Three Taiwanese women were honored with the medal of friendship Thursday by the German Institute in Taipei in recognition of their contributions to the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Germany.
At a ceremony in Taipei, veteran journalist Chiu Bi-hui (???), researcher Chang Wen-lin (???) and restaurateur Qiu Dai-yu (???) were each awarded the Freundschaftsmedaille.
Jörg Polster, director-general of the German Institute in Taipei, said he was pleased to be able to present the friendship medal for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The institute said it has not given out any medals over the past two years due to the pandemic.
Chang is a researcher at the National Palace Museum (NPM) with expertise in the history of Buddhist art.
The institute said Chang, who earned a doctoral degree from the Free University of Berlin, Germany, has given “countless” tours of NPM’s artifacts to German delegations over the years, sometimes even on weekends.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chang said that as a result of her time studying in Germany, she had not only found a career but also a life-long passion.
Chang added she will continue to work hard and give tours of the museum to guests from Germany.
The other two medal recipients were Chiu Bi-hui and Qiu Dai-yu.
Chiu has been a journalist for 35 years and is currently responsible for German programs at the government-funded Radio Taiwan International (RTI).
By producing news stories in German, Chiu has helped the German community around the world better understand Taiwan, the institute said.
Chiu has also translated German children’s books and given talks about German culture, the institute said, adding that she had made an “important contribution” to the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Germany.
Meanwhile, Qiu has promoted German cuisine in Taiwan for over two decades at OMas, a restaurant she founded in Taipei in 2001, the institute said.
Her insistence on making quality and innovative food has drawn interest from the general public in German delicacies, the institute added.
The friendship medal commends individuals or organisations for promoting friendship between Taiwan and Germany, according to the institute, which represents Germany’s interests in Taipei in the absence of official diplomatic relations.
A total of 44 medals have been presented since its establishment in 2013. The recipients have included 11 German nationals, 28 Taiwanese citizens, two schools, two companies and one association, the institute said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel