TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwanese in Rome association and the Rome Mandarin School jointly held a Lunar New Year hot pot banquet on Saturday (Feb. 10).
Nearly 100 overseas Taiwanese students and Italian guests went to enjoy Spring Festival festivities and experience Taiwanese customs, according to the Taipei Representative Office in Italy. Attendees partook in traditional activities such as couplet writing, guessing riddles, and playing games. Participants could also buy special souvenirs to mark the special holiday.
The Rome Mandarin School handed out New Year-related delicacies such as dumplings (representing ingots), rice cakes (symbolizing continuous advancement), and radish cakes (indicating good luck) to attendees. The organizers also organized a Bingo game incorporating New Year-themed prizes and auspicious phrases.
In a speech, Taiwan Representative to Italy Vincent Y.C. Tsai (蔡允中) thanked the Taiwanese in Rome for helping organize the banquet. He explained that the Year of the Dragon symbolizes "vitality and energy" and wished all attendees a prosperous, joyful, and peaceful new year.
Tsai has been pushing for closer bilateral cooperation, particularly in infrastructure, automotive manufacturing, heavy machinery production, ICT, e-commerce, clean energy, healthcare, smart cities, and agriculture. Taiwan opened a new representative office in Milan in October 2023, which provides services to Taiwanese tourists and expatriates in northern Italy.
