The New Taipei City Government Secretariat invited ambassadors, representatives, and their families from eight countries to Pinglin, where they enjoyed hands-on tea-picking at Green Light Farm.

In May this year, National Geographic named New Taipei's Pinglin District one of Taiwan’s "Top Five Hidden Gems," recognizing its unique tea culture, rich biodiversity, and pristine rural landscapes. To share this mountain town's charm with the international community, the New Taipei City Government Secretariat invited foreign dignitaries to experience Pinglin's natural beauty and cultural heritage firsthand on September 18.
 
A delegation of 14 diplomats and their families from eight countries—including Saint Lucia, Paraguay, Belize, Guatemala, the Netherlands, Austria, Vietnam, and Indonesia—joined the day-long excursion organized by the Secretariat and Pinglin District Office. Guests visited organic tea gardens, picked fresh tea leaves by hand, and learned about the production of distinctive teas such as Pouchong, Oriental Beauty, and Honey Black. Local tea farmers guided the envoys through tastings, allowing them to savor the nuanced flavors and aromas of each variety.
 
Lunch featured local vegetarian cuisine infused with tea, including tea-flavored rice, tea eggs, and tea jelly, highlighting the district’s culinary creativity rooted in tea culture. The delegation also toured the Pinglin Tea Museum, where a guided exhibition titled "Tea and Emperors" offered insights into more than a thousand years of Chinese tea heritage.
 

(Right to left) Belize Ambassador Katherine Meighan, Guatemalan official Aguilar, and Netherlands Representative Bas Pulles with his wife take part in a tea culture activity.


Paraguayan Ambassador Darío Filártiga Ruiz Díaz experiences the tea-making process.


Guests savor the delicate flavors of different teas: (from left) Saint Lucia Ambassador Robert K. Lewis, Belize Ambassador Katherine Meighan, Netherlands Representative Bas Pulles, and Austrian official Sylvia Schurian.

Distinguished participants included Saint Lucia Ambassador Robert K. Lewis; Paraguay Ambassador Darío Filártiga Ruiz Díaz; Belize Ambassador Katherine Meighan; Netherlands Representative Bas Pulles; Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office Representative Phan Kieu Chung; Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei Consular Director Wawan Kurniawan; Guatemala Commercial Counsellor Carlo Matus; and Austrian Office in Taipei Consular Officer Sylvia Schurian. Representing New Taipei City were Secretariat Director General Juh Hui-mei, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs Sharon Yu, and Pinglin District Chief Chang Hsiu-ling. The event fostered warm exchanges and left a lasting impression on the visiting envoys.
 
This journey through Pinglin’s tea country allowed international guests to experience every aspect of local tea culture—from leaf picking to tea tasting—while deepening their appreciation of Taiwan’s cultural richness and diversity. The successful event not only showcased Pinglin’s natural beauty and vitality but also enhanced New Taipei"s international visibility, marking a new chapter in the city's global outreach.


Fourteen envoys visit the Pinglin Tea Museum, welcomed by New Taipei City Government Secretariat Director General Juh Hui-mei (front row, fourth from right) and Pinglin District Chief Chang Hsiu-ling (front row, third from left).