Taiwan was selected as the theme country of the Global Fest, a free event held in the city of Aurora, Colorado that celebrates the cultures and communities. With an aim to portray Taiwanese culture to the world, Taiwan’s traditional character Electric-Techno Neon Gods (電音三太子) and indigenous dances were showcased on the opening day of the festival, alongside a Taiwanese temple fair and a selection of street food available at the site.
Aurora, the third-largest city in Colorado, has been hosting the Global Fest for 10 years. This year, Taiwan was chosen as the theme country and a reception was held on Aug. 18 with the mutual cooperation of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Denver and the overseas Taiwanese community in Colorado.
A reproduction of late Taiwanese gouache painter Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖)'s masterpiece "Festival on South Street (南街殷賑)" was displayed at the reception. Through sharing the historical background of the artwork, Bill Huang (黃世昌), the director general of the TECO in Denver, introduced Taiwan's rich and diverse culture to the audiences.
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Huang presented the "Friendship Medal of Diplomacy" to the Mayor of Aurora, Mike Coffman, as a token of appreciation for his unwavering support for Taiwan.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver noted that the Global Fest in the city of Aurora attracts more than 100,000 people each year, and is considered one of the most important cultural events in Colorado.
The Global Fest is dedicated to facilitating discussions around racism, discrimination, oppression, and justice, through forums and educational programming with the intention of sustaining commitment by our community to work towards a more inclusive society.
(Photo credit: The TECO in Denver)