Taiwan's "Taiwan Da" Makes Debut at Tokyo Orchid Show with Performance by Children's Dance Troupe "Water Sprites"

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The "2014 World Orchid Exhibition" grandly opened on the 15th amidst snowfall at Tokyo Dome. This year’s event attracted 3,000 varieties of orchids from 21 countries. Taiwan’s mascot "Taiwan Da" also made its first public performance of the theme song "Taiwan Da of the Southern Island" together with composer Kenichi Ebara on the opening day. ⟦

Although Tokyo was blanketed in heavy snow, it did not dampen the excitement of this year’s “Orchid World Exhibition.” With the theme “A Paradise in the City,” the exhibition featured over 100,000 orchids from 21 countries, including rare varieties such as the “blue Phalaenopsis” making their debut. Renowned orchid gardens such as the National Taiwan University Orchid Garden and Tsing Hua Orchid Garden, which have won multiple international awards, also showcased Taiwan’s achievements in orchid cultivation at the event.

The adorable “Taiwan Da” also made its first public performance of the theme song on the main stage of the venue. Accompanied by the warm vocals of Ken Ta Ebara, “Taiwan Da” led the audience in a sing-along, instantly heating up the atmosphere. The crowd was also quick to praise its cute appearance, calling it “kawaii!” The theme song’s simple and catchy lyrics even allowed Ambassador Shen Shih-chung, who was present at the event, to immediately recite them when asked by reporters if he knew the song — “Want to see, want to eat, come to Taiwan!”

Following Taiwan Da’s performance, the “Water Sprite Children’s Dance Troupe” from Taiwan took the stage, presenting exquisite dances that represented traditional Hakka culture, local festivals, and the changing of the seasons in Taiwan. Their spectacular performance earned loud calls for an encore from the Japanese audience. After the show, “Taiwan Da” posed for a group photo with Ken Ta Ebara, Ambassador Shen Shih-chung and his wife, and the Water Sprite Children’s Dance Troupe, marking a perfect end to the day’s events.