Illustrator brings Taiwan's warmth to London buses

London, Dec. 13 (CNA) British illustrator Hannah Gibson, known by her pen name Hanzsiie, has transformed her travel experiences in Taiwan into a creative project, designing a Taiwan-themed sightseeing bus in London.

The bus, featuring the slogan "Step into Taiwan. Warmth, All Year Round," debuted this month, offering a colorful, hand-drawn alternative to traditional tourist ads.

Gibson told CNA that the friendliness of Taiwanese people during her May visit left a lasting impression, inspiring her to capture her memories in a series of illustrated postcards.

While working on the illustrations back in London, she noticed Taiwan tourism ads on local buses and decided to share her work with Taiwan's tourism office in London. "To my surprise, they got back to me," she said.

The tourism office has previously run Taiwan-themed campaigns on taxis, metro stations, and buses. Gibson's bus project is the first to fully wrap a sightseeing bus with hand-drawn artwork.

Her design uses a warm, golden-yellow background, with "Taiwan" prominently displayed on the side and rear. The bus features motifs such as street food stalls, hot springs, temples, railways, mountains, beaches, Taipei 101, bubble tea and New Year fireworks.

Gibson said the lively, hand-drawn style reflects the warmth she felt from Taiwanese people, especially in small, everyday interactions that made her trip memorable.

She recalled quickly befriending a hairdresser during a salon visit, who gave tips on local sights, food, and activities. The pair talked for hours despite initially being strangers.

"In Taiwan, people are really kind and understanding," she said. "I want to recreate that warmth in my illustration."

The bus will pass London landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye and Piccadilly Circus. QR codes on the bus provide access to travel information about Taiwan.