The Taiwan Expo, which ran across two days in Penang, came to a close recently and was deemed a success having attracted 11,695 visitors over two days, exceeding estimation. The expo aimed to improve collaborations and ties between Taiwan and Malaysia although we are at the top in its tourism list, a “key target market” in the Taiwanese tourism industry.
According to Penang Chief Minister, Chow Kon Yeow, the Taiwan Expo 2019 served as the perfect platform to improve cooperation between Malaysia and Taiwan, as well as the rest of Southeast Asia. Co-organized by Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade and TAITRA, the expo brought together 140 Taiwan businesses and government departments, which included the Ministry of Health, Export Processing Zone Administration, the Tourism Board, Council of Indigenous People and Taipei City Government.
This year’s theme showcased a wide range of products and services from Taiwan. Special focus were given to culture, tourism, fashion, smart city technology, Industry 4.0, green technology, medical care and halal products. The crowd favourites were clearly Taiwanese culture and halal products. An area made to resemble Taiwan’s Dadaocheng was said to be the area most photographed within the exhibition while the Taiwan Indigenous Hub, which brought the event hall to life with traditional music fused with modern elements, captured the visitors’ attention with its unique musical sounds.
Nyonya food made with Taiwanese “halal” raw ingredients did not only fill the hall with delectable aromas, it also drew crowds when Penang’s very own celebrity chef performed a cooking demonstration. Halal-certified Taiwanese bubble tea was another crowd-puller.
Among other highlights were the tea trolley created by famed tea brand “3.15pm”, the unique Aiyu and Abiu fruit from Taiwan; the Anyong Biotechnology Cells Alive System which attracted trade buyers and investors; the Taiwan Main Orthopaedic Biotechnology which showcased one of the few fully-digital smart orthopaedic surgical glasses in the world plus the DigiMax Innovative hearing aid, and the Epoch Energy Technology’s Oxy-Hydrogen technology, all which attracted interest among those in the medical industry; Taiwanese beauty products; its smart city, parking and green technology systems and solutions; and more.
Taiwan Expo will be making its way to Hanoi, Surabaya and Davao. It has since left its mark in seven cities and will continus to serve as a pillar in Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy aimed at forging greater collaborations with nations in Southeast Asia.
