Taipei City's present campaigns in promoting city exchanges are

oriented in city diplomacy, cultural and educational exchanges. Taipei

City has been promoting such activities, which cover exchange visits

by officials, visiting other cities, hosting international conferences,

organizing cultural and educational exchanges, in the hope of

improving Taipei's international visibility by emulating the success

stories of other cities.

Chapter 17City Exchanges

Taipei Yearbook 2008

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Part1 City Diplomacy

Taipei's pace of internationalizing itself is expedited through the active promotion of cultural, technological and trade exchanges with other major cities, fashioning Taipei into a world-class capital; this has always been a primary mission for the Taipei City Government. The highlights of Taipei's city exchange efforts include exchange visits by officials, the sharing of municipal administrative experiences, improving its friendships with sister cities and other major international metropolises; and maintaining its special focus on the aspects of municipal development, culture, science and technology, and economy and trade, in order to upgrade the wellbeing of the inhabitants of Taipei; the city government also, strives to showcase Taipei's achievements by hosting and participating in international activities.

1. The Forming of Sister CitiesTaiwan has always enjoyed a close friendship

with Burkina Faso in Africa. With a view to improving the relationship between the two countries and complementing overall diplomatic policies, the Taipei City Government and Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, signed to become sister cities; the formal signing ceremony,“The Joint Sister Cities Declaration of Taipei City of ROC and Ouagadougou of Burkina Faso”was held on December 4, 2008 in Taipei City, celebrating a new chapter of Taipei/Ouagadougou's“town twinning.”

2. Exchange Visits Exchange visits by mayors strengthen the friendship between two cities, provide the visiting mayor

a chance to observe and learn from the host city, and promote future cooperation and exchanges. In light of the growing importance of international marketing for cities, the visiting mayors can also advertise their own cities during exchange visits to attract investors and tourists. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin accepted an invitation from the governor of Tokyo, Shintar Ishihara and led a delegation to Japan for the Tokyo Marathon 2008 from February 14 to 20, 2008, and conducted an inspection tour of the local municipal constructions. Mayor Hau Lung-bin was invited to make the keynote speech during the opening ceremony on the friendship between Taipei and Tokyo. The speech was televised on Japanese TV networks and successfully increased Taipei City's visibility in Japan and the chance to garner more friendships. Tokyo's

In the age of globalization the ever-changing telecommunication and mobile technologies have made headways, sparking off continuous

interplays and eliminating spatial-temporal limitations. Cities have now become the spokespersons of national“brandscapes.”Municipal advancements are thus promoted via constructive city exchanges to enhance city governance capabilities. As a result major cities around the world are actively pursuing city exchanges and cooperative endeavors.

Taipei City and Ouagadougou sign to become sister cities.

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experience in conducting international marathons and roadway network constructions is an excellent frame of reference for Taipei's future endeavors to organize marathons. Mayor Hau Lung-bin also led another delegation to tour New York and Boston from August 23 to September 2. In addition to visiting New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and exchanging administrative experiences, Hau inspected local urban renewal projects, traffic management, constructions of waterfront cities and toured the 311 government information and non-emergency services for Taipei's future administrative reference.

Regarding visits by sister cities, Tseden-lsh Boldsaikhan, office director of Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, led a cultural performance troupe of 21 to visit Taipei from February 19 to 23 for cultural exchanges and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the two cities' sisterhood. Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro of the Republic of Panama toured Taipei from November 18 to 23 and December 3 to 7. In addition to calling on Mayor Hau Lung-bin, he also visited Taipei's municipal works. Also, Alfredo S. Lim, Mayor of Taipei's sister city of Manila, Lisa Scaffidi, Mayor of Taipei's friendship city of Perth, Australia and Hiroshi Nakada, Mayor of Yokohama, Kanagawa in Japan visited Taiwan from May 19 to 21 for the presidential inauguration ceremony. Mayor Hiroshi led a delegation to visit Taiwan five months later and paid a visit to Mayor Hau.

3. Improving Relationships with Sister Cities In addition to exchange visits, Taipei also provides assistance to sister cities, thereby strengthening

international friendships. In addition to providing still-operable ambulances to the Philippines' Manila, Mongolia's Ulan Bator and Burkina Faso's Ouagadougou (2, 6 and 4 ambulances, respectively), the 2008 Taipei International Medical Assistance Team traveled to Ulan Bator for charity diagnoses and visited the city's deputy mayor Baldan Baatarzorig for city exchanges. Taipei City's fire brigade also visited Ulan Bator from October 11 to 17 to assist in disaster response measures and emergency first-aid training.

4. Hosting International ConferencesIn order to promote relationships among sister

cities, partner cities, friendship cities and members of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 and the understanding of Taipei's administrative work, the Taipei City Government hosted the“2008 Taipei International Elite Civil Servant Study Interchange”from September 8 to 12, which was graced by municipal staffs from the Philippines' Quezon City, the Republic of Poland's

Mayor Hau visits with New York City Mayor Bloomberg.

Panama Mayor Navarro and his wife visit with Mayor Hau.

The 2008 Taipei International Medical Assistance Team visits Ulan Bator to provide free diagnoses.

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Warsaw, the Republic of Lithuania's Vilnius, the Republic of Latvia's Riga, Anchorage of the US state of Alaska, Singapore, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, Mongolia's Ulan Bator, Australia's Gold Coast and the Philippine's Makati.

5. Active Participation in International ActivitiesIn order to strengthen Taipei's multilateral

relationships with the world's major cities and improve her international status, the Taipei City Government actively participates in the international activities and conferences held by international city organizations. Mayor Hau Lung-bin led a delegation from June 23 to 27 to Shanghai for the Witness Signing Ceremony for the“2010 World Exposition.”Taipei's“Wireless Broadband Network”and“Resource Recycling”proposals were nominated for“City 's Best Execut ion Area”display and the only city to be recognized for two proposals at the Expo.

Major international events in 2008 with Taipei's presence are summarized below:

The United Cities and Local Governments Meeting in Quito, Republic of Ecuador (July 6 to 14), attended by Counselor Wang Le-sheng; the United Cities and Local Governments-Asia Pacific, UCLG-ASPAC, on Pattaya Island, Thailand (July 14 to 19), attended by Counselor Chu Wei-kuo; Sister Cities International in Kansas, USA (July 15 to 22) attended by Counselor Wang Le-sheng; the 3rd ANMC21 Working Group Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (August 4 to 6), attended by Counselor Chu Wei -kuo; the Uni ted Cit ies and Local Governments-Asia Pacific, UCLG-ASPAC Execution Bureau Meeting in Sidney, Australia (October 19 to 23); the 7th Asian Network of the Major Cities 21 Convention and Cities and Cultural Festival Activities in Kuala Lumpur, attended by Deputy Secretary-General Chen Yeong-ren (November 19 to 22); the United Cities and Local Governments – the World Council Meeting attended by Commissioner Yeh Ching-yuan (November 25 to December 2) in Istanbul, Turkey.

6. Visits to Other CitiesCommissioner Chen Hsiung-wen of the Department of Economic Development visited Spain's

Zaragoza to tour organizations in charge of holding fairs, and inspected their operating and financial planning units, providing an operating model for a frame of reference as Taipei prepares for the“2010 Taipei International Gardening and Horticulture Exposition.”Chen also traveled to Lleida, a city neighboring the World's Fair in Zaragoza, and Barcelona's commercial districts, where he observed the successful partnership of local economies and large international events as a reference for Taipei City to improve its commercial environment and develop business opportunities for the 2010 Expo.

Mayor Hau visits the“2010 World Exposition”in Shanghai and is debriefed.

The United Cities and Local Government - the world Council Meeting attended by Commissioner Yen Ching-yuan.

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From August 6 to 15, Commissioner Yeh Ching-yuan of the Law and Regulation Commission visited Sidney, Canberra and Melbourne in Australia to study the development of their local systems. He also visited Australia's legal system departments under its federal parliamentary institution, the governmental legal systems in Canberra's districts, New South Wales's State Parliament, the legal system departments in Sydney, the legal system department of Victoria's State Government and Victoria's State Parliament. By observing the country's legal system operations, the delegation hoped to use the functions of Australia's legal system as a frame of reference for Taipei City's future administrative system.

From August 18 to 28, the commissioner of the Department of Rapid Transit Systems, Chang Chi-te, visited the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland and France and toured the Dubai Metro, Line 14 of the Paris Metro, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport RER B, and the Lötschberg Tunnel in Switzerland, to get to know the planning, civil engineering details and the mechanical and electrical systems involved in different light-rail transport systems and rail constructions as reference for the introduction and application of follow-up urban transportation technologies in Taiwan's metropolitan areas.

The executive deputy of the Tourism Commission of the Taipei City Government, Chao Xin-ping, visited Seoul from September 2 to 7, 2008 to inspect the South Korean government's urban marketing policy planning and execution practices, including the establishment of city marketing strategies, Korean tourism development, and tourism hardware and software facility installations to get to know the status of the country's tourism market. Chao also visited local tourism industries and organizations as a frame of reference for advancing Taipei City's future city marketing programs and enhancing promotional packages for Korean tourists.

Part2 Cultural Exchanges

To enrich the cultural perspectives of her citizens, Taipei City organizes a multitude of cultural activities, such as exchanges and visits by local and international artists, international exhibitions and performances of the arts and culture. Also, through collaboration with the private sector, special events that feature religious festivities and cultural traditions unique to the home countries of migrant workers are held to create a one-of-a-kind blend of local and exotic cultures in the city of Taipei.

1. Cultural Exchanges Activities(1) Resident Artists Exchange Project

In this project, the Taipei Artist Village serves as a platform for exchanges between local and international artists to foster artistic connections and ignite the sparks of creativity. As of the end of 2008, a total of 205 artists from home and abroad have been invited to stay and work in Taipei, while 86 local artists have traveled overseas as resident artists in various cities around the world. (2) The Taipei International Jazz Festival

Once again, the Taipei City Government and the Taipei International Jazz Education and Promotion Association joined forces in hosting the“2008 Taipei International Jazz Festival,”featuring 5 themed concerts in the timeframe of June 21 to July 26, 2008 at the Beitou Hot Spring Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, the Water Park, Taipei Zhongshan Hall Plaza, and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Renowned Jazz masters, including Steve Davis from the US, Bart De Nolf from Belgium, and Peter Van Marle from the Netherlands, were invited to stage two outdoor concerts at the 228 Peace Memorial Park. This festival spread seeds of jazz and allowed the public to enjoy top performances by international jazz artists through such activities as“Taipei Summer Jazz Concerts”and“International Jazz Masters–Concert Under the Sky.”

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(3) The Taipei International Wind Music FestivalThe“2008 Taipei International Wind Music

Festival”was held from July 27 to August 3, including indoor concerts at the Zhongzheng Concert Hall in Taipei, Zhongshan Hall, and outdoor performances at the North Plaza of the Red House. The series of events featured wind music groups from Japan, Hong Kong and Macao, with a total of 10 overseas groups and 12 local groups gathered in Taipei to put on performances.(4) The Migration Music Festival

Continuing on the discovery path of“migration,”the “2008 Migration Music Festival”was held from September 27 to October 5 with“City Borders”as its theme. This year's festival introduced diverse cultures that were sometimes marginalized, interwoven, mingled and oppressed. The large influx of city migrants bring new life to the local labor force, lifestyle and music culture; under the struggle and development of dissimilar cultures, new communities gather together to derive and give birth to meanings and forms to the city in which they reside. Several domestically and internationally renowned groups of musicians from Japan, Israel, Palestine, France, the Netherlands as well as Taiwan's aboriginal tribes were invited to perform at this festival.(5) City Cultural Exchanges Meeting

The Taipei, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hong Kong: The 2008 Taipei Annual Meeting was held on September 12 and 13, the 2008 Taipei Annual Meeting kicked off at the Guangfu Hall in Taipei's Zhongshan Hall. Co-organized by the Taipei City Government and the Performing Arts Alliance, the event aimed at drawing continuous attention to the cross-strait arts and cultural environment. This year's event was themed“Culture, Environment and Nature – Future Vision of Cities”to reflect on the coexistence of humanity and the natural environment, as well as the roles humans play in its symbiotic relationship with the environment, encouraging lively discussions among the participants.(6) The Asian Performing Arts Festival

On October 6 to 9, held at the Sejong Center in Seoul, Korea, the“Asian Performing Arts Festival”in 2008 entered its 6th year. The Taiyuan Puppet Theater and the Sun Son Theatre represented Taipei in the event. Performances included artists from Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, and Bangkok. The PAMS Arts Fair and city-themed exhibitions were also held. The performances by theatrical groups from Taipei were extremely successful and received an overwhelming response from the local public. (7) The Asian Network of Major Cities 21 – Cultural Performances

The“Asian Network of Major Cities 21 Convention”was held from November 19 to 21, 2008, hosted by the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Taipei recommended the Sizhukong Jazztet to perform,

“Three Stray Cats”—music from the Netherlands receives rave reviews.

2008 The Taipei International Jazz Festival.

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and their performance was warmly appreciated by the audience, and the local media gave it extensive coverage, deeming the performance a big success.(8) Exchange of Cultural and Creative Industries in Cities Across the Strait

This year's exchange program was held from December 13 to 20, 2008 and from December 31, 2008 to January 9, 2009. Jointly organized by the Taipei City Government, the Taipei Culture Foundation, and the Beijing Center for Cultural and Creative Industries, the exchange also comprised forums on January 2, 2009 in Taipei and on January 18 and 19, 2009 in Beijing, providing opportunities for bilateral exchanges on the present and the future of the cultural and creative industries across the Taiwan Strait.

The participation of entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries from Taipei in the“Exhibition on Cultural and Creative Industries”in Beijing on December 18, 2008 also received great response from the public.

2. Cultural Exchange of Migrant WorkersAs a result of the structural shifts in Taiwan's labor market, nowadays migrant workers can be

spotted on almost every street corner of Taipei. As of yearend 2008, Taipei had a total of 37,246 blue-collar migrant workers, accounting for about 10% of Taiwan's migrant workforce. Further breakdowns of workers by country are as follows: the Philippines, 7,635 (20%); Vietnam, 5,206 (13%); Indonesia, 21,836 (58%); Thailand, 2,568 (6%); and, Mongolia, 1 person (0.000027%).

Taipei City offers a wide range of care services as well as cultural programs to facilitate the assimilation of migrant workers into Taiwan society and to express gratitude and care to these people who have left their families and homelands to stay and work in Taipei. (1) The Thai Culture Festival

The traditional Thai New Year (Songkran) is in April, and Thai people celebrate their new year by splashing water at each other, hence the Thai name Songkran, i.e.,“Water Splashing Festival.”On April

Body and percussion performance by Sun Son Theatre.

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12, 2008, the Department of Labor and the Department of Civil Affairs co-organized the“Thai Culture Festival”at the Ashanti Square of Shinkong Mitsukoshi in Xinyi district. Feature programs included a performance by the renowned dance troupe from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University, in Thailand, as well as a traditional blessing ceremony, Southeast Asian cuisine, musical performances, and Water Splashing for Blessing, all of which were designed to offer a taste of Thai culture for Taipei residents. Over 1,000 Thai workers took part in this festival.(2) Migrant Workers Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival

For the past 6 years, migrant workers have been invited to the“Migrant Workers Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival,”in which their understanding of Taiwan is enhanced by being exposed to traditional Chinese culture that include taking part in a dragon boat competition, tasting rice dumplings, and hanging scented bags. In 2008, to help migrant workers better appreciate the beauty of Chinese culture, a“HELLO TAIPEI Migrant Workers Team”signed up to enter the“Taipei International Dragon Boat Race Championships.”Other onsite activities also provided a chance for cultural exchange and immersion for the participating migrant workers. (3) The Filipino Culture Festival

Filipinos are not only generous in sharing their passion with others, but they are highly creative and artistic as well. And just like Taiwanese, they attach great importance to their families. Their joyous and optimistic nature seems to bring happiness to people around them. On June 15, 2008 the Department of Labor, in cooperation with the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, hosted the“Filipino Culture Festival”at the Daan Forest Park, attracting a large attendance of 2,000 people. In addition to fun activities, including a dress-up parade, a dance contest, and cultural and creative booths, the famous comic duo of Eric and Tuko, and the pop stars Miss Rachelle Ann Go and Pretty Trizia were invited to share an unforgettable Filipino experience with Taipei residents. (4) The Vietnamese Culture Festival

Organized by the Department of Labor at the 228 Peace Memorial Park, this festival featured group games, including contests in making Vietnamese lanterns and Vietnamese spring rolls, and bag jumping relays, a Vietnamese costume fashion show, traditional dance and music performances, and a food bazaar. Pop singer Dan Truong was also invited for an exhilarating show, and got thumbs-up from the migrant workers. The event attracted 8,000 Vietnamese migrant workers to come and taste the nostalgic flavors of their homeland, and also gave Taipei residents a glimpse into Vietnamese culture.(5) Migrant Workers Writing Contest

This writing contest was organized by the Department of Labor as an attempt to help migrant

The Philippine Cultural Festival—Dress-up Parade.The Songkran Festival—Dance for Blessing.

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workers allay their homesickness through writing. Any topic, whether it be thoughts about working in Taiwan, impressions of Taipei, or simply one's life story as a migrant worker, can be entered into the contest. The 2008 contest received the huge number of 3,588 entries, out of which the winners were selected in three rounds of screening by representatives of private sector organizations and scholars invited by the Department of Labor. Winners were awarded and honored on August 24 at the Shen Bao-zhen Lobby in City Hall, with Su Yin-kuei, director of the Department of Labor, as the award presenter. The winning works were recited by the winners in their native tongue and by renowned radio DJ Dan Xuan in Chinese at the award ceremony that was further enlivened with songs and dances from Southeast Asia.(6) Ramadan in Taipei

Ramadan Festival is a spiritual event of great significance for all Muslims. After one month of fasting called“Ramadan,”Muslims celebrate their successful completion of Ramadan with the“Fast-breaking Festival.”The“2008 Fast-breaking Festival”in Taipei began at 10 AM, October 5, when 6,000 Indonesian migrant workers gathered at Daan Forest Park, and faced westwards to recite the Holy Koran. This was followed by congratulating one another on fulfilling their religious obligation and forgiving any past wrongs with a handshake or a hug. Starting from 1 PM, the“Indonesian Cultural Festival”kicked off, when traditional Muslim food was served and Islamic religious performances were given together with traditional Indonesian dances to celebrate the end of Ramadan.(7) The 2008 Southeast Asian Song and Dance

ContestThis year's contest attracted skilled dancers from

Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia and was held on November 16 at Zhongshan Hall Plaza, where all contestants pulled out all the stops for the ultimate trophies and prize money. The opening number featured Indonesian bands performing exciting songs and dances, followed by the semi-finals for traditional and contemporary dance categories of each country. The finalists of each country were selected to compete for the championship. Acer Unipak Optronics won the championship after the elimination rounds were completed. Winners of the 2007 migrant worker's song and dance contest were also invited to put on a good show for some 600 passers-by.(8) The Southeast Asia Cooking Contest

Southeast Asia cuisine features the fusion of the east and the west that is unique in its own ways. The Department of Labor held the“2008 Southeast Asia Cooking Contest”on December 14, 2008,

The Muslim Fast-breaking Festival – traditional Indonesian song and dance performance.

Migrant Workers Writing Contest—Awards Ceremony.

The Vietnam Cultural Festival—Traditional Dance Performance.

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calling upon migrant workers to gather around Yongle Plaza at Dihua Street to show off their cooking skills. By experiencing the tasty and exotic flavor of dishes, the people of Taipei were better able to appreciate Southeast Asian cuisine, which in turn drew them closer to those friendly migrant workers.(9) Health & Care – Love for All: Health

Check-ups for Migrant Workers The Department of Labor is concerned

for the medical healthcare of migrant workers. In conjunction with the Tzu Chi International Medical Association, the City provides free medical services and health check-ups for migrant workers, as well as health counseling. In 2008, together with the Tzu Chi International Medical Association, the City organized five free medical assistance sessions between the East 1 and East 2 Gates of the Taipei Main Station. These free check-ups and health counseling sessions served 1,000 persons and received favorable reviews from the migrant workers.(10) Multinational Services A.“Hello Taipei”Foreign Language Radio Program: Taipei became introduced to migrant workers in

1989. Since 2000, the Foreign Workers' Counseling Center under the Department of Labor has been producing the“Hello Taipei”foreign language radio program at the Taipei Broadcasting Station (FM 93.1/AM 1134).“Hello Taipei”is the only public radio program in Taiwan for migrant workers, and it covers the promotion of legal issues related to employment services, cultural activities, news updates, recreation, and music and songs from their homelands. The schedule of programs in four languages is as follows: Indonesian (Saturday, 9 PM to 10 PM), Thai (Saturday, 10 PM to 11 PM), Filipino (Sunday, 9 PM to 10 PM), and Vietnamese (Sunday, 10 PM to 11 PM). In 2008, a total of 52 episodes in the four languages were aired and proved to be very popular among migrant workers.

B. Migrant e Express – Communicating Policies and Regulations to Migrant Workers: The Migrant e Express , issued by the Department of Labor, provides accurate information and channels of communication to employers and agents for hiring migrant workers, employer transfer, and migrant workers management. In 2008, quarterly issues (issues 30, 31, 32, and 33) were published in the months of April, July, October, and December, and were mailed to subscribers and made available at designated sites.

C. Printing and Distributing the Handbook for Migrant Caretakers : Communication, mutual trust and respect between employers and their migrant workers are matters of great importance for the Department of Labor. This handbook collects the latest relevant laws and regulations by the Council of Labor Affairs of the Executive Yuan, and lists common mistakes of employers when undertaking inspections of migrant workers. It provides employers with a reference to avoid violating the law.

Part3 Educational Exchanges

In building Taipei into a cosmopolitan city, the Taipei City Government has been actively promoting exchanges in a wide range of fields, including sports, education, and culture. Department of Education of

The 2008 Southeast Asian Song and Dance Contest.

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the Taipei City Government and schools at all levels have teamed up to promote educational and cultural exchanges with other countries, giving students opportunities to broaden their perspectives by getting in touch with diverse international cultures. Schools at all levels open diverse channels for exchange, including international academic exchanges, student activity exchanges, educational visits, receptions, and exchanges with foreign schools in Taiwan. In 2008, a total of 58 schools at all levels took part in 176 events.

1. Academic ExchangesOn March 11, a delegation from Taipei Jhingmei Girls High School and Taipei First Girls High School

took part in the“Raffles International Conference on Education 2008”in Singapore, and presented their topic of“teaching strategies mutually beneficial to the community and the curriculum.”From May 1 to 6, the Department of Education held the“2008 International Exchange for IT Educators,”and took part in the 12th“Global Chinese Conference on Computers in Education 2008”(GCCCE 2008) and the“CITE Research Symposium 2008”in Hong Kong, to be followed by visits to four schools in Hong Kong. From July 19 to 26, 58 staff members from the Department of Education and teachers in primary and secondary schools visited Wuhan and Shenzhen in mainland China to take part in the Network Originality Competition (NOC). On December 26, a total of 15 people, consisting of a delegation from the Department of Education in Taipei and teachers in primary, secondary schools, and kindergartens, participated in the“China Education Forum”in mainland China.

As a tie-in with the International Year of Astronomy, the Taipei Astronomical Museum held a special seminar on astronomy on June 7, 2008 and invited Susanne Huettemeister, director of Bochum Planetarium in Germany to speak in Taiwan. On July 11, the Family Education Center in Taipei organized the“2008 International Family Education Series—Strengthening Family Bonds Workshop”and invited a group of professors from Brigham Young University in the United States to give a one-day seminar for family education commission members and teachers of primary and secondary schools in Taipei, drawing a total of 212 participants. On June 1, Tseng Shu-hsien, director of the Taipei Public Library, presented her paper at the“Metropolitan Libraries Section”(METLIB) in Prague, and introduced the innovative measures taken by Taipei City in promoting reading and demonstrated the results of such measures.

2. Educational Visits and ToursMutual visits between local schools and

educational groups from different countries provide a chance to learn from those countries and to gain a better understanding of their cultures, educational systems, and social environments. (1) Visiting Schools Overseas

In 2008, the overseas visiting activities of schools at all levels in Taipei were as follows: 89 students and teachers from five schools, including Taipei Municipal Heping High School, Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School, Taipei Municipal Dali Senior High School, Taipei Municipal Dazhi Senior High School, and Huajiang Senior High School, visited Singapore from July 22 to August 7. In 2008, eight elementary schools were subsidized to visit the United States for international exchanges, with about 200 participating teachers and students.

The delegation of the“Taipei 2007 Outstanding Teachers Overseas Visit”was led by the deputy mayor of the Taipei City Government, Wu Ching-ji, from January 12 to 26; they visited schools in the

Special seminar on astronomy.

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Hague, the Netherlands, Brussels, Belgium, and Hamburg, Germany. The visits proved to be an excellent opportunity for outstanding teachers to observe and get to know quality primary and secondary schools in Europe.(2) Visiting Groups from other Countries

Part icipants in the 2nd“United Horizon Summer Camp”visited Taipei City Hall on July 24, 2008; the group consisted of teenagers aged 13-22 who had grown up overseas. Director-General Wu Ching-shan of the Department of Education received the group. On August 21, teachers from the Office of Education from South Jeolla Province, Korea, visited Taipei's Department of Education. Seven university presidents from the Association of Russian Universities visited Taipei's Department of Education on September 16, and were received by Director-General Wu Ching-shan. Seventy-four people in the delegation of principals from Xiamen's primary and secondary schools visited various schools around Taipei City on October 31 to observe aspects of primary and secondary education in Taipei. Twenty-seven students and teachers from Dunman High School in Singapore visited Taipei City Hall and the Discovery Center of Taipei on November 5 to study Chinese and experience cultural differences. A total of 83 teachers and students from Raffles Institution, National Junior College, Temasek Junior College, Victoria Junior College and Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore visited Taiwan from November 22 to December 9 for cultural exchanges. The Taipei Children's Recreation Center and the World Vision Taiwan jointly organized the“Friends with the World”event on May 1, which sponsored 150 underprivileged children from 11 countries, including Mongolia, Swaziland, Romania, El Salvador, India, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Bosnia, to the Taipei Children's Recreation Center.

Taipei Penglai Elementary School received a delegation of teachers from England on March 25, 2008. Taipei Kaiping Culinary School invited Bruno Neveu, dean of Hotel Management at the Csar Ritz College in Switzerland, on March 20 to show cooking demonstrations and offer scholarships for Taiwanese students. Taipei Beitou Elementary School arranged 29 Grade-3 to Grade-5 students to visit Chongfu Primary School in Singapore from July 20 to 27 to take part in international exchanges.

3. Art and Cultural ActivitiesA delegation from Minquan Elementary School went to Shanghai on January 3, 2008 to take part in

exchanges of symphonic music. Taipei Yongle Elementary School's Children Taiwanese Opera Troupe attended the“2008 Czech Republic International Folk Music and Dance Celebration”on June 26. Pingdeng Elementary School's“Taiwan Children Hand Puppet Troupe”took part in the“2008 Edmonton World Folk Culture Festival”in Canada from July 31 to August 11, and put on a total of 13 puppet shows.

Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School took part in the“2008 World Marching Band Contest”in Milan, Italy on July 12, 2008, and won the championship. Ye Nai-hao, a Grade-10 student at the Songshan High School of Agriculture and Industry, entered the Cake Decorating Contest in San

Outstanding teachers visiting Potsdam.

Sponsored overseas children visiting the Taipei Children's Recreation Center.

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Diego, US from February 23 to 24, and won both the first prize and the second prize in the Youth Group. Taipei Kaiping Culinary School entered the 4th“International Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge”from September 9 to 14 in Gold Coast, Australia, and won the gold medal and the team championship. A delegation from Taipei Jhingmei Girls High School participated in a cross-strait student marching band exchange at Shanghai on February 27. The Taipei Chenggong High School Chorus took part in the “2008 Hong Kong International Youth & Children's Choir Festival Competition”on July 13.

4. Sister School ExchangesThe prestigious Tanjong Katong Primary

School in Singapore was approved by Singapore's Ministry of Education and given subsidies to become the sister school of Taipei Jihching Elementary School. Exchange visits will take place in the course of three years. The signing of a memorandum of cooperation ensures that the exchange program will be fully implemented. The 2008 academic year marked the second year of the sister-school relationship.

“When Taiwanese Oyster Omelet Meets Japanese Okonomiyaki”was an exchange event on October 29, 2008 in which Taipei Huajiang High School received Yuhigaoka High School from Osaka, Japan for international exchange activities. On November 10, the Daojiang High School of Commerce received sister school Meiho Affiliated High School of Beppu University at the Taipei Youth Activity Center; a total of 375 teachers and students from the two schools were involved in the exchange.

5. Sports ActivitiesThe“2008 International Children's Games”were held in San Francisco, US, from July 10 to 14.

Taipei's team arrived in the United States on July 9 and returned on July 20. Taipei Municipal Yucheng Senior High School was in charge of the team, at which the Training Kick-off Ceremony was held on May 27. On the morning of July 8, Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin presented the team flag to the team. The team successfully returned home with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals.

From July 22 to August 4, a delegation from Taipei Youth Folk Sports toured around Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch in New Zealand and Sydney, Gold Coast, and Brisbane in Australia. They mainly performed rope jumping, diabolo, and shuttlecock kicking, while folk dancing was the core of the performance, successfully playing the role of ambassador in the international cultural exchanges.

“Asia Junior Sports Exchange Games 2008”were held from August 25 to September 1 in Tokyo, Japan. The event was organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, attracting teams from the capitals of fourteen nations to take part. Taipei City's team took seventh place.

Hand Puppet Troupe performing in the“Edmonton World Folk Culture Festival”in Canada.

Taipei Jihching Elementary School exchanging with students from Singapore.

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6. Transnational LearningSummer exchange v i s i t s

w e r e o r g a n i z e d f o r c o l l e g e students in Taiwan and France. Ten students were selected from the Taipei Municipal University of Education and Taipei Physical Educat ion Col lege to v is i t the Un ivers i ty o f Caen in France from July 1 to August 31 to learn French and conduct cultural visits. F ive business-major s tudents f rom France were des ignated to undertake internships in the Carrefour stores in Taiwan, while five art students came to Taiwan to learn Chinese and take art courses during their exchange visit.

From June 28 to July 17, six students from Taipei Municipal Fuxing Senior High School, Taipei Municipal Yongchun Senior High School and the Shilin High School of Commerce were selected as Youth Ambassadors to receive delegates from Taipei's sister cities, including Phoenix, USA, Riga, Latvia and Warsaw, Poland. On July 3, the delegations from these three sister cities visited the Taipei City Government, where Deputy Mayor Wu Ching-ji welcomed them in person. On November 13, Taipei Municipal Lishan High School carried out distance learning with NASA.

On April 10, the Taipei Public Library participated in an Overseas Learning Benchmarking Activity organized by the Department of Civil Servant Development of the Taipei City Government, where participants visited Roppongi in Tokyo, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office to find inspiring creativity in work.

ConclusionAmidst waves of globalization and internationalization, Taipei City in recent years has been actively

involved in multidimensional exchanges with major cities around the world to enhance its international connections. As a part of the global village, Taipei City is speeding up towards its goal of becoming a world-class city through its continuing efforts in the fields of culture, science and technology, and economy and trade, in the hope of developing Taipei into a international metropolis that is charged with dynamics and diversity, of creating more opportunities for international exchanges and cooperation with Taipei, and, of demonstrating to the world Taipei's resilience and inclusiveness.

Summer exchange visits between students of the Taipei Municipal University of Education and France.