By Lynn Chawengwongsa
The New York Mets will host the 11th annual Taiwan Heritage Night when the team plays the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, August 14 at Citi Field. The event will feature live performances by traditional Taiwanese Hakka band DaBangNi Group, directed by “A-Chang” Liu, and Christine Ko, the Taiwanese-American rapper known as Miss Ko.
Representatives from the Mets, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York and its Taiwan Tourism Bureau division held a joint press conference to promote the upcoming Taiwan Heritage Night. A prelude to the increasingly popular event, the press conference celebrated the 11-year partnership between the Mets and the TTB as well as the sport of baseball, a beloved pastime in both the United States and Taiwan.
Thomas Chang expressed great pride in the upcoming event, which will be the fourth Taiwan Heritage Night under his leadership as director of the TTB. Chang lauded his organization’s longtime partnership with the Mets, asserting, “It’s a good partnership.”
When asked about the importance of the event, Mets representative and sales analyst Wayne Wang spoke of the significance of baseball shared between the American and Taiwanese cultures. “Baseball is the No. 1 sport in Taiwan. I would say 60-70 percent of Taiwanese kids know baseball, love baseball,” explained Wang.
Ko, who will throw the ceremonial first pitch this year, was also present at the press conference. Unlike previous celebrity guests, which include Oscar-winning director Ang Lee and tennis player Yen-Hsun Lu. Ko will provide musical entertainment and perform her song “Slide” at Taiwan Heritage Night.
Speaking about the decision to enlist a musician to throw the first pitch, Wang referred to a slight departure from previous years’ events in planning this year’s event. “This year we’re trying to do something differently,” he stated, smiling.
Although she happily accepted the honor of pitching the first ball, the Queens-born rapper was seemed to question her athletic ability, nervously joking “I hope I can throw the ball.”
The press conference also featured appearances by Mets mascot Mr. Met and Taiwanese tourism mascot Oh!Bear, both of whom will attend Taiwan Heritage Night.
The 11th annual Taiwan Heritage Night is presented by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and sponsored by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York. It is the second year TECO is the title sponsor of Taiwan Heritage Night.
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