TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The guest of honor at next month’s Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE), the Netherlands, will focus on history, tolerance, and sustainable design, reports said Wednesday (Jan. 17).
As Tainan City also celebrates its 400th anniversary, the Dutch pavilion will feature a segment titled “1624” to mark the anniversary of the European seafaring nation’s first contact with Taiwan. The events of that era could be looked at from different angles, officials said.
Dutch envoy in Taiwan Guido Tielman said 2024 was the year of Taiwanese-Dutch creativity and cultural exchanges, per CNA. The book fair will show core Dutch values to a Taiwanese reading public through authors, illustrators, and literary works, he said.
Events will focus on Indigenous peoples, gender, immigration, tolerance, LGBTQI+ issues, and freedom, according to the envoy. He emphasized the values Taiwan and the Netherlands shared, with the former serving as a lighthouse for freedom of speech.
Other aspects of Dutch modern life also to be explored at TIBE will be the country’s rich electronic music culture and its cartoons and animation, including the popular rabbit figure “Nijntje,” known in English as “Miffy.”
The Ministry of Culture announced special benefits for paying visitors to the fair, as well as for younger readers. TIBE takes place Feb. 20-25 at the Taipei World Center.
