Creative Expo opens, cultural and creative products have an earthy flavor

Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai said yesterday at the fourth Taiwan International Cultural and Creative Industries Expo that this year's expo features cultural and creative products closely connected to the soil.

The 2013 Taiwan International Cultural and Creative Industries Expo runs from the 21st to the 24th on the first floor of the Nangang Exhibition Hall in Taipei. This year's expo echoes international market trends, with "craft design" as its main axis, seeking to bring together Taiwan's diverse cultural characteristics such as ethnic groups, geography, local products and craftsmanship.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lung Ying-tai said she was confident that this year's expo would be the best one yet. In the past, many countries' exhibitions focused on merchandise, but the distinguishing feature of this year's Taiwan expo is that the products are closely connected to the soil. "What Taiwan presents is not just merchandise, but an emotional expression with design value."

She pointed out that this year one area was planned as "Hidden Art," to discover Taiwan's alley culture and find the beauty of craftsmanship in everyday life. Many artists work quietly in the alleys, but if you look carefully you will find that each one is a jewel. She also cited the Dashe tribe as an example: Typhoon Morakot destroyed the homes of the Dashe people, and after the post-disaster rebuilding, 20% of the tribe are artists, and a unique artistry of the Dashe tribe has also developed.

This year's expo has more than 564 exhibiting units and 1,035 booths. Among them, the "International Style Area" brings together exhibitors from Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Thailand, Malaysia, the Republic of Georgia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, Peru, India and others.