On May 20, the 16th President and Vice President Inaugural State Banquet was held in Tainan for the first time. Banquet guests were treated to Tainan’s famous Dongshan coffee, bubble milk tea, and ice cream desserts in addition to the local seasonal ingredients in the dishes. Since Tainan is a major orchid production region, the state banquet venue was decorated with numerous orchids, and the national flags of the 29 countries with representatives at the banquet were nano-spray-painted onto the orchids displayed outside.
President Lai Ching-te remarked that it is of great historical significance to host the Presidential Inauguration State Banquet in Tainan as this year is the year of Tainan 400. It also demonstrates his government’s goal of pursuing balanced development nationwide and ensuring that the people throughout the island can comfortably live and find satisfaction in their work. Tainan is home to not only the Southern Taiwan Science Park and Shalun Green Energy Science City but also historical monuments with 400 years of history. Here, technology and culture coexist, which is the epitome of other counties and cities in Taiwan. Lai invited the foreign guests to travel around the nation and help establish stronger relationships. He also expressed that the dishes served at the banquet were made with ingredients from 22 cities in Taiwan and employed culinary practices of all ethnic groups in the nation to showcase Taiwan’s multicultural heritage.
This year is particularly exciting for Tainan, according to Mayor Huang Wei-che, as it is not only Tainan 400 but also the first time the city has hosted the first state banquet of the president and vice president. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, Huang extended a heartfelt welcome to the foreign visitors to Tainan and wished them a speedy return to experience the allure of the historic city. The guests also received a state banquet gift bag filled with Tainan specialty products carefully prepared by the city government.