TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Tsai Ing-wen kicked off the opening ceremony of the 32nd Taipei International Book Exhibition (TiBE) on Tuesday (Feb. 20), marking the last book fair she will attend as President before stepping down in May.
Speaking at the event, Tsai remarked, "Through reading, one can travel through different worlds, explore knowledge as vast as the ocean, and stir up the waves of culture and thought in everyone's heart."
Aimed at encouraging exploration through reading and knowledge the book fair will run from Feb. 20-25 at the Taipei World Trade Center. It is hosted by the Ministry of Culture and organized by the Taipei Book Fair Foundation.
First-day attendees included Deputy Culture Minister Lee Ching-hwi, Taipei Book Fair Foundation Chairwoman Isabella Wu, and Guido Tielman, director of the Netherlands Office in Taipei, among others.
Themed "Catch the Reading Wave," the event promotes strategies such as expanded e-book lending services and library book purchase optimization to support the publishing industry.
At the opening ceremony, Tsai presented the "Book Fair Award" and the "Golden Butterfly Award" to recipients. She also visited the Netherlands-themed pavilion, the Literary Book Area, and the Citizen Book Area.
The event has drawn 509 publishers and copyright companies from 34 countries, while during the fair, over 400 reading promotion events will take place.
Incentives are offered to encourage participation, including coupons for ticket purchases, point discounts, free entry for readers under 18, and numerous giveaways to consumers.
The Netherlands is this year's theme country, and the Dutch Pavilion, curated by MVRDV, focuses its attention on the past, present and future.
It introduces matters of Dutch diversity and inclusivity, tied in with a series of events marking instrumental moments in the 400-year history of Taiwan-Dutch interactions.