Rita Lau (third from the left),
Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu,
John Tsang and Stephen Lam
all attended the opening
ceremony at the first official
Hong Kong Taiwan Inter-City
Forum.

Honorary Chairman of Taiwan
Visitors Association Stanley
Yen strongly recommends that
citizens of Hong Kong
experience Taichung's
traditional, yet innovative, tea-
drinking culture.

The guests that attended the
forum tried their hand at
making their own bubble tea.

Jyou-Tian Folk Drum & Arts
Group gave a brilliant drum
performance at The Hong
Kong Academy for Performing
Arts. Joshua Law, JP,
Permanent Secretary for
Constitutional and Mainland
Affairs also joined in this
performance.

Building a 'Lovers' Bridge' between Taiwan and Hong Kong
Taichung City takes the first steps toward Taiwan-Hong Kong tourism & cultural exchanges

Words and photos by Taichung City Government
Translated by Ann Lee

About 500 Hong Kong and Taiwanese trade and industry representatives gathered in the Hong Kong Grand Hyatt lobby on April 15 for the first official "Hong Kong Taiwan Inter-City Forum". This is the first time that Hong Kong has openly invited Taiwanese government officials to take part in this type of formal event. Forum participants came in anticipation of establishing mutual understanding in the Hong Kong-Taiwan relationship, and building ties that encourage interaction and cooperation in economic/commercial development, tourism and culture.

In early January this year, Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu accompanied by four magistrates from Taichung, Changhua and Nantou counties to Hong Kong to attend a Central Taiwan tourism and local products promotion fair. Mayor Hu showed his sense of humor and friendliness by wearing an apron to demonstrate to the Hong Kong media how to make Taichung's famous Bubble Tea (or Pearl Milk Tea). Hu also garnered media attention as he answered questions in English and Mandarin during joint interviews with Hong Kong officials.

Tour builds Taiwan-Hong Kong relationship and promotes Taichung city tourism
In his opening forum speech, "Exchanges between Hong Kong and Taichung: Past, Present and Future", Mayor Hu said that, as part of the Taiwan-Hong Kong relationship, he'd like to build "a bridge for lovers", given the fact that Taichung City had an array of wedding-themed shops, together with beautiful, sunny weather and romantic attractions. He hoped that hundreds of newly-wed couples could cross this "bridge" each year and come to Taiwan for their honeymoon. Hu also revealed that on very morning, during a visit to see Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, he found out that Tsang and his wife came to Taiwan for their honeymoon 40 years ago. Hu's comment that he hoped to invite the Tsangs back to Taiwan in the near future made Hong Kong newspaper headlines.

Hu told the media that during his Hong Kong visit at the start of the year, he had worked hard on the issue easing Hong Kong visa requirements for Taiwanese visitors. He quickly received good news, as Permanent Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Rita Lau made a public announcement at this year's forum that, effective April 27, Taiwanese tourists will not be required to apply for entry-exit endorsements. Currently, Taiwanese who hold a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents may enter Hong Kong and stay for up to seven days, provided they also have a valid entry-exit endorsement for China.

Exploring Taichung with one tour and multiple stops
The Taichung mayor noted that the Hong Kong Government's visa-free "gift" was not directed at him personally, but as a friendly, sincere gesture toward Taiwan's 23 million people. Hu also said that this was only the beginning, as more future exchanges would take place. Hong Kong's relaxation of entry requirements for Taiwanese visitors will boost tourism between the two regions and create a "win-win-win" situation for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Thanks to Taichung's outstanding geographical advantages, the mayor hopes that a "10-day tour with multiple stops" can be developed for Taichung, in cooperation between relevant officials and businesses from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Fujian and Guangdong. Such a tour will allow visitors to enjoy multiple attractions on one tour, for a satisfying experience.

Taiwan, Hong Kong, Fujian and Guangdong to form mega-region
Throughout the forum, participants raised issues that worried them, including the fading of Hong Kong's role between Taiwan and China as cross-Strait relations improve. However, actual statistics show otherwise. People visiting Hong Kong have not decreased throughout the years and, notably, tourists traveling from Taichung's CCK Airport to Hong Kong have grown by 160%. Just a few days ago, Mayor Hu's friends in the Hong Kong tourism industry informed him that close to 1,000 Hong Kong tourists traveled to Taichung over the three-day Thanksgiving period, showing that cross-Strait developments were not hurting Hong Kong-Taiwan tourism.

Noting that some academic institutions were predicting the loss of Hong Kong's role in China-Taiwan relations could come after a decade, Hu suggested that Taiwan, Hong Kong, Fujian and Guangdong instead work together to form a "mega-region", helping boost respective regions' competitiveness together, and creating a single powerful economic entity.

Tea serving and local delicacies: Hong Kong tourists enjoy a full-on Taiwanese experience
The Taichung City Government delegation included representatives from industrial, commercial and tourism sectors. Taichung has always been known as a cultural city and, on the final day of the Hong Kong visit, a "Taichung Tea-tasting " event was held at the World Trade Center building. This showcased a range of tea culture themed performances by Taichung's well-known tea house chain Chun Shuei Tang and Xin Xing NanGuan Orchestra, representing the traditional and innovative sides to Taichung city's culture. Taiwan Visitors Association Honorary Chairman Stanley Yen said Taichung was a city of vibrant culture, highly-recommended for those seeking a relaxed lifestyle. He also invited Hong Kong visitors to partake in an in-depth local Taiwanese cultural experience, and gain a real understanding of Taiwan's 'feng cha", or "tea serving" culture. Yen believes that Taiwan should work to expand promotion of its long-lived, rich culture to the world, showcasing the most exquisite and beautiful aspects of the Chinese culture and lifestyle, as a foundation for tourism development.

This "Taichung Tea-tasting" event included a musical performance led by Ms. Wang Xin-xin, including a number of musical pieces using instruments like a vertical bamboo flute (dongxiao), and "pi-pa" and nanguan music. Chun Shuei Tang's show educated audiences about the incorporation of tea-drinking into daily Taiwan life, and created some "bubble tea" on the spot. This allowed participants to enjoy the art of LOHAS while enjoying related specialties like sun cakes and taro cakes. Towards the end of the event, everyone also received a tea cup, allowing them to try some tea-making at home.

Folk-style string music: Taichung shows off its diverse culture
Besides the tea event, the Taichung City Government Bureau of Cultural Affairs also led Taichung City Symphony Orchestra String Quartet and Jyou-Tian Folk Drum & Arts Group to perform at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. These talented musical groups performed a series of classical, traditional and innovative works that gave the Hong Kong audience a taste of Taichung's diverse culture.

Mayor Hu expressed great appreciation to the Hong Kong Government for its comprehensive visit arrangements. The large turn-out at all events indicates that a lot of work, particularly on the tourism side, awaits. The mayor's Hong Kong tour also revealed the highest level of sincerity and creativity on both sides and the significant future work that needs to be done. Consequently, both Hong Kong and Taiwan may need to hold a second inter-city forum at the end of this year. Whatever is yet to come, Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu's open-minded charisma and wit have already been made apparent to Hong Kong people and put things off to a good start.