Mr. Kao Sung-Ming, the CEO of Taiwan Chiang Culture Co., Ltd., received the prestigious “Friend of the Czech Republic” award from the Czech government on May 4th, 2006, in Prague, becoming the first Taiwanese person to receive this honor.

Mr. Kao graduated from the Department of Information Management at Chung Yuan Christian University and has worked as a bookstore manager, a department store manager, and a business manager in the high-tech optical communication industry. Despite being very busy with work for many years, he has quietly promoted cultural and tourism diplomacy on his own, with a strong interest in European, American, and Japanese cultures. Combining his interests and ideals, he resigned from his enviable job as a technology executive and returned home to start a business, running the most unique art and culture café in Taiwan, the Vitality Culture Café. Through the professional cultural books and various classic versions of classical music CDs and DVDs displayed and sold at the Vitality Café, he continuously introduces cultures from Europe, America, Japan, and other regions for Taiwanese people to appreciate and experience. He is also actively involved in the cultural industry and uses it as a means to engage in public diplomacy. For example, the DVD of the opening concert of the 1990 Prague Spring Music Festival, written by him, not only caused a great response in Taiwan but was also personally presented to former Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel, who praised it highly. What is even more exciting is that the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra has officially included the DVD in its permanent collection at the orchestra’s historical museum. In February 2009, his first book, “Czech Classics,” was invited to the Taipei International Book Fair for a signing event, which was widely praised by the academic community and the tourism industry in Taiwan. He once again received the “Excellence Contribution Medal” from the Czech Republic, making “Czech Classics” the best witness to the friendship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.

Mr. Kao is often invited to give lectures on “European and Japanese Deep Cultural Tours” and “Classical Music Appreciation” at various academic institutions, government agencies, enterprises, and community groups in Taiwan. He also frequently serves as a tour guide, leading Taiwanese people on deep cultural tours to Europe and Japan. Recently, he has been commissioned by the Taichung City Government to serve as a cross-domain urban area tour guide. Mr. Kao believes that receiving the “Friend of the Czech Republic” award and the “Excellence Contribution Medal” from the Czech Republic is not only a high recognition from international friends but also an important achievement in promoting substantive cultural public diplomacy. This has been his belief for many years, and although the road has been difficult, he has always persevered.