Taipei City Government

Ramsar Regional Center - East Asia (RRC-EA) has collaborated with Wetland Link International (WLI) to welcome over 100 wetland center members from 20 countries and regions to visit Taipei and celebrate the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Guandu Nature Park. The 2-day international seminar in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Guandu Nature Park held at the Taipei Zoo on December 2 has already come to a successful conclusion. Next, the 7th WLI Asia Conference will be held at the Guandu Nature Park tomorrow (December 5). In welcoming wetland center members from all over the world including Japan, Korea, Singapore, Germany, the UK, Luxemburg, and the US, Taipei City Government hosted the welcoming banquet this evening (December 4) at the Grand Hyatt Taipei.

Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-Shan expressed that Guandu Nature Park joined WLI in May 2012, and it has proactively participated in experience exchange and sharing activities. The management experience of Guandu Natura Park has been published in the 2014 Handbook on Best Practices for the Design and Operation of Wetland Education Centres, making it the only wetland center in Taiwan to be incorporated into the handbook. This achievement illustrates how Taipei City’s endeavors in promoting sustainable development on Earth through the Ramsar Convention’s Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness (CEPA) program have been internationally recognized through Guandu Nature Park.

In expressing its appreciation towards Taipei City’s support and hospitality as the host of the 7th WLI Asia Conference, RRC-EA Presented Taipei City Government with a certificate of appreciation, and Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-Shan gifted the RRC-EA and WLI with a scroll painting of the official bird of Taipei, the Taiwan Blue Magpie, in return. Taipei City’s unique cuisine was served to the guests from various countries at the banquet, and the Taipei Chinese Orchestra put on an elegant musical performance as the extravagant curtain-raiser to the banquet. For the pièce de résistance, the banquet drew to a flawless conclusion amid the sonorous singing of indigenous Taiwanese children. Taipei City Government hopes that the international guests have enjoyed a worthwhile visit and that they recommend their impressions of Taipei’s diversity and beauty to more friends from across the globe in order to bolster Taipei’s international reputation.

For 2 days starting from tomorrow (December 5), over 100 wetland center members from 20 Asian countries will join this year’s conference at the Guandu Nature Park, which will be the largest WLI Asia Conference in history, providing an opportunity for various organizations to interact and facilitate international relations. As the host city, Taipei City is proud and honored to welcome partners from all over Asia.

Being a member of WLI, Guandu Nature Park offers a wonderful habitat for East Asian migratory water birds and native species, and it is also a wetland ecological site that other important wetland centers worldwide can borrow experience from, perfect for families, schools or individuals to learn about environmental conservation and sustainable development. Taipei Citizens are welcome to visit the Guandu Nature Park to appreciate Mother Nature.