The grand opening ceremony of the 2023 Taiwan International Orchid Show was held on Mar. 3. Tainan City Government invited 14 foreign representatives in Taiwan to attend as special guests. Ten correspondents from well-known international media stationed in Taiwan also came to cover the event.
Tainan Deputy Mayor Chao Ching-hui hosted a luncheon to welcome the guests who received orchids as welcoming gifts. She mentioned that one in every six orchids found in the world is from Tainan and pointed out that the city’s orchid industry is internationally known for its skills in producing diverse seedlings and blossom presentations. A visit to Symon Agricultural Biotech was arranged to offer the guests a more intimate experience with Taiwan’s orchid technology. Using the company’s world-leading orchid spray-paint technology, Symon Agricultural Biotech presented orchids with the Ukrainian flag painted on the flowers after the Ukraine-Russian war broke out. The same innovative technology was used to present blossoms with the Turkish flag painted on to comfort the country which had been struck by the terrible earthquake.
Inviting foreign representatives to the Taiwan International Orchid Show has become an important part of the event. Representatives from Palau, Hungary, the US, and Guatemala attend nearly every year. Recently, the Indonesian representative has become a familiar face and this is the first time for the Ambassador from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Many representatives brought along their spouses to enjoy the award-winning orchids.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Bowman mentioned that this is her third visit to Tainan. When she entered the Mirror World area, the design was so beautiful she wanted to move her bedroom there! Ambassador Bowman praised the exhibitions non-stop and said within one hour of entering the venue, she had already shared 30 photos with her family.
Palau Ambassador David Adams Orrukem and his wife stopped to take photos together every so often in front of the elegant orchids. The Ambassador also took many lovely photos of his wife.
Guatemala Ambassador Oscar Adolf Padilla Lam expressed that while orchids are very popular in his country as well, he is still impressed by the wide variety offered in Taiwan. He is eager to invite his Guatemalan and international friends to visit the Orchid Show and also looks forward to the 2024 Taiwan International Orchid Show.
American Institute in Taiwan Kaohsiung Branch Office (AITK) Chief Thomas Wong was especially interested in the lifelike Orchidsaur. He took many photos and shared the event on AIT’s Facebook page.
In addition to applauding the beauty of the displays, Director Balazs Szabo from the Hungarian Trade Office Taipei remarked that Taiwan’s orchids have great business potential if they can be directly exported to Hungary.
The ten correspondents from seven international media, including FUJI Television, Asahi Broadcasting, NHK, AFP, EPA, Zuma Press, and Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club (TFCC), took many photos to capture the beauty of the orchids and had lively discussions with the exhibitors and businesses.
After finally returning last year, the Taiwan International Orchid Show (TIOS) will be expanded and held as the “World Orchid Show” in 2024 to commemorate Tainan’s 400th anniversary. In addition to being one of the world’s three major orchid exhibitions, TIOS is also an important exchange platform for global orchid industries and related academic circles.
This year, Tainan City Government arranged for the foreign representative delegation to visit Symon Agricultural Biotech after the opening ceremony. Last year (2022), the company used its latest plant dyeing nanotechnology to paint the Ukrainian flag on white orchids to show Taiwan’s support for Ukraine’s freedom and democracy. This year (2023), Symon Agricultural Biotech produced orchids with the Turkish flag painted on them. The products were put up for charity sale and all proceeds were donated. The company also gifted each representative with an orchid with the flag of their respective countries painted on it. The representatives were impressed and honored by the gesture.