Taiwan pushed its culture into Europe with a street festival in Poland, a small but positive step for a country that has few formal diplomatic ties.

• Chiayi County's government joined a "Taiwan Day" event in Łódź, Poland, showing traditional crafts, farm life, and Alishan Tsou indigenous culture.
• Temple parade troupes, deity statues, and Beiguan drum-and-gong music marched through the Polish streets and drew crowds.
• The event backs Taiwan's foreign ministry push to raise its profile across Europe this year through culture rather than politics.
• The venue, an old textile mill turned arts and shopping space, mirrored Chiayi's own pitch about reviving local heritage.
• Chiayi's county chief invited Łódź's deputy mayor to visit Taiwan and called for wider cooperation beyond culture.

Outlook: Taiwan is likely to keep using cultural events as a way to build ties in Europe where official diplomacy is blocked.