You can travel around the world without leaving the country. The Taichung City New Immigrant Arts Center is presenting the permanent exhibition "One Bite of Everyday Life: A Cultural Memory Exhibition of World Snacks" from now through late November, and it opened with great excitement last week. Bringing together distinctive snacks from Southeast Asia, East Asia, Northeast Asia, Europe, and the United States, the exhibition invites the public to begin with familiar tastes and experience the charm of diverse cultures. Bao-Yun Chen, Deputy Director-General of the Civil Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government, attended the opening and stated that, through a light hearted and engaging approach, citizens can come to know the world one bite at a time while also experiencing Taichung’s diverse and inclusive urban character.

Deputy Director-General Chen pointed out that this year’s permanent exhibition takes "world snacks" as its theme. Beginning with everyday food, it connects the lived memories of different generations. Whether adults are revisiting the flavors of childhood or children are exploring snack cultures from different countries, visitors can all find resonance in the exhibition. She stated that snacks may seem ordinary, but they contain the dietary habits and cultural backgrounds of different countries. Through interactive displays, the exhibition guides citizens to understand diverse communities, further fostering respect and inclusion and working together to build a friendly and welcoming city.

The Civil Affairs Bureau stated that the number of new immigrants in Taichung City has exceeded 66,000, accounting for about 10.7 percent of the national new immigrant population. The city government has long promoted a variety of care and exchange measures and has also deepened cultural understanding through diverse exhibitions. Over the years, the themes of permanent exhibitions at the New Immigrant Arts Center have covered festivals, weddings, food, and traditional toys. This year, with "world snacks" as the main theme, culture is brought closer to everyday life, enhancing both participation and accessibility.

The Civil Affairs Bureau explained that this exhibition features eight display panels and showcases, bringing together distinctive snacks from Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Europe, and the United States. During the exhibition period, festival related activities will also be held from time to time to promote parent child learning and family interaction, making the cultural experience more vivid and engaging. In addition to the main display area, the venue also includes a parent child interactive experience area, a message area, a reading area, and a time corridor area. In the parent child interactive area, visitors can learn about different cultures through a snack themed card flipping game. The reading area provides related books and creates a shared reading space. The time corridor further introduces the background of the exhibits, allowing what visitors gain from the exhibition to extend into daily life.

The Civil Affairs Bureau added that the Taichung City New Immigrant Arts Center is open from Tuesday to Sunday each week and is closed on Mondays and national holidays. Opening hours are from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit the Taichung New Immigrant Information Website（https://pse.is/4wlzhv）and the annual Facebook page（https://reurl.cc/lpk07j）. Citizens are warmly welcome to visit and embark on a journey through world cultures beginning with the taste buds.