KWS-E)