Taipei, March 22 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said that "one's imagination can take one to a rich world" when he attended the 2003 Miaoli International Mask Festival in northern Taiwan Saturday.
Chen and Vice President Annette Lu were invited to attend the opening ceremony of the festival, which is exhibiting more than 300 masks from 40 countries and will last until April 27.
According to Chen, the masks can help "broaden people's horizons and enrich their artistic lives."
Noting that the world is like a global village with ever increasing exchanges, Chen said that in Taiwan, the most obvious examples are the local cities and counties sponsoring international cultural activities, such as the mask festival.
As a majority of the masks on show are made of wood, while Miaoli is famous for its wood carving, it seems to the perfect place to hold such a festival, he added.