MEETING THE MISSION OF PKSCA

“To promote friendship and understanding between the people of Portland, Oregon and Kaohsiung, Taiwan”

By Richard Cole, PhD

March 24, 2005

 

The Portland Kaohsiung Sister City Association maintains several programs that focus on and support our mission.  These include:

 

  • Participation in the “Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade”

Each year since 1989 the PKSCA Parade unit has included:

1.         A beautiful and often prize winning Float

2.         A music and dance group from Shu-Te High School in Kaohsiung, and

3.         A VIP Convertible carrying the Kaohsiung Mayor or his designated delegation leader. This Parade Unit is viewed first-hand by tens of thousands attending the parade, plus an estimated 40 million people that view live television broadcasts and rebroadcasts across the United States.

 

  • The “Awakening of the Dragon and Eye Dotting Ceremony”

This event officially opens the Dragon Boat season early each April.  Monks and choir from a local Buddhist temple conduct the formal Buddhist ceremony.  Also included in the event is a traditional, and colorful Lion Dance, the formal dotting of the eyes of the Dragon Boats by local dignitaries, and a parade of dragon boats around the Portland Fire Boat

 

  • The Annual “Dragon Boat Race”

This two-day event takes place Saturday and Sunday on Rose Festival Parade weekend.  Over 2000 team members and an estimated 20,000 or more viewers are involved in the largest Dragon Boat race in the continental USA.  Over 90 teams compete in about 100 heats on Saturday and Sunday.  One heat occurs every 9 minutes. The boats are designed as colorful dragons with dramatic heads and tails.  The event is free and a great example of a Chinese sport that began over 2400 years ago.  Also, from April until June the boats are visible on the Willamette River as teams practice for the Rose Festal Race.

 

  • The “Host Family Program” for 60 high school girls from Shu-Te High School in Kaohsiung

Host families across the Portland area provide an American home experience for two lovely and talented musicians and dancers who stay for one week and perform in the Rose Festival Grand Floral parade and other places.  Many families keep in contact with their girls for many years and have visited them in Taiwan and here in the USA.  This is a wonderful first hand cultural experience for both the Hosts and the girls.

 

  • The annual official city to city “Goodwill Delegation Exchange”

Each year an official City Delegation from Portland and from Kaohsiung visit for several days.  The delegates are made up of City Officials, Civic Leaders and members of the Sister City Association Board.  These visits provide first-hand contact among civic and government leaders and increase understanding of each other’s city.

 

  • Sponsoring “Portland Band Performances in Taiwan”

In October 1995 the David Douglas High School Jazz Ensemble was the first of Four Bands that have performed in Taiwan.  This twenty member band gave several concerts during the opening week of The Taiwan Area Games in Kaohsiung.  The largest audience was 40,000 people at the Opening Ceremony of the Games in the Kaohsiung Coliseum.  In November 1996 over 100 members of the David Douglas High School Marching Band and Tams Dance Team performed in the Taiwan International Band Festival in Taipei.  In February 2004 an all-star group of 20 high school musicians and 6 dancers performed in the Lantern Parade and the week long celebration of the Chinese New Year in Kaohsiung.  In February of this year a 20 member Mount Hood Community College Jazz Band represented Portland in the Kaohsiung celebration of the Chinese New Year.  These performers were excellent ambassadors for Portland and they also had a wonderful first hand cultural experience.

 

  • Sister School/University Programs

In June 1994, David Douglas School District and Shu-Te Girls’ Home Economic and Commercial Vocational High School entered into a Sister School agreement at a formal signing ceremony.  This was the first sister school agreement for David Douglas and the only Oregon sister school for Shu-Te.  This program has and continues to involve reciprocal hosting of student performers, visiting teachers and support for performing groups.  In 1998 a sister university relationship was established between Portland State University and National Sun Yat-Sen University in Kaohsiung.  Students from Kaohsiung have attended PSU and Professional communication continues between the Universities.

 

  • Outreach and Support Programs

PKSCA provides support to worthy programs and for disaster relief in Taiwan. In 1991 the PKSCA sent a fully equipped state of the art ambulance as a gift to Kaohsiung as recognition for their gift of 2 Dragon Boats.  In 1999, following a devastating earthquake, a fundraising program resulted in a relief donation of over $44,000.00.In 2003, $10,000 was donated to supply facemasks during the SARS epidemic.  Also, every year PKSCA supports the CCBA Chinese Language School in Portland.  These and other in-kind support activities are a high priority for the Portland Kaohsiung Sister City Association.