DILI, 14 december 2023 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste today celebrated national day of “intangible heritage”, TAIS; second anniversary, to continue to motivate TAIS weavers across the country.
Secretary of State for Arts and Culture, Jorge Soares Cristovão, said today Timor-Leste celebrates the 2nd National TAIS Day to continue to maintain the cultural identity passed down by our ancestors.
“Based on this TAIS heritage, UNESCO Paris has recognized TAIS as intangible heritage on December 14, 2021; therefore, Timor-Leste has declared December 14 as the National TAIS Day, and we want to celebrate it to motivate the weavers of Timor-Leste to maintain the authenticity of TAIS by preserving TAIS as one of the identities of Timor-Leste,” Jorge Soares Cristovão told reporters at the Dili Convention Centre (CCD) on Thursday.
Cristovão recalled that the national TAIS day was celebrated with several activities consisting of TAIS competitions, TAIS seminars, and a TAIS parade, which was attended by the students and TAIS lovers, including a leisurely walk from the Presidential Office, Aitarak-Laran, to the Dili Convention Center (CCD), where over 3,000 people were involved.
“This activity is done to promote TAIS to the younger generation so they will continue to love TAIS while preserving the authenticity of TAIS as the cultural identity of Timor-Leste,” he said.
At the same time, Antonio da Costa, TAIS Coordinator from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said, “We will make TAIS the uniform for civil servants and students so that TAIS weavers will be encouraged to weave more TAIS so that they will be bought by tailoring companies to be sewn as uniforms based on TAIS motifs so as to diversify the economy of families in Timor-Leste”.
He underlined that the transformation of TAIS into uniforms will increase the enthusiasm of weavers to produce TAIS so it will be marketed in domestic and international markets while also attracting tourists to visit Timor-Leste.
“Timorese TAIS is a very unique TAIS; therefore, we will continue to conduct training on how to weave TAIS properly for young women to continue to love TAIS and maintain the authenticity of TAIS as the cultural identity of Timor-Leste, and we can also diversify the economy by attracting foreign tourists to visit Timor-Leste and diversifying the economy through marketing TAIS in the national and international markets,” he concluded.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
