Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

The new mascot of the 2010 Taipei Intl’ Flora Expo, which resembles a brown seed, received its name after a round of online voting. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin introduced “Ya-by” to the public during a press conference on October 28.
Ya-by will embark on its first overseas mission – a promotion tour starting in Shanghai on October 29. The delegation from Taipei City will be headed by Deputy Mayor Lee Yong-ping.
Mayor Hau thanked the 140,000 online voters for coming up with the name for the mascot. He announced that Ya-by has been officially inducted into the Flora Expo’s family of mascots, which include the five flower fairies.
The Flora Expo will give Taipei City an opportunity to renovate its urban landscape, promoting its new face to foreign visitors. A lot of work remains to be done between this moment and the opening of the event next year, noted Hau.
Presale admission tickets for the 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo are now available. During the first phase of presale, the NT$300 tickets cost only NT$200. In addition, individuals who order the limited “mascot version” ticket before December 31 will have a chance to win cash rewards and souvenirs!