The following press release was sent to the Bloomingtonian this week:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2023
CONTACT: Sarah DeWeese, Director of Communications & Marketing
Indiana University – Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies
[email protected] | (812) 855-4745
Cycling Taiwan: A bicycle tour of Taiwan, in Bloomington
Fostering cultural appreciation through a shared biking culture
Bloomington, Ind. — The public is invited to ‘Cycling Taiwan: A bicycle tour of Taiwan, in Bloomington,’ as part of an event series hosted by the Indiana University Hamilton Lugar School of Global & International Studies, department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. Events aim to foster appreciation of Taiwanese culture through the lens of Bloomington and Taiwan’s shared biking culture.
The Cycling Taiwan bicycle tour will be held on Sunday, April 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The tour will begin at the IU Sample Gates on Kirkwood Ave. and end at the Ferguson International Center, 330 N. Eagleson Ave. Cyclists will stop at four locations along the way, each representing a different region of Taiwan. At each location — IU Asian Culture Center, Soma Coffeehouse, Bryan Park Woodlawn Shelter, and the Monroe County Convention Center — cyclists will learn about Taiwan’s cultural and historical sites.
“The idea for Cycling Taiwan came from students in Taiwanese communities here in Bloomington,” said Kai-Wei (Victoria) Cheng, who is coordinating the events. “Cycling is a very popular mode of transportation in Taiwan, and cycling around the entire island is a very iconic activity. I hope through all the events in the series that people see the breadth of Taiwanese culture through this lens.”
Cyclists will end their tour with a luncheon of authentic Taiwanese cuisine, catered by Judy’s Kitchen, at 1:00 p.m. at the Ferguson International Center. Brief remarks will be offered by Indiana University Professor Yea-Fen Chen, Associate Professor Fei-Hsien Wang, and IU School of Education student Pei-Shan Hsieh, the designer of the Cycling Taiwan bike route.
Cycling Taiwan events also include a film screening of Island Etude on April 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the IU Cinema, and a talk with Olivia Wu, the director and co-founder of the Asia Rainbow Ride in Taiwan. Wu will discuss the ride’s significance in building advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community in Taiwan.
All events are free but registration is required. For the bike tour, space is limited to 50 participants who will also receive event t-shirts. RSVP and find event information at events.iu.edu/ealc.
Cycling Taiwan events, hosted by the IU East Asian Languages and Cultures department, are co-sponsored by IU Global, IU East Asian Studies Center, IU Transportation Demand Management, and National Taiwan University’s Taiwan Huayu BEST Program.
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