Taiwanese entrepreneurs set down roots in Central Europe｜Formosa English News

Bilingual text here: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026A29W06EA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description 雙語文字版: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026A29W06EA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description Our official website: ➔ https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/ Follow us on Facebook: ➔ https://www.facebook.com/ftvformosanews X (Twitter): ➔ https://x.com/FTV_Taiwan_News Taiwan’s relations in Central Europe have grown closer in recent years, encouraging some Taiwanese to try their hand at building businesses there. One daring entrepreneur opened Warsaw’s first Taiwanese restaurant, while another founded a tourism agency in Czechia, aiming to provide a safety net and employment opportunities for Taiwanese living abroad. Walking through the streets of Prague’s Old Town Square, the classic architecture unfolds everywhere you look. Up ahead, the famous Astronomical Clock puts on its hourly show. But if you want to know more about its history, you’ll need a guide. - It shows which constellation the moon and the stars are in. So it’s actually an astrolabe. Charlene Chen has accumulated a deep knowledge of the city’s history over her 10 years of living in Prague. In 2022, she founded a travel agency with her friend, Naomi Kan, with the goal of supporting her fellow Taiwanese expats. Charlene Chen Czech Fruit Travel Agency cofounder At the time, right after the pandemic, we felt like we wanted to create a kind of hub for students and Taiwanese people to gather. Maybe they’re freelancers or teachers working at language schools. Naomi Kan Czech Fruit Travel Agency cofounder We thought about creating more job opportunities for Taiwanese people, allowing more chances to come to Europe, especially this magical country of Czechia. We can offer a sense of familiarity. The cofounders provide locally based expats with part-time work as tour guides to boost their income while sharing the beauty of their adoptive home. They mostly offer in-depth tours for individual travelers coming on newly launched direct flight routes. Elderly travelers especially enjoy their personalized storytelling approach. Naomi Kan Czech Fruit Travel Agency cofounder Older folks often worry about not understanding English while they’re traveling. But if their children find a guide who speaks Chinese and is also Taiwanese, it makes them so much happier. Charlene Chen Czech Fruit Travel Agency cofounder Before, all the Chinese-language guides here were from China. Why did it have to only be them? Why not have Taiwanese guides? And why only have guides for big tour groups, not for individual travelers? Over in Poland, there’s another Taiwanese entrepreneur seeking to set down roots, one bite at a time. Freshly baked bread sits on display, just like at a traditional Taiwanese bakery. This is Warsaw’s first Taiwanese restaurant. The owner invited a baker from Taiwan all the way to Poland to recreate the most authentic flavors. Rock Baker at Papa Lee’s Taiwanese-style butter and cream actually suit the Polish taste quite closely. For the scallion bread, we use black pepper to bring out the flavor. Lee Chang-tse Papa Lee’s owner Many of my friends said there are a lot of Taiwanese and Chinese people in Warsaw, and urged us to come here. Utilizing his family connections in Poland, Lee has successfully turned the upstart venture into a thriving family business. Today, they enjoy a stellar reputation. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung came to visit while in town, and even the deputy mayor from a nearby city was blown away by the bubble tea. Adam Pustelnik Łódź Deputy Mayor It’s really good! It’s sweet. I love it. Lee Chang-tse Papa Lee’s owner In my opinion, the Polish are some of the friendliest people in Europe. Although politically they may seem to be xenophobic, the people are extremely accepting of foreigners. Whether working to support their fellow expats or winning over palate with the flavors of home, these hardworking entrepreneurs are showing Europe the best that Taiwan has to offer. For more Taiwan news, tune in: Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152 Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53 #expat #entrepreneur #Poland #Prague #globalTaiwan #Taiwaneseabroad #台灣新聞 #FormosaEnglishNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan