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In November of 1996, Dallas Mayor Kirk and Taipei Mayor Chen signed the sister cities agreement at City Hall to promote culture, business, and trade. Following the signing of the agreement, City ManagerJohn Ware hosted a lunch at the Park Cities Club for the honored as well as local guests. Since the signing, delegations from Taipei have come to visit Dallas, and in 1997, Dallas City Manager John Wareled a delegation to Taipei. In Taipei, they met with Overseas Chinese Commissioner S.Y. Lu, paid acourtesy call to Mayor Chen, visited with TaipeiCity government officials, met with various corporaterepresentatives, and met with the Ambassador of Dallas to Taipei. In 2000, Mayor Kirk led a DallasBusiness Delegation Mission to Asia which was co-sponsored by the City of Dallas, Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Dallas-China Partnership, and the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce. In Taipei, Mayor Kirk had courtesy visits with the new Taipei City Mayor Ma and ROC President Chen Mayor Mahosted a luncheon in honor of Mayor Kirk. After sharing a friendship agreement for more than ten years Dallas and Taipei became official sister cities in January 2006. About Taipei As the capital of the Republic of China, Taipei is a vibrant blend of traditional culture and cosmopolitanlife. Taipei is the political, economic, educational, and recreational center of the country with largenumbers of significant cultural sights located throughout the city. The city is situated in a basin in thenorth of Taiwan that was originally inhabited by aboriginal peoples until settlers from China moved intothe area about 300 years ago. A more recent cultural focal point in the city is the NationalPalaceMuseum which houses hundreds of thousands of Chinese antiques and art works. The museum is locatedin the north of the city and is a must see for lovers of ancient Chinese culture. The eastern section of thecity was largely underused fields until the 1970s when the city began to develop the area as a financialand commercial district. This area reveals the modern face of Taipei with its glass and steel skyscrapers,wide boulevards, and the WorldTradeCenter. Taipei also boasts dozens of world-class performancevenues to enjoy including some of the best theater and concert events. With the wealth of interesting and funactivities available in Taipei and the city's warm extension towards guests, foreign visitors are certainto have an unforgettable experience in this remarkable city.  For more information about the Dallas/Taipei Sister City relationship or to become more involved please contact Charles Ku at charleskudds@yahoo.com or Jennifer Li at Jennifer.Li@dallascityhall.com. Explore the City of Taipei
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