If you’ve visited Taiwan in the last few years, you might notice something has changed the next time you come to visit. You’ll see it right as you clear immigration: starting January 1, 2021, Taiwan is adopting a new passport stamp.
The current stamp, featuring the national flower, the plum blossom, has been in service since 2013. Immigration authorities feel that now is the right time to make a change in order to throw off would-be counterfeiters and protect the nation’s borders and prevent human trafficking.
The new stamp design has kept the Chinese calligraphy stating the country’s official name, “the Republic of China” used in the old design. However, it has added new elements, such as the outline of Taiwan. If you look closely inside the outline map of the country, you can see the letters “TWN” written in a highly stylized font that suggests mountain ranges.
Despite the stamp’s small size, it is filled with symbolism. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the map of Taiwan breaks through the stamp’s borders, symbolizing Taiwan’s determination to “break through” the boundaries imposed by diplomatic isolation.