About us

The "Seeing Taiwan Foundation," a non-profit organization, was founded in 2003 by Mr. Winston Wen. In 2008, Mr. Wen Tai-Jun took over as chairman, formally establishing the vision of becoming "an important window for the world to understand Taiwan." To fulfill the mission of "successfully marketing Taiwan's unique characteristics internationally" and "making the world Taiwan's service market," the foundation focuses on four key development directions: discovery, integration, marketing, and service.

The Origin of the Establishment
The foundation was established in 2003 by its founder, Mr. Winston Wen. The initial idea was to package the tourist attractions of various regions in Taiwan and showcase the beauty of Taiwan through the internet, thereby attracting tourists and achieving the goal of boosting the local economy and increasing job opportunities through tourism. After Mr. Wen Tai-Jun took over the foundation, he renamed it the iSee Taiwan Foundation. This name not only signifies understanding and getting to know Taiwan but also carries the homophonic meaning of "cherishing" (iSee "爱惜"), reinforcing the impression and connotation of "treasuring the beautiful island." In terms of development direction, the foundation further emphasizes the integration of both tangible and intangible aspects of the cultural and tourism industry chains.
Foundation Mission
The foundation has also formally established its vision of "becoming an important window for the world to understand Taiwan." It focuses on three core pillars: "Culture," "Tourism," and "Innovation." The foundation's mission is defined as "successfully marketing Taiwan's unique characteristics internationally" and "making the world Taiwan's service market." By doing so, it aims to attract more foreigners to Taiwan, expanding Taiwan's service market. To achieve this, the foundation has planned four key development directions for implementation:
Discover Local Cultural Characteristics
Discover the unique customs and cultural environments of various regions, and then connect these distinctive features to form a unique cultural industry chain for Taiwan. This aims to showcase Taiwan's rich cultural heritage, hoping to create added value for the tourism industry through a rich and diverse culture.
Integrate Taiwan's Unique Content and Channels
Integrate cultural and tourism resources across Taiwan by collaborating with government organizations and community groups. This involves gathering unique local elements, itineraries, and channels, and working together with content providers to offer comprehensive tourism information, maximizing the benefits of resource integration.
Promote Taiwan's Unique Characteristics for International Marketing
Package the deep cultural values and stories behind Taiwan's unique characteristics, and promote them through international creative marketing initiatives. This will spread awareness globally, allowing more people to appreciate the beauty of Taiwan and look forward to visiting, experiencing local culture, and engaging in meaningful exchanges.
Create a Premium Experience Service Platform
The foundation aims to be a comprehensive service platform that provides a premium experience for people from around the world visiting Taiwan. It focuses on integrating the tangible and intangible aspects of the cultural and tourism industry chain, showcasing Taiwan's local tourism resources and cultural values through a spirit of deep service, and offering travelers an exquisite experience. This way, visitors can maintain a positive impression of Taiwan from the moment they plan their trip, during their stay, and even after returning home!
The foundation will continue to uphold the spirit of cherishing Taiwan and showcasing its beauty to the world. We will keep discovering, integrating, and marketing the vibrant local cultures and rich human connections found in every corner of Taiwan. This will help increase international visibility, allowing us to step onto the global stage and attract both domestic and international travelers. Through premium services, we aim to provide them with profound experiences of Taiwan's cultural and humanistic beauty, sharing unique and heartfelt moments.
Premium Service, Connecting the World
When it comes to competition, everyone says, "The world is flat." When it comes to markets, however, people say, "Taiwan's market is too small." If the world is flat and everyone competes in the same global market, why is Taiwan's market considered smaller than others? Speaking of global competition, Taiwan's technology industry immediately comes to mind. Starting about 40 years ago, Taiwan's technology industry has achieved economic miracles. Whether through own-brand products, contract manufacturing, or components, Taiwan's technology products are sold in many countries worldwide, making it a major industry with international competitiveness and a global market focus. However, due to competition from domestic factories, as well as from China, Korea, and others, profit margins in this industry have been severely squeezed, making it increasingly challenging. Especially in recent years, there has been a declining willingness among Taiwan's younger generation to participate, prompting a need for industry transformation or the development of new industries. Given Taiwan's inherently friendly nature, coupled with its core in technology and continuous innovation, we believe Taiwan has the potential to create another core industry by integrating service with humanities, technology, and innovation. Therefore, since 2008, we have committed ourselves to assisting in the creation of Taiwan's second core industry, which we refer to as the "New Service Industry," blending humanities, technology, and innovation. In 2012, we further defined the New Service Industry as the "Premium Service Industry," emphasizing "high-quality, high-value, and internationally oriented knowledge-intensive service industry."
When it comes to competition, people often say, "The world is flat," implying a level playing field. However, when discussing markets, it's common to hear, "Taiwan's market is too small." If the world is indeed flat, with everyone competing in the same global market, why would Taiwan's market be considered smaller compared to others? In the context of global competition, Taiwan is renowned for its technology industry. Over the past 40 years, Taiwan has achieved remarkable economic success in this sector. Whether through own-brand products, contract manufacturing, or components, Taiwan's technology products are sold worldwide, demonstrating its international competitiveness and global market orientation. However, intense competition from domestic manufacturers and counterparts in China and Korea has significantly squeezed profit margins, posing increasing challenges. In recent years, there has also been a decline in interest among Taiwan's younger generation to participate in this industry, prompting discussions about industry transformation or the development of new sectors. Taiwanese are known for their friendly nature, and coupled with Taiwan's core strengths in technology and continuous innovation, there is potential to establish another core industry that integrates service with humanities, technology, and innovation. Hence, since 2008, our focus has been on helping develop Taiwan's second core industry, termed the "New Service Industry," which we further defined in 2012 as the "Premium Service Industry." This industry aims to provide "high-quality, high-value, and internationally-oriented knowledge-intensive services." When discussing global markets, no one says the market for technology products is small, yet over the past decade, many have argued that Taiwan's market is too limited. This reflects a shift from selling products to providing services. Unlike goods, which can be shipped, services are limited by proximity. For example, few would travel hours by plane just for a meal, underscoring the importance of regional population density for service providers estimating potential consumer bases. Japanese service providers don't lament the size of their domestic market, nor do American counterparts view theirs as small, given their population sizes. Conversely, Singapore and Hong Kong are viewed differently because their service sectors transcend geographical constraints. Hong Kong, as a financial hub, offers global financial services accessible from anywhere, and Singapore serves as a business nexus linking Europe, America, and Southeast Asia through MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) services. A service that offers unique value and is worth the distance transcends geographic limitations, making the entire world a potential market. Thus, the Seeing Taiwan Foundation has set two primary missions: "Successfully marketing Taiwan's unique characteristics internationally" and "Making the world Taiwan's service market," aiming to attract global visitors to experience Taiwan through refined services. Any industry's development relies on both market size and talent availability. Without adequate market size, even the best talent struggles to thrive, and conversely, a large market loses meaning without the right talent to translate demand into value. Therefore, alongside efforts to expand the global premium service market, the Winston Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation focuses on educating new service professionals capable of meeting the demands of high-quality, high-value, and internationally-oriented knowledge-intensive services. Our father often said, "There is only one type of person in the world: those who need care," teaching us the importance of a global perspective and prioritizing human needs. Thus, we chose to promote the premium service industry as a means to offer Taiwan's services globally, meeting the diverse needs of people worldwide. It's a challenging yet promising journey, but as our mother taught us, "Where there's a will, there's a way." Over the years, we've found like-minded partners and witnessed growing enthusiasm from those living on this land, believing that together, we can achieve anything. Moving forward, through connecting the global premium service market with Taiwan's new service talent, the Winston Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation will continue collaborating with the Seeing Taiwan Foundation to vigorously promote Taiwan's high-quality, high-value, and internationally-oriented premium service industry, showcasing Taiwan as a place of refinement, elegance, and distinctiveness to the world!
Deepen the Market, Cultivate Talent
The next step for Taiwan's future? After years of practical experience, the blueprint for promoting the premium service industry, driven jointly by the Seeing Taiwan Foundation and the Winston Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation, is gradually taking shape. As we move towards our goals, we firmly believe that for a new industry to emerge, there must be a continuous positive cycle between demand and supply. Therefore, the development of the premium service industry requires expanding market depth, cultivating high-quality talent, and defining Taiwan's premium service industry as one characterized by high quality, high value, and internationalization. This ensures sustainable operation and maintains Taiwan's competitiveness on the global stage. The vision of the Seeing Taiwan Foundation is to become a crucial gateway for the world to understand Taiwan. Through a systematic approach of discovery, integration, marketing, and service, we promote cultural tourism, expand global markets, and attract international visitors to experience the beauty of Taiwan. Simultaneously, we aim to showcase Taiwan's rich cultural heritage to the world, transforming the globe into Taiwan's service market. Only by preserving Taiwan's authentic local culture, integrating it with refinement, adding value through appropriate marketing, can we highlight the warm customs and traditions of this captivating land as a unique cultural feature. This approach allows us to present Taiwan's warmth and refinement to international friends, enabling them to fully appreciate Taiwan's exquisite beauty.
The next step for Taiwan's future? After years of practical experience, the blueprint for promoting the premium service industry, driven jointly by the Seeing Taiwan Foundation and the Winston Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation, is gradually taking shape. As we move towards our goals, we firmly believe that for a new industry to emerge, there must be a continuous positive cycle between demand and supply. Therefore, the development of the premium service industry requires expanding market depth, cultivating high-quality talent, and defining Taiwan's premium service industry as one characterized by high quality, high value, and internationalization. This ensures sustainable operation and maintains Taiwan's competitiveness on the global stage. The vision of the Seeing Taiwan Foundation is to become a crucial gateway for the world to understand Taiwan. Through a systematic approach of discovery, integration, marketing, and service, we promote cultural tourism, expand global markets, and attract international visitors to experience the beauty of Taiwan. Simultaneously, we aim to showcase Taiwan's rich cultural heritage to the world, transforming the globe into Taiwan's service market. Only by preserving Taiwan's authentic local culture, integrating it with refinement, adding value through appropriate marketing, can we highlight the warm customs and traditions of this captivating land as a unique cultural feature. This approach allows us to present Taiwan's warmth and refinement to international friends, enabling them to fully appreciate Taiwan's exquisite beauty.
Milestones
2022

2022 Exquisite Cultural Cuisine Forum

2021

2021 Exquisite Cultural Cuisine Forum

2020

2020 Filming "Protect Every1" Epidemic Prevention Video

2020 See Taiwan 101: Wen Donates One Dollar for Epidemic Prevention

2019

2019 "Tastes of Taiwan" Story Collection Campaign

2019 iSee Design Project

– iSee Design Workshop

– iSee Design Cultural Tour 【Modern x Design】

– iSee Design Cultural Tour 【Art x Design】

– iSee Design Gala Dinner 【Yuanhe Banquet】

– iSee Design Forum【From Local to Global】

2019 See the Taste of Taiwan: Warmth and Compassion

2019 UAiTED Global Industry-Academia Future Talent Development Strategic Alliance

– Gala Dinner 【Yuanhe Banquet】

2018

2018 "Tastes of Taiwan" – Story Collection Campaign for Three-Cup Dishes

2018 Global Youth Design Conference

– Supporting the 2018 TISDC Taiwan International Student Design Competition

– Campus Lectures – Local Cultural Experience

– Global Design Organization Summit

– Night of Highlights

– Service Design Workshop

2018 WISE Global Innovation Service Empowerment Program (in collaboration with the Winston Wen Educational Foundation)

2018 GHF Global Education Innovation Hub Platform (in collaboration with the Winston Wen Educational Foundation)

2018 Global Exploration Project, Year Three

2018 SME Knowledge Exchange Conference

2018 Set Sail for the World Project, Year Three

2017

2017 "Tastes of Taiwan" – Story Collection Campaign for Gua Bao

2017 Global Youth Design Conference

– Supporting the 2017 TISDC Taiwan International Student Design Competition

– Local Exchange/Industry Matching Tour

– Leadership X Innovation 全球青年工作坊

– Leadership X Innovation Global Youth Workshop

– Global Design Leaders Forum

– iSee Taiwan Delight Gala

2017 WISE Global Innovation Service Empowerment Program

2017 GHF Global Education Innovation Hub Platform

2017 Global Exquisite Services Exploration Project, Year Two

2017 Set Sail for the World Project, Year Two

2016

2016 "Tastes of Taiwan" – Story Collection Campaign for Rice Cakes

2016 Global Youth Design Conference

– Supporting the 2016 TISDC Taiwan International Student Design Competition

– International Master Lectures and Joint Seminars

– International VIP Cultural Tour

– Industry Matching and Joint Dinner

2016 Global Exquisite Services Exploration Project, Year One

2016 Set Sail for the World Project, Year One

2015

2015 Global Youth Design Conference

– Supporting the 2015 TISDC Taiwan International Student Design Competition

– "Embrace Architecture x Diverse Experiences" & "Traditional x Modern" Multicultural Tours

– See Taiwan Design Gala

2015 "The Stars" Large-Scale Creative Exhibition

2015 See Taiwan’s Heavyweight Sailboat, which Delivered the Kaohsiung National Games Torch

2015 "Let's Get Together and Cherish" Event

2014

2014 "Cherish Taiwan Project" Sponsored the 101 New Year's Fireworks

2014 "Central Taiwan International Highlights" Participated in the 2014 Taipei International Travel Fair with a Fun Fair Approach

2014 "iSee Taiwan – The Stars Creative Exhibition" Showcased at the Kaohsiung Yacht Show

2013

2013 Central Taiwan International Highlights Project (in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Tourism Bureau)

2013 Central Taiwan International Highlights Project Participated in the "Guiding Lights – Quality Tourism, Heartfelt Taiwan" Event by the Tourism Bureau

2013 Participated in the Ministry of Culture's "Taiwan Village Cultural Festival"

2013 Promoted the "Exquisite Service Welcome Project"

2013 "iSee Taiwan Cultural and Tourism Experience Campaign"

2013 "See Taiwan: Butterfly Love Blossom" Themed Feast

2013 Continued Development of the "Central Taiwan International Highlights Project" with a focus on "Lohas, Tasteful Central Taiwan"

2013 "Mr. Winston Wen's 10th Anniversary and World Light Showcase"

2012

2012 "Warm i Taiwan: Say Hi to the World" Public Event

2012 "Tastes of Taiwan" – Story Collection Campaign

2011

2011 Launch of the "Central Taiwan International Highlights Project" Year One

2011 "A Century of Fun: Warmly Exploring Taiwan" Public Event

2011 "See Taiwan: See the Seediq" Press Conference

2010

2010 Development of "Digital Opportunity Centers" (Yunlin, Pingtung, Hualien, Taitung)

2010 "Feel the Warmth of Taiwan" Showcase

2009

2009 "Reviving the Past, Embracing the New" Showcase

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