On 4 & 5 Nov last year, the first TAIWAN FESTIVAL co-hosted by Taiwanese Hwa Hsia of NZ (THHNZ) and Taiwanese Business Association of NZ (TBANZ), took place around Hall 5, at ASB SHOWGROUNDS in Auckland. The fabulous cultural performances and exhibitions had attracted a crowd around 30,000 each day.

This year THHNZ and TBANZ jointly found the FORMOSA CHARITABLE TRUST BOAD, is in charge of the second TAIWAN FESTIVAL at the same venue, ASB Showgrounds Auckland on 20 & 21 October. The activity time will be from 10:00am to 5:00pm each day. Like last time, this event is free entry for everyone, since we are doing it on a charitable purpose, just doing our best to make ends meet.

The Content

This time the event will include 8 subjects: (1)Taiwanese Culture & Art Fair (2)Taiwanese Record Film & Movie Exhibition (3)Trade Show (4)Live Cultural Performance (5)Taiwan Costume Exhibition (6)Human Source & Tourism Show (7)Taiwanese Traditional Arts & Toys Display (8)Food Fair and Cooking Demonstration.

Lucky Draw

Lucky draw raffles will be sold on spot. This year we will sell two kinds raffles:

The first kind is called “Big Luck”, each raffle is put in a big dedicate red envelop, sold for $50, supply is very limited. Each raffle is guaranteed to earn a valuable and exquisite prize. The prize is instant draw, instant strike and instant takeaway. Further more, all the buyers will automatically be in of winning 1 of the 2 top prizes to be publicly drawn in the afternoon of Oct 21: 2 returns fly tickets sponsored by EVA AIR, one is for Auckland –Taipei-Europe trip (with 2 overnight stays at Taipei Hyatt Hotel), and the other is Auckland –Taipei. However each raffle is guaranteed to earn a valuable and exquisite prize.

The second kind is called “Small Luck”, each for $2, 3 for $5 each. Supply is also limited. The top prize will be 2 returns fly tickets, one is for Auckland–Gold Coast Australia trip, and the other is for Auckland –Christchurch trip. Other smaller prizes are to be offered abundantly, so the chance of lucky strike will be high.

If the prize earner could not pick up his/her price on spot, we will inform him/her personally after our event finish, according to the contact details written on the raffle's counterfoil by the earner.

New Contents and features

Compared to 6 subjects in last year, we add 2 more:
In (2) Taiwanese Record Film & Movie Exhibition and (7) Taiwanese Traditional Arts & Toys Display. For the (7), different traditional Taiwanese folk artistic toys will be displayed before children; some of the toys can even be actually practiced and played by them.
In (8) Food Fair and Cooking Demonstration, we will provide outdoor cooking teaching courses of traditional Taiwanese snacks, so that our visitors will have good chances to learn the secret of how to cook such delicious snacks.

With the experience of last year, the preparatory committee has made great improvement of the total layout, to accommodate even huger crown, and to provide an even better viewing and shopping environment. One of such improvements is to move food stalls to car park and enlarge the area, so there won’t be a crowd jammed in from of main entrance.

Indoor Trade Show

The indoor trade show is being focused on “delicate MIT products”, i.e. mainly on advance industrial products from Taiwan for tourism, sport, leisure, IT and dry food, plus local New Zealand products. They will be shown either by physical products or featuring images for promotion. Last year, the products displayed on 30 stalls by 15 companies invited by Taiwanese Business Association of NZ, have drawn a great deal of new customers for them. This year, more companies will attend and more products to be displayed. Further more, we will have very distinguish products directly from Taiwan, “YINGEE CERAMICS” (please refer digital.ceramics.tpc.gov.tw/Web/indexE.htm) with Taiwan’s artistic workmanship.

Besides, the existing Taiwanese Culture & Art Fair, Tourism Show and Taiwan Costume Exhibition will all be renewed and re-laid out for the visitors.

Outdoor Food Stalls

30 outdoor food stalls will provide traditional Taiwanese delicious food and drink, from icy to hot. The preparatory committee will even arrange “Taiwanese Snack Cooking Course”, taught by specially invited fine food masters, to teach interesting audiences how to make 5 delicious Taiwanese snacks.

Indoor & Outdoor Cultural Performances

The splendid indoor cultural performances, will include folk and fashion singing, dancing, Chinese calligraphy, marshal art and traditional Taiwanese opera provided by local Taiwanese communities; Maori war dance, Korean drum from other ethnic groups. To make things more attractive, we will offer Chinese symphony, Taiwanese Fashion Costume show, and Porcelain-Flute performance performed by groups from Taiwan.

Outdoor Cultural Performances for the Grand Opening Ceremony starts from 9:30 am will be Dragon Dance performed by Taiwanese Hwa Hsia Society, followed by Maori performers from Te Puia, Rotorua, with Maori welcome and challenge ritual, and sealed by the Maori greeting - Hongi.

Behind the Scene

Like any other event with such scale and complexity, Taiwan Festival needs a lot of effort to make it happen. Further more, unlike common business enterprises, most of our workers are simply volunteers, who need to be recruited, trained and coordinated. Stalls must be solicited in advance, and then their position must be carefully and patiently arranged.

Cultural displays and performances are the main attraction to the festival attendees. They must be designed many months ago. They are provided by different sources come from vary distance: Auckland is surely near enough, Rotorua is still considered not quite far away, but Taiwan is almost ten thousands kilometers off. Besides the inconvenience and cost of communication between New Zealand and Taiwan, the groups from Taiwan will need logistic supports by the host once they get here, such as transport, accommodation, and equipments for their displays or performances.

In spite of the huge effort we need to make, our goal is simple: attract as many visitors as possible to come to ASB Showgrounds in Auckland, to watch fantastic shows and performances, and enjoy the fabulous and various Taiwanese foods and drinks on 20 & 21 October 2007, the Labour Day.