TNUA youth ambassadors went to Belize on a two-week arts and cultural exchange visit this summer to enhance friendship between the two countries.
The eight-member delegation, headed by Dean of Student Affairs Prof. Huei Teng Chang, attended an opening ceremony in Belize City on July 19, where they met the 60 Belizean participants of the exchange program and tried to understand one another more through a series of interactive games.
The 60 participants, aged 15 to 30, would take part in various activities in the coming two weeks introducing them to Peking Opera, toy-making, Chinese calligraphy, Taiwanese puppet show, aboriginal dances, folk songs and various other traditional arts and culture.
The TNUA youth ambassadors included graduate and undergraduate students majoring in theatre arts, music, filmmaking and new media.
During their two-week stay, they also visited Sir Colville Young, governor general of Belize; Mrs. Kim Barrow, wife of Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow; and Belizean Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Wilfred Elrington.
The visitors brought Sir Colville, a famous musician, a Taiwanese puppet as a gift, and entertained him with a few Taiwanese folk songs during their meeting.
The TNUA youth ambassadors also spent some time with children at a charity home run by Mrs. Barrow. They played with the children, showing them Taiwanese toys, such as bamboo water guns.
The delegation caught the attention of the local media. Two of the members did an interview with a local TV station to express their thoughts on the program.
On July 28 a closing ceremony was held to conclude the visit. The TNUA youth ambassadors and the Belizean participants showcased what had been taught and learnt by staging performances of Taiwanese folk songs, Peking Opera, aboriginal dances and others.