Open-Air Banquet to Boost Tourism and Aid Disaster Reconstruction

Normal 0 0 2 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:表格內文; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} A s part of its international2009 Tour Taiwan Year promotion, the TaiwanTourism Bureau is inviting more than 600 foreign travelers and mediarepresentatives to attend a traditional Taiwanese open-air banquet on Aug. 18. The event is being held in conjunction of the 20 th anniversary of the Taiwan Food Festival. In addition to a delicious meal, theparticipants will also be able to experience some of the scenic beauty,historic romance, and warm hospitality of the ancient capital city of Tainan .   The list of participants was compiled overa period of more than two months with the help of travel agencies, who areincluding the banquet in their tour itineraries. Most of the attending groups have not changed theirschedules despite the recent ravaging of southern Taiwan by Typhoon Morakot, andtheir presence at the event will help to dispel misconceptions about overallconditions on the island. They will see that as far as international touristsare concerned, the island is mostly back to normal.   The open-air banquet wasoriginally to have taken place at the Old Fort of Anping, a first-gradehistoric site, but because of environmental and weather considerations it hasbeen moved under-roof at the Anping Tourist Fish Market. During the meal,diners will be treated to performances of hand-puppet opera, spinning-drummusic, and the “Twelve Nannies” prancing to solicit the blessings of the gods,providing a rich glimpse into the folk culture of southern Taiwan .   Among the diners will be a group of 40visitors from Japan ,led by two famous Japanese culinary masters, who will not only enjoy Taiwanese food but willalso engage in Taiwanese-Japanese culinary exchange. There will also be afamous culinary expert from Hong Kong , andFrench culinary expert and critic Alain Cirelli will be on hand to experiencethe unique open-airbanquet and the warmth of the southern Taiwanese people. These experts willspread the word about Taiwanesefood and the attending international media people will report it to theworld, giving a strong boost to Taiwan as an attractive culinary destination.   The kitchen team for the banquet will beheaded up by top chef Master Ah Yong, who has prepared a menu consisting oftraditional open-air-banquet dishes in consultation with a group of food consultants. Master Ah Yong isdonating half of his income from the banquet to the victims of Typhoon Morakot.   The banquet is co-organizedby the city governments of Tainan and Taipei with the aim of using the allure of fine food, alongwith the historic sites of the area, to upgrade the image of tourism insouthern Taiwan .The banquet willalso be used to publicize next year’s Taipei International Flora Expo in the international arena, and the foreign invitees will be urged to returnnext year for more culinary pleasures along with the flower show.   The recent typhoon did a lot of damage tomany of the tourist spots in southern Taiwan ; but, as the Tourism Bureau points, it has in no waydiminished the deliciousness of the island’s foods or the warm hospitality ofits people. These remain strong factors in attracting foreign tourists to Taiwan , and the Tourism Bureau will use the open-air banquet in Tainan to emphasize theisland’s determination to rebuild following the disaster and its indomitablewill to survive. Normal 0 0 2 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:表格內文; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} ** ContactInformation Website:   http://www.outdoor-banquets.tw/en/index.html Please visit http://www.allproducts.com/PR/full_story_tbroc_20090819.html [ allproducts.com PressRoom ] for further information.

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