Taiwanese entrepreneurs set down roots in Central Europe
Taiwanese entrepreneurs set down roots in Central Europe
2026-10-29
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.
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#expat #entrepreneur #Poland #Prague #globalTaiwan #Taiwaneseabroad
台人扎根中歐! 波蘭首台式餐館飄香 闖捷克開旅行社
2026-10-29
台灣近幾年和中歐盟友關係越來越緊密，不少台灣人在當地開創事業打拚，有人在波蘭華沙開第一家台式餐廳，分享經典美味，還有人在捷克創立旅行社，初衷是為在地台灣人撐把傘，提供兼職機會，一起來看看。
走在捷克布拉格街頭，舊城區古色古香建築盡收眼底，天文鐘整點還有報時人偶秀，不過想知道背後小故事，得有人專業解說。
- 月亮在哪個星座，星星在哪個星座，所以它其實是一個星盤
古蹟淵源、歷史，陳佳玲信手捻來，在當地十年的她，2022年和好友甘婷瑜合開旅行社，初衷是為在捷克台灣人撐把傘。
[[捷克旅人事務所創辦人 陳佳玲]]
“那時候疫情過後，就覺得說，創造一個類似像一個聚集點，可以讓所有學生或是台灣人集中，(兼職)可能是自由業，有可能是老師，就是在語言學校教書”
[[捷克旅人事務所創辦人 甘婷瑜]]
“想說一起為台灣人創造更多的工作機會，然後讓更多台灣人來到歐洲，尤其是神秘的國家捷克，有一個格外熟悉的感覺”
讓當地台灣人兼職地陪增加收入，同時分享捷克之美，經營主打「散客」深度旅遊，搭上台灣直飛熱潮、自由行商機，人情味解說讓長輩、倍感親切。
[[捷克旅人事務所創辦人 甘婷瑜]]
“父母就會擔心，聽講英文都聽不懂，但如果小孩子們找到一個講中文的，又是台灣人在跟他們提供中文導覽，很多父母都會很開心”
[[捷克旅人事務所創辦人 陳佳玲]]
“這邊其實以前中文的導遊就只有中國人，為什麼都給中國人做，為什麼沒有台灣人，而且為什麼只有團客才可以擁有中文導遊，為什麼散客不能”
同樣在中歐，畫面轉到波蘭，也有台灣人扎根拓展商機，一道道美食抓住外國友人的胃。
新鮮麵包出爐，是很多人再熟悉不過的台式麵包，這是波蘭首都華沙第一家台式餐館，還原地道好滋味，麵包師傅特別從台灣請來。
[[波蘭華沙Papa Lee’s麵包師傅 rock]]
“奶酥跟克林姆，跟這裡波蘭大家的口味其實非常相近。蔥麵包的話，我們就用黑胡椒去提味”
[[波蘭華沙Papa Lee’s業者 李昌澤]]
“很多朋友啊說，華沙算台灣人跟華人聚集的地方啊，那就拜託我們來這邊“
老闆當初因為家人在波蘭的機緣，決定一同創業發展成家族事業，如今打響名號，不僅外交部長林佳龍曾造訪嘗鮮，連波蘭羅茲副市長喝了他們的珍奶也一喝驚豔。
[[波蘭羅茲副市長 Adam Pustelnik]]
“這真的很好喝，甜甜的，我很喜歡”
[[波蘭華沙Papa Lee’s業者 李昌澤]]
“波蘭人算是，我覺得歐洲裡面算是最友善的。雖然看起來他們的立場是排外，可他們人民其實非常的接受外國人”
從捷克到波蘭，不論是台灣人創業互相扶持，還是用家鄉味征服歐洲，這群異鄉打拚身影，用各自的方式讓台灣在中歐閃閃發光。
更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00
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