Liechtenstien

Liechtenstein Journal

August 15, 2016

We landed in Switzerland just as the sun was shining brightly in the sky. There are no airports in Liechtenstein, so we had to take a bus then a train to in order to reach Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein. On our way to the hotel, we noticed how the streets are filled with people which were very unusual on a Monday morning. After flipping through the travel brochure, it came to our surprise that today is actually Liechtenstein National day. Apart from this day, there are many other holidays celebrated only in this country. Nativity of Our lady is celebrated on September 8th, All Saints Day on November 1st, Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, and Saint Stephen’s Day on December 26th. On January 6th, Epiphany is celebrated; followed by Candlemas on February 2nd; then Saint Joseph’s Day of the 19th of March; Ascension Day on May 25th, Whit Monday on the first Monday of June; and finally, Corpus Christi on the 15th of June.

After that, we decided to eat lunch at a restaurant suggested by the hotel manager. We took out the money we exchanged at the airport. Here, they used Swiss Franc, with the ratio of 1 New Taiwan Dollar to 0.03 Swiss. While looking over the check, we noticed that here, you pay a tax of 1.2%. The waitress also added proudly that Liechtenstein has the highest GDP (gross domestic product) in the world, and the tax maximum rate is 20%.

University of Liechtenstein

To digest the food we just ate, we decided to take a walk around the city. This was when a beautiful university came into sight, the University of Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein has a literacy rate of 100%. In fact, its education was ranked 10th best in the world. As we walked around the campus, we met a professor from this university. Their education system is different from Taiwan. Grade 1 to 5 go to a primary school, and grade 6 through 9 go to a secondary school, then grade 10 through 12 go to high school. Children start school when they are 7 years old, which is pretty late compared to Taiwan.

Liechtenstein Newspaper

Liechtenstein to Reduce Obstacles to Fintech

February 1st, 2017

Bank regulation is tailored to the model of universal banks, which provide all services. However, this model is not beneficial for fintech companies because they often offer only part of the services. To reduce problems for the fintech companies who wish to enter the Liechtenstein financial centre, government officials are now modifying the banks and markets. The new capital requirements will be made to guarantee access to the European Economic Area. The Liechtenstein government has now agreed on a modification on this issue which will end on 10th March.

Liechtenstein and Switzerland Cooperate on Health Care

January 13th, 2017

Liechtenstein and Switzerland intend to further work together to help their patients. On Friday, government minister Mauro Pedrazzini and Swiss federal councilor Alain Berset signed a note of understanding for furthering their cooperation in the field of outpatient health care. They aim to develop an agreement between Liechtenstein and Switzerland as soon as possible. Thanks to the agreement, people living in Liechtenstein and the Swiss border regions will be able to access medical treatments in the other country. The cooperation raises the question of how cross-border cost reimbursement should be managed by health insurers in the outpatient sector. Talks are ongoing between Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Liechtenstein Votes in Parliamentary Polls

February 5, 2017

Liechtenstein is going to the polls for parliamentary elections, with two centre-right parties struggling for dominance and smaller parties seeking a bigger say in the mountaintop monarchy. In the country with less than 38,000 people, ballots are open for only 90 minutes on Sunday. The election of Liechtenstein’s 25 MPs on Sunday decide the political fate. Both of the parties lost in the 2013 elections, while the populist Independents and the left-wing Free List won a total of six additional seats.

Liechtenstein Post Card

August 17, 2016

Dear Audrey,  
Hello from Liechtenstein! We just landed on Liechtenstein yesterday. Hope you’re doing fine. Liechtenstein is so beautiful! Even though it is the sixth-smallest country in the world, you can never judge a country by its size! Today, we went to Vaduz castle. It is the palace and official residence of the prince of Liechtenstein. However, the palace is not open to the public since the royal family lives there. After that, we visited the Liechtenstein National Museum. This building was built in 1438 and it still standing today after remodeling it and extending towards the mountain where the Vaduz Castle is. The museum displays many artifacts describing the history of Liechtenstein. 

See you soon,
Kelly Lee and Vivian

Vaduz Castle

Liechtenstein National Museum

Liechtenstein National Museum (inside)

Restaurant Maree