While Taiwan is known for its dragon boats, a miniature of the traditional fishing boat from Malta, a luzzu, will make it the Evergreen Shipping Line offices in Taipei on Monday creating quite a contrast and a stir, one hopes, in that Far Eastern ambience.

The model was made by maritime author and ship model maker Joseph Abela and commissioned by Godwin Xerri, managing director of MBL Shipping Agency, the local agents for Evergreen.

"I chose to build something different - a scratch-built waterline model of a waterborne luzzu, moored and fitted with a cabin. Scratch built means building from scratch including drawing the plans to scale, building the frame and planning the hull and deck.

"I called the boat Malta so that visitors to the Evergreen offices would know where the boat is from. I put down the luzzu's registration number as 40 to signify Evergreen's anniversary.

"The 30cms-long model to a scale of 1:36 is made out of wood (pine), plastic and metal," Mr Abela said.

Mr Abela finished the miniature in a week-and-a-half which was the timeframe he had to stick to.

The luzzu will be a gift from MBL Shipping Agency to Evergreen Line who are celebrating their 40th anniversary next Monday.

For this joyous event, Evergreen has invited its overseas agents to attend the celebrations being held in Taipei.

MBL Shipping Agency will be attending the celebrations when they will also present to Evergreen Mr Abela's book titled The Maltese Merchant Fleet Of The 19th Century.

Evergreen Line operates the fourth largest container fleet in the world, with over 150 ships. Last June it was named International Ocean Carrier of the Year for 2007-2008 by the American leading retailer, Wal*Mart Stores Inc. The award is presented every year by the US leading retailer for service excellence in ocean shipping.