From a book donation to a boba demonstration, local residents got a taste of Taiwan as the island’s diplomatic office in Atlanta launched a yearlong series of cross-cultural programs in concert with the Fulton County LIbrary System.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office donated more than 200 books, including Mandarin Chinese language resources, cookbooks, poetry compilations and more, as it kick-started a multimedia effort to foster deeper understanding about one of Georgia’s top-10 trading partners.
The TECO office, Taiwan’s de facto consulate in Atlanta, joined county officials, legislators and library leaders Monday for a launch ceremony at the Central Library downtown, where attendees sampled milk tea complete with freshly cooked brown-sugar boba from Xing Fu Tang, a premier Taiwanese outfit with a location in Duluth.
They also got the chance to don virtual-reality headsets to tour Taipei 101, the iconic landmark (and former world’s tallest building) recently free-climbed during a live Netflix special.
Future programs hosted at some of Fulton County’s 30-plus libraries will include mahjong games, Chinese yoyo demonstrations, shadow puppetry and more, said Jared Lin, the TECO director-general.
On Thursday, Mr. Lin joined elected officials and library leaders in celebrating the collaboration, noting that it’s taking place during Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month as Taiwan marks 30 years since its first democratic presidential election and the U.S. looks toward its 250th birthday in July.
“These programs are designed not only to teach cultural skills but also to create direct connections between Taiwan and Fulton County, between Taiwanese-Americans and local communities, and between generations of leaders,” Mr. Lin, Taiwan’s top diplomat covering six Southeast U.S. states. “When we share cultures, we build trust, and when we build trust, we create the foundation for even stronger cooperation in the years ahead.”
Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, once more thanking Taiwan for the friendship expressed in its donation of masks to the county during the pandemic in 2020.
“I’m very, very excited about this opportunity, and I think that this is just the start of so many other activities between Fulton County, Georgia, and Taiwan,” Mr. Pitts said.
State Sen. Sonya Halpern, a Democrat from Georgia’s 39th district mostly located within Fulton County, said cultural ties, valuable in their own right, also help build economic connections.
“Taiwan and Georgia share growing connections across some of the industries shaping our futures, including technology and advanced manufacturing, to logistics, international trade, education, innovation — and these partnerships create opportunities for us to strengthen our economy and deepen the ties between our communities,” said Ms. Halpern, a member of the Taiwan caucus in the Georgia legislature.
“Libraries are more than places for books, they are gateways to knowledge, bridges between communities, and trusted spaces where people of all ages can discover the wider world.”
Jared Lin, TeCO’s director-general
For Mr. Lin, who arrived in Atlanta in August, cultural awareness is foundational to fostering friendships that will drive closer security and investment ties between the U.S. and Taiwan.
“We hope to bring Taiwan’s culture, stories, language, creativity, and friendship to more families, students, learners and readers across the county,” Mr. Lin said. “Libraries are more than places for books, they are gateways to knowledge, bridges between communities and trusted spaces where people of all ages can discover the wider world.”
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