Taipei Celebrates Eid al-Fitr with Vibrant Festivities and Community Spirit

A Day of Halal Delights, Cultural Exchange, and Unity in Taiwan's Capital

Taipei, Taiwan – The heart of Taiwan pulsed with vibrant energy as Taipei City hosted its annual Eid al-Fitr celebration on April 13th, drawing a large and enthusiastic crowd to Daan Forest Park. The event, organized by the Taipei City government, showcased the rich tapestry of Muslim culture with Halal food, lively music, and engaging cultural displays.

Attendee Ria, originally from Indonesia, shared her excitement at discovering the event online. She reveled in the opportunity to explore the Halal food bazaar, especially the Indonesian culinary offerings she dearly missed. Ria, a public health PhD student at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU)'s Taipei campus, highlighted Taiwan's increasing friendliness towards Muslim communities. She pointed to the readily available Halal-certified food sections in Family Mart stores and the abundance of Halal restaurants and prayer rooms.

On her campus, where the Muslim student population is growing, Ria notes the frequent use of the prayer room and praises NYCU for its welcoming environment. Meanwhile, a group of young Indonesians enjoyed a picnic and danced to music from their homeland. Nobel, a student at National Taiwan University (NTU), mentioned that he and his friends were among NTU's approximately 400 Indonesian students.

Restu, another student, explained that she and her friends gathered to practice "halal-bihalal," a tradition of seeking forgiveness that Indonesian Muslims typically observe after Ramadan. Because they are away from their families, they've continued this tradition among friends for the past four years at the Taipei City government's Eid al-Fitr event.

Beyond the delicious food and beverages, the event also fostered cultural exchange. The Taipei City government invited both Taiwanese and Indonesian vendors to set up stalls that highlighted their respective cultures. These included displays of handmade Indonesian masks and shadow puppets, alongside an introduction to Pat ka-tsiòng, or "the eight infernal generals," a traditional Taiwanese religious dance aimed at warding off evil spirits.

The atmosphere was further enriched by the performance of Gema Angklung, a band that played an instrumental rendition of the iconic Taiwanese song "Tian Mi Mi" (甜蜜蜜) by the late Teresa Teng (鄧麗君), using the traditional Indonesian percussion instrument Angklung.

A staff member from the Taipei City Foreign and Disabled Labor Office, which organized the cultural activities, emphasized the event's purpose: to promote mutual understanding between Taiwanese and Indonesians. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) attended the event and delivered a speech, expressing gratitude to the Muslim community for choosing Taipei as their home. "Taipei is a passionate, friendly, inclusive and diverse city where people treat members of all ethnic groups as family, regardless of who arrived first," Chiang said.

Arif Sulistiyo, Indonesia's representative to Taiwan, shared that around 35,000 Indonesians reside in Taipei, with over 90% being Muslim. He expressed his appreciation for the Indonesian caregivers who brought the seniors they care for to the event and committed to continue collaborating with the Taipei City government to organize what he called the largest Eid event in Taiwan.