President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. on Monday night enjoyed Taiwanese delicacies at the Republic of China (Taiwan) National Day reception, in the first such event to feature guests from overseas since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in early 2020.
During the reception held at Taipei Guest House, Tsai and the Palauan leader perused an array of Taiwanese delicacies, stopping at stands providing Taiwan-made beer, Taiwanese minced pork taro cakes and signature mussels from the offshore island of Matsu.
In addition to the Taiwanese delicacies, the annual reception also showcased a series of musical performances by renowned Taiwanese drumming troupe U-Theatre, a local dance troupe and a chorus from Taoyuan’s Taoshan Elementary School.
Monday’s reception, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), is the first of its kind featuring guests from overseas since the pandemic began.
The 2020 edition of the reception was attended only by Taiwanese guests and foreign representatives and ambassadors in Taiwan, due to travel restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The 2021 edition was scrapped altogether due to the pandemic.
Also attending the reception were delegations from diplomatic allies, foreign dignitaries, ambassadors and representatives to Taiwan, from a total of 48 countries, according to MOFA.
The reception was held to mark the 111th National Day of the Republic of China, the official name of Taiwan.
MOFA did not give the exact number of guests attending the reception but said that around 100 foreign guests participated, with the total guest numbering about 300.
However, the event was still significantly smaller than in previous years due to the pandemic, with pre-COVID-19 National Day receptions attended by around 3,000 guests.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel