Organized by National Center for Traditional Arts (NCFTA), the 2024 Asia-Pacific Traditional Arts Festival (APTAF) kicked off on Oct. 5 in Yilan County, and is set to run until Oct. 13.

This year’s festival, themed “Let Light Prevail,” focuses on Diwali, the festival of lights as well as the Indian epic “Ramayana,” and will feature 45 performances from 10 artist groups, showcasing their interpretations of the story of Ramayana.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Director General of the India Taipei Association Aparna Ganesan thanked NCFTA for its choice of the theme.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Culture Lee Ching-hwi (李靜慧) stated that the festival, which was first held in 2000, is an important event for the cultural exchange between Taiwan and Asia-Pacific countries, and that the MOC will continue to hold such cultural exchange events.

In addition to the performances, the festival also features a variety of enjoyable activities, offering cultural experiences from around the world.

For more information on the festival, please visit the NCFTA’s official website at https://festival.ncfta.gov.tw/2024APTAF and the APTAF’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AsiaPacificTraditionalArtFestival.