Back in the late sixties, the name “Taiwan” sounded so unfamiliar to the Americans community.  A great deal of people easily mistook Taiwan as “Thailand” when hearing it, while some would refer Taiwan as “Formosa”.  In a word, the name Taiwan sounded so foreign to them.  Perhaps some would find cheap merchandises in neighborhood discount stores with a sticker “Made in Taiwan” on them.  “Made in Taiwan” was identified as inferior goods one could find in lesser-known stores.  However, this is no longer the reality.  After several decades, Taiwan has received her name recognition on the world stage.  But just how much do people actually know about the island of Taiwan, the people, the heritage and culture?  Utilizing the Taiwanese Americans volunteerism and the support of the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, The Splendor of Taiwan Tour and Exhibition is a project to showcase Taiwan featuring her culture heritage and transformation of political democratization as well as economic miracle.  The project with a permanent exhibition is the first of its kind in the United States.

The Project in the Making

In 2007, several Oversea Compatriot Affairs Commissioners had a vision to take advantage of the facility of the Culture Center to make it a tourist destination in the Houston Southwest Chinatown.  Then Minister Fu-Mei Chang of the Oversea Compatriot Affairs Commission and some of Taiwanese community leaders in Houston echoed this proposal.  Subsequently, the Promote Taiwan Team (PPT) was formed to work with the Culture Center to tackle this monumental task. Numerous intensive meetings have been held and coordination was called for.  In additions, the Culture Center went under renovation to set up the exhibition.  On November 30th of 2007, the Splendor of Taiwan Tour and Exhibition had its first trial-run tour with the John Cooper School and the Woodland Methodist Church.  There were seventy-five guests attending.  On April 22nd of 2008, Minister Chang, Congressman Al Green, State Representatives Hubert Vo and Jim Murphy, and officials from the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau officially opened the Splendor of Taiwan Tour and Exhibition to all Houstonians.