Travelers who make trips to Taipei are recommended to get a copy of Culture Express upon arrival, as the booklet offers a detailed guide to arts and fun in the Taiwan capital.
"I hope the updated version of Culture Express could help create a more vibrant atmosphere for visitors and local residents to talk abut cultural activities in Taipei," Lee Yong-ping, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City, said at Tuesday’s press conference. Culture Express, distributed by the department, is a monthly publication that has comprehensive information on cultural activities in Taipei. It comes in the form of a booklet (in Chinese), and a foldout, which is written in English and Japanese. The booklet and foldout come out at the end of every month, and is available for free at more than 600 sites, such as at the Taipei metro stations, bookstores, hotels, and airports, around Taipei City. The new Culture Express has a designed postmark on the cover.
At the press conference, Lee introduced the updated version of Culture Express, as the size of the booklet became bigger and more pages were added. Moreover, the future issue of Culture Express will include reviews submitted by renowned critics, making the publication more than just a full display of cultural activities.
The new Culture Express will also enhance the Hyperbook service that will allow users to obtain video information relating to the cultural events on the Culture Express listing. Visit www.myhyperbook.com for more information on the Hyperbook service.
Lee said that the media environment has changed a lot over the years. "Twenty years ago, cultural reviews were a major part in newspapers and magazines, but now there are fewer and fewer reviews."
She expressed her hope that the updated version of Culture Express can help serve as a platform for arts and culture enthusiasts to exchanges ideas.