Taiwan’s Foreign Minister and Hualien County Magistrate put volcanic mud on their faces, inviting the public to travel to Palau.

Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, recently shared his experience of visiting Palau, a friendly ally nation. He mentioned that apart from the vibrant tropical fish and corals in Palau, a special moment occurred when he visited the “Milk Lake” and had a volcanic mud face mask session with Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. He encouraged people to travel to Palau to enhance the friendly ties between Taiwan and Palau.

According to Wu’s Facebook post, he visited Palau as a special envoy of the president and was invited by President Surangel Whipps Jr. to experience the beauty and cuisine of Palau. During his visit, Wu took a boat trip to the famous Milk Lake in Palau, where he personally experienced the volcanic mud mask. It is said that volcanic mud has skincare and beauty benefits, and at that time, President Surangel even dived underwater to scoop up a bucket of volcanic mud to apply on Wu’s face, jokingly asking, “Doesn’t my skin look fairer in the photos?”

Wu mentioned that Palau boasts azure seas, blue skies, and stunning natural landscapes, offering activities like diving, snorkeling, sailing on yachts, or strolling on pristine white sandy beaches, all of which evoke deep emotions. During his visit to the Rock Islands, he marveled at the scattered small islands and saw colorful tropical fish swimming alongside diverse coral reefs while snorkeling, affirming Palau’s reputation as the “Aquarium of the Gods.”

He highlighted that with President Tsai Ing-wen’s support, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assist Palau in promoting sustainable tourism. Utilizing his experience as a former Minister of Transportation, Wu plans to collaborate with top Taiwanese tourism operators to integrate Palau’s resources in food, accommodation, activities, shopping, and transportation to develop comprehensive blue ocean tourism experiences covering cruises, ports, aviation, and more, aiming to attract Japanese and Korean tourists to Palau and enhance Palau’s blue economy resilience.

Moreover, Wu noted that China Airlines currently offers four direct flights to Palau every week, with a flight time of less than four hours, encouraging people to travel to Palau. He emphasized that every Taiwanese visiting Palau is not just a tourist but also an ambassador for Taiwan’s tourism. He hoped to embody the spirit of “everyone is a diplomat” by showcasing Taiwan’s warmth through travel and unveiling Taiwan’s most beautiful sceneries to the world.

Traveling to Palau not only benefits the individual but also plays a role in promoting Taiwan’s image globally and strengthening the bond between Taiwan and Palau.