The president champions tourism, linking "Seediq Bale" to Penglai tea

By Li Xinyi

 

To celebrate the centennial of the Republic of China, the Southern Taiwan Tourism Passport has specially collected nearly 100 tourist attractions and issued 200,000 copies for the first time to promote tourism in southern Taiwan. The issuance of this tourism passport also featured President Ma Ying-jeou, who endorsed the initiative. President Ma believes that southern Taiwan’s historical sites have great potential and can be further packaged and promoted. He spoke highly of the Shanguangwen Memorial Hall in Shanhua, a lesser-known site, noting that Shanguangwen made outstanding contributions to education in Taiwan and is thus regarded as the “Confucius of Taiwan

Weilexuanchuannantaiwanguanguanghuzhao,Nantaiwanmeishiyezheyegenzheshangtaibeizaoshi,Weijiejuexiangjiaochanjiguoshengdewenti,Gaoxiongyezhejiangxiangjiaozuochengxiangjiaosushangshi;Erpenghuxianglaizhimingdebanshouliheitanggao,Heitanggaoyezheheiniuyijingyanfaxinkuan,Tuichuyongheitang,Hongdou,Nuomidengzuochengdebingxingao,Youkejieshoudupogao;Eryiyouqishinianlishidetainanyuezaicha,Chuangshirencongrizhishidaixiangribenshichuanxuexishougongbudingzhijin,Rengyigufazhizuo;Zaijingzhengjiliedebanshoulizhong,Yezhechenggongzhaochugezidetese.

After tasting the delicacies of southern Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou said that in addition to the already well-known foods, Taiwan should also combine the efforts of the government and the private sector to jointly showcase the depth of Taiwanese history.He also cited the origin of the name “Pengfeng Tea” for Oriental Beauty Tea as an example. At the time, when producers entered Oriental Beauty Tea into a competition in Taipei, they ended up selling a thousand pounds on-site. But upon returning to their hometown, locals called it “Pengfeng” (a Taiwanese slang term for bragging). Later, Oriental Beauty Tea became known as “Pengfeng Tea.” However, after some investigation, Ma Ying-jeou found out that the buyer of that thousand pounds of Oriental Beauty Tea was none other than Shigeru Ishizuka, the then-Governor-General of Taiwan featured in the movie “Seediq Bale,” who made a bulk purchase before leaving office.Well-known souvenirs are intricately linked with history, a connection that even local businesses might not have anticipated.