Registration for "Spend A Night @ Taiwan's Presidential Office Building" now open
On the morning of April 21, the General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC) held a press conference at the Presidential Office to officially announce that the "Spend A Night @ Taiwan's Presidential Office Building" program is open for registration through June 30. During the press conference, Secretary-General to the President Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) welcomed global travelers to register for a chance to stay at the Presidential Office Building in Taiwan and witness the country's friendliness, freedom, and diversity. He also emphasized that we are ready to welcome tourists from around the world to fully experience the beauty of Taiwan.
In remarks, Secretary-General Lin officially announced the opening of registration for the "Spend A Night @ Taiwan's Presidential Office Building" program, adding that he is sure that everyone is looking forward to the event. He pointed out that the event, first held in 2019 before the pandemic, allowed the world to see Taiwan, but also brought Taiwan closer to the world. Now that the event is returning this year, he thanked the GACC for organizing the event, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Culture; and Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) for co-organizing; as well as other organizations for their assistance.
Secretary-General Lin noted that the last time the program was held, 167 applications from 33 countries on five continents were submitted, leading to enthusiastic discussion among netizens worldwide, adding that we look forward to setting a new record this year. As a Taiwan landmark and a symbol of the nation's highest office, the Presidential Office is regularly open for public tours, he said, and this program welcomes foreign individuals to spend the night and get to know the Presidential Office as an approachable seat of government rather than a remote authority. Secretary-General Lin called the event a particularly meaningful expression of Taiwan's democracy and friendliness.
Secretary-General Lin said that this time, the program has been enhanced with the introduction of 10 major in-depth travel themes, including railway travel, wartime art, Hakka culture, and aerospace technology. Taiwan's tourism industry made major strides during the pandemic, and now stands ready to welcome tourists from around the world with many comprehensive tourist experiences. Secretary-General Lin said that he expects Taiwan's transformation after the pandemic will draw more visitors from around the world to our beautiful island where they can see an even better Taiwan. He also expressed his hope that everyone will help spread the word and use this program to help make Taiwan the world's first stop for post-pandemic sightseeing.
GACC Deputy Secretary-General Huang Jing-hui (黃竫蕙) explained the program's registration procedures, saying that registration is open through June 30, and that anyone aged 20 or older who is not a Republic of China citizen is eligible. In addition to providing their full name, nationality, passport number, and other basic information, Deputy Secretary-General Huang said that applicants must provide responses to questions such as why they want to travel to Taiwan and what most attracts them to Taiwan; and they must also record a short self-introduction video explaining how they would share information about Taiwan and what characteristics and strengths make them best suited for the program. She added that information on the program is available online (www.nightattaiwan.tw), and that a panel of judges will select 10 entries from their evaluation to spend an evening at the Presidential Office Building and tell the world about the many wonderful aspects of Taiwan.
Following the remarks, Presidential Office Secretary-General Lin, GACC Vice President Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), Deputy Minister of Culture Sue Wang (王時思), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Roy Chun Lee (李淳), and Deputy Director-General Lin Hsin-Jen (林信任) of the Tourism Bureau, MOTC, took part in the launch ceremony and invited travelers from around the world to register for the program.