Pearl milk tea and salted crispy chicken once again conquered the taste buds of various ethnic groups in Southern California! The first “Electric Boba Fest and Night Market” in West Covina was held on May 30th (Saturday) at the City Hall Square, focusing on Taiwan’s pearl milk tea and orchid industry, attracting a large number of people to participate and successfully stirring up a wave of Taiwanese cultural phenomenon.
The event officially kicked off at 4 p.m., with many people arriving early to wait. As the crowd continued to pour in, the City Hall Square and parking lot gradually became lively. Many families came together across three generations, and groups of teenagers joined in, creating a bustling atmosphere reminiscent of an Asian “night market”.
Meng Xinyin, president of the Southern California branch of the World Chinese Business Women’s Association, the organizer of the event, expressed that the association has been dedicated to promoting Taiwanese culture in Southern California for many years. This year, they introduced Taiwan’s most representative pearl milk tea and internationally renowned orchid industry into mainstream communities for the first time, aiming to help more Americans understand Taiwan’s achievements in culinary culture, agricultural technology, and cultural and creative industries.
For this purpose, the World Chinese Business Women’s Association specifically prepared 500 free cups of pearl milk tea. People only needed to participate in activities at four booths and collect stamps to claim their free drinks. Additionally, this event featured over 200 special varieties of orchids air-shipped from Taiwan, including a unique species with patterns of the Republic of China and American flags, which shone brightly under the sunlight.
As people enjoyed classic drinks from Taiwan, they also appreciated the stage performances. The lines of people for the challenges and the scenes of people getting their drinks stamped became the highlights of the venue. Many mainstream individuals experiencing bubble tea for the first time found it refreshing and fun. The delicate craft and creative design of the national flag orchids also garnered praise from visitors, who took out their phones to snap pictures.
As night fell, the stage lights illuminated the entire square, and the electronic music performances and night market activities heightened the atmosphere. Many people with their bubble teas in hand enjoyed the early summer night with music and lights, making the first Electric Boba Fest a unique community event in West Covina this year.
Chung Pei-chen, director of the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Cultural and Educational Service Center, also showed up at the event to express support. She praised the organizers for successfully bringing Taiwanese culture into the mainstream community and pointed out that participating in mainstream community activities is the most direct and effective way to help more Americans understand Taiwan. She hoped that through participating in mainstream community events, more American friends could further understand Taiwan—not only its values of freedom and democracy but also its remarkable achievements in food culture, exquisite agriculture, floriculture, and high-tech industries, thereby deepening exchanges and friendship between Taiwan and the United States.
There were dozens of food and specialty product booths on the scene, offering everything from Asian-flavored snacks and desserts to handmade crafts, as well as an on-site rock climbing experience. As dusk approached, more and more young people gathered in the stage area, dancing to the beat of electronic music.
Councilor Wu Tong-huai of West Covina mentioned that many past community activities tended to cater to older generations, so the city government specifically planned an event combining popular music, stage lighting, and bubble tea culture. This was a new form of community activity specially designed for teenagers and young families, hoping to provide a healthy and vibrant leisure option before the start of summer break.
The event organizer, Tseng Wen-jieh, introduced that the preparation lasted for three months, involving a significant amount of effort and volunteer resources from air-shipping orchids from Taiwan to planning and layout at the venue. Many people were amazed when they saw the orchids with national flag patterns and inquired about cultivation techniques and production processes, successfully achieving the goal of promoting Taiwan’s orchid industry.
Mayor Letty Lopez of West Covina expressed gratitude to the city government team, police and fire units, community groups, and sponsoring agencies for jointly making the event a success. She especially thanked the World Chinese Business Women’s Association for donating bubble tea and organizing the special orchid exhibition, providing the community with the opportunity to taste Taiwanese specialty drinks for free and admire the beauty of orchids up close.