The 20th annual “Passport to Taiwan” cultural and arts festival will take place on May 26th at Union Square in Manhattan. The event celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and the “Taiwanese American Heritage Week” declared by the U.S. Congress in 1999.
The executive director of the “Passport to Taiwan” festival, Hsu Bocheng, stated that the event has been held at Union Square in downtown New York City since 2002. This year is significant as it marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of Tainan in 1624, making it an important year for both Tainan and New York. In that year, the Dutch arrived in Tainan, and the same year, they also came to New York and named it New Amsterdam. Bocheng mentioned that the event will feature important exhibitions from Taiwan and large-scale anniversary celebrations, including exhibitions commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Tainan and the 330th anniversary of the Beigang Chaotian Temple in Taiwan.
This event is one of the largest Asian American events in New York, offering a diverse range of activities including stage performances, food stalls, tourism promotion, community introductions, creative products, and traditional handicrafts, attracting tens of thousands of people each year.
The Ten Drum Percussion Group from Taiwan will present an exciting drumming performance, their second appearance in New York. The stage will also feature emerging singer Jilli Yeah, rapper Dwagie, award-winning tango dancer Mandy Chou, and New York’s community singing king, Chung Wen-chung. Dwagie will perform the theme song “Slowly Changing Tainan” composed with teacher Xie Mingyou for the 400th anniversary of the founding of Tainan.
This year’s event has many highlights suitable for all ages, with over 70 booths including more than 20 serving Taiwanese snacks like braised pork rice, shaved ice, oyster noodles, and more. Visitors who fill out surveys will receive a “Tainan Burn,” a chicken-shaped cake modelled after a landmark in Tainan. There will also be several booths featuring handcrafted Taiwanese cultural products.
Liao Shidun, president of the Greater New York Taiwanese Association, introduced that the chairman of the Beigang Chaotian Temple will lead a delegation of 25 people, bringing statues of the Taiwan Mazu deity and two generals to the exhibition.
Event Details: May 26th (Sunday) from 12 pm to 5 pm; Location: Union Square Park (north side of 17th Street and Park South). Website: https://p2tw.org