Taiwan Heritage Day, hosted by the Washington Nationals, would be held on Aug. 30 at Nationals Park in Washington, featuring performances by cheerleaders from Taiwanese professional baseball team the Rakuten Monkeys, as well as dancers portraying the Taoist folk deity the Third Prince (三太子哪吒)
Known as the Rakuten Girls, the cheerleaders are to perform Taiwanese-style baseball cheerleading to five different songs at the event, featuring Linda (琳妲), Nina (穎樂), Ying (岱縈), Chloe (小紫), Yuhi (筠熹), Galin (嘎琳), Tanya (若潼) and Chuchu (曲曲).
Organized by Millennial Global Youth (MGY) in partnership with the Nationals, the event builds on last year’s trial run and has been expanded to offer 1,000 premium ticket packages.
Photo: CNA
The organizers said that more cultural elements have been incorporated this year to encourage US fans to learn more about Taiwan through the lens of baseball.
“Both Taiwan and the US have a thriving baseball culture, but the key difference lies in different cheerleading styles,” MGY founder Tang Po-yu (唐伯禹) said. “We hope to provide US spectators with firsthand experience” of Taiwanese-style cheerleading.
Taiwanese cultural elements would also be included in the NatPack — a fan-interactive team that represents the Nationals at most games in Nationals Park — and the Racing Presidents, a popular sideshow in which mascots of former US presidents don Nationals jerseys and race around the field.
Photo: CNA
The opening act would feature Third Prince dancers, diabolo performers and Taiwanese music bands, while cultural exchange booths would offer hands-on activities such as calligraphy, moon block tossing and fortune stick drawing, open to ticketed and non-ticketed visitors.
The trial run last year sold 600 premium ticket packages — 300 more than the initial goal.
“The Nationals said it was one of the bestselling trial runs in Nationals history, so they were eager to explore further collaborations,” Taiwan Heritage Day organizer Lee Hou (侯立宸) said.
Photo courtesy of the Rakuten Monkeys
Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America president Eugenia Pai (白越珠) said that Taiwan Day events have been held across the US and expressed hope to make them a regular annual event nationwide through partnerships with more local overseas Taiwanese groups.
MGY said that it is also planning a “Taiwan Night” in potential cooperation with the National Basketball Association, with the goal of establishing a lasting presence for Taiwanese cultural events in the US sports scene and to share Taiwanese culture with mainstream American audiences.
Founded by Taiwanese residents in Washington, the MGY is dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and fostering connections across communities, it said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS