Special Events

~Beauty-Full Korea~ Hanbok Fashion Show in Taipei

On November 11th, the Korean Mission in Taipei held the first ever Hanbok Fashion Show titled “BeautyFull Korea” in the Huashan Creative Park. It was organized to introduce the beauty of Korean traditional clothing, Hanbok, to the Taiwanese public, so we brought a carefully selected collection of Hanboks, from royal-class garments to hand-painted skirts to modern-style dresses. Three Hanbok designers from Korea collaborated with us and hand-crafted every piece of Hanbok, and staff from the Korean Culture Association helped organize the logistics. The two-week period before the show was a heavy raining season, and since the silk texture of Hanbok is particularly vulnerable to humidity, we checked every day to make sure the clothes are safe from any dampness or mold.

On the event night, Deputy Minister of the Taiwan Ministry of Culture Hsiao Tsung-huang, Deputy Minister of the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang, members of WTIC, and many other officials from diplomatic corps and government graced our event with their presence. As the representative of the

Korean Mission, my husband and I wore Hanbok as well to greet the guests with traditional Korean clothing. With the magnificent sound of gong, the show started. 32 model students from University of Taipei volunteered as models for our show, and it was wonderful to see the Taiwanese models wearing Hanbok and showcasing the Korean aesthetics to the public. In a sense, it was a visual spectacle of KoreaTaiwan collaboration. I would like to once again express my gratitude for the University of Taipei and the Korean Culture Association for supporting our first Hanbok Fashion Show in Taiwan. Next time we host the Hanbok fashion show again, I wish more members from WTIC could join and savor the beauty of traditional Korean aesthetics.

By Eun-jin Kim Spouse of the Representative Korean Mission in Taipei

~Forum and 2022 General Assembly~ at National Council of Women of Taiwan, ROC

WTIC is affiliated to National Council of Women of Taiwan, pledging to join hands to fulfill our advocacy to the mission of promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls. WTIC sent representatives to attend “Women’s Economic Empowerment

– Road to Happy Family” Forum held by NCW Taiwan on October 27th, and NCW Taiwan 2022 General Assembly on December 10th.

By Jeannie Tien President of WTIC

~Hinamatsuri (Doll’s Festival) Exhibition~ at Yang San Lang Museum

In Japan, Hinamatsuri (Doll’s Festival)” takes place on March 3rd. This is a day to pray for a young girl’s growth and happiness. It is also called “Momo no sekku (Peach Festival)” because it coincides with the peach blossom season according to the old lunar calendar.

Most families with girls display “hinaningyo” (special dolls for Hinamatsuri) and dedicate peach blossoms to them. They are usually arranged on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet, with the doll representing the empress at the top, and lower ranked attendants or entertainers below.

The practice of displaying these dolls began during the Edo period (1603-1868). It started as a way of warding off evil spirits, with the dolls acting as a charm. Even today, people in some parts of the country release paper dolls into rivers after the festival, praying that the dolls take people’s place in carrying away sickness and bad fortune.

There is also a superstition related to this festival, since it is believed that if the Hinamatsuri dolls are not put aside soon after the 3rd day of March; the daughters in the family will marry late. These dolls are placed with the start of the solar term of “yu-shui” in February, with blessings for a good marriage.

It is a pleasure for me to have this opportunity to let everyone know about a part of Japanese traditional culture. In the future, as a member of the Taiwan-Japan Cultural Bridge, I will hold various activities of this kind for everyone to experience and enjoy good memories together.

By Mrs. Noriko Young 越村のりこ (P.S. Translated from Japanese

王宸玲)

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