ASIA HONORS ITS HEROES
TAIWAN

TIME's third Asia's Heroes awards ceremony, held at the Grand Hyatt Taipei on November 23, 2005, was an emotional and inspiring event. Presented by Royal Salute, the exclusive event brought one of TIME's most popular special issues to life, with many of the 26 Asia' Heroes selected for this year's October 10 issue in attendance.

Set against the elegant backdrop of the Grand Hyatt ballroom, over 140 guests, media and heroes gathered to celebrate and reward extraordinary achievement and positive contribution to society.

The event began with a press conference and was shortly followed by two concurrent cocktail receptions. Keynote speaker KY Lee, CEO of BenQ Corporation, was greeted by Michael Elliott, TIME international editor, and the 13th Duke of Argyll, brand ambassador for Chivas Brothers Ltd., before attending an intimate cocktail reception along with selected members of the media. Other guests attended the main cocktail reception held in the foyer of the grand ballroom.

This year's attending heroes cam from all walks of life – from businessmen and tsunami survivors, to philanthropists and human rights activists. Among the heroes able to attend were Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu, Indonesian human rights activist Suciwati Munir, and the Women of Aceh. Despite losing everything to the tsunami, Cut Aiseh, Neneh, Nuraida, Sulastri, and Nur Azmi, banded together to rebuild their community. Video acceptances were received from tennis star Sania Mirza, top chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and athlete Park Ji Sung who were unable to attend the event.