Thousands gathered for an all-day celebration of Taiwanese culture, food, activities, and more.

Author: Julia Yu

This May, the West Coast’s largest celebration of Taiwanese American culture, the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival (TACF), returned to San Francisco’s Union Square. From lion dances to musical performances, visitors gathered for a day of exhibitions, cultural activities, food, and more, all celebrating Taiwan’s rich heritage and culture.

This year’s festivities kicked off at noon with a performance by Kilo, an east coast creative, and welcome remarks by TAP-SF and TACF leadership members. Throughout the afternoon, the stage was shared by multiple performers, including singer-songwriter Rosendale, piano and violin duo Andrew Chen and Elizabeth Lin, dance group Feather in the Wind, and more. Children also shared the stage spotlight, with performances from the Crystal Children’s Choir, Vitality Little Paiwan, and Fremont Chinese School entertaining audience members as the event progressed. 

Around the perimeter, Union Square was dotted with booths featuring vendor crafts, local language schools, and tents for kids’ activities and cultural learning. A table hosted by the Overseas Community Affairs Council encouraged visitors to sign a petition calling for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organization. Signees were then entered into a raffle to win one of 100 care bags, which consisted of a crossbody bag, a pack of masks, and thermometer cards, all highlighting the formosan black bear as part of the designs.

The most popular tent of the day? The food booth! Featuring mouth watering staples of Taiwanese cuisine like beef noodle soup and minced pork over rice from Liang’s Village (a family owned restaurant in Cupertino) and delicious snacks of golden kimchi and braised peanuts from Duan Chun Zhen Noodle House, attendees were able to get a taste of Taiwan as they roamed the festival. The event ended with a final lion dance performance from Leung’s White Crane dance group and closing remarks from the TACF director, Peter Lin, and the planning committee.

This year’s festival would not have been possible without the work of dedicated volunteers and support from sponsors and donors. TAP-SF and TACF would like to give special thanks to the festival planning committee, the Taiwanese Economic and Cultural Office, the SF Parks and Recreation Department, and all the sponsors and donors that helped make this year’s festival a success. TAP-SF and TACF are excited to begin the planning efforts for the 2023 cultural festival, and hope that the festival will continue to bring a greater awareness of the Taiwanese American culture and community to visitors.