Taiwan is to participate in the Cultural Olympiad in Paris, with performances showcasing the values of democracy, freedom, equality and peace, Minister of Culture Shih Che (史哲) said yesterday.
The host city of the Olympic Games, which are scheduled from July 26 to Aug. 11, launched the Cultural Olympiad to “spur conversations between sport and culture” with a wide range of activities including concerts, performances, exhibitions, films and workshops, the Games Web site said.
Taiwan was invited to set up a pavilion at the Parc de la Villette in Paris by Frederic Mazelly, the park’s artistic director, who visited Taiwan early last year at the invitation of the Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris, the Ministry of Culture said in a press release.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Culture via CNA
Shih visited the venue in September last year, it said, adding that Deputy Minister of Culture Sue Wang (王時思) led a team to Paris in January to inspect the site as planning began for Taiwan’s involvement, the ministry said.
The Taiwan Pavilion is to feature nearly 60 shows — including music, traditional opera adaptations, dance and DJ performances — by 22 groups from July 27 to Aug. 10, it said.
In addition, works by about 300 artists would be displayed digitally at the pavilion, it said.
Yen Design founder and director Yen Po-chun (顏伯駿), who is in charge of the pavilion’s design, has arranged the Olympic rings to form the letter “w” in the word “Taiwan,” it said.
The “w” — “double u” in English and “double v” in French — symbolizes Taiwan’s willingness to cooperate with the world and the vision of creating a culture that is win-win for the world, Yen was quoted as saying.
The National Symphony Orchestra performed in Paris last month and several Taiwanese groups are to perform in Paris next month, the ministry said.
Taiwan is presenting its cultural business cards to the world through the events so that the world can see the energy of Taiwan’s young creators and their interpretation of their own culture, Shih said.
The events are also to show that Taiwan shares the international values of freedom, democracy, equality and peace, he said, adding that “Taiwan has always stood side by side with the world.”
It has become a trend for host countries to incorporate cultural elements into the Games and Taiwan is to participate in the Cultural Olympiad with its own pavilion, he said.
This is not only a great opportunity for the nation to showcase its unique charm and diversity on a global stage, but also a statement that expresses Taiwan’s confidence in its culture, he said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS