2022 "Meet Our Friendship Cities in Taoyuan" Exhibition: San Bernardino, California, U.S.

Over the past seven years, Taoyuan City has continued to strengthen its international exchanges, raise its international visibility, and gradually enhance the international perspective of the public and private sectors to create business opportunities. To date, it has forged alliances with 33 cities around the world, laying a solid foundation for city diplomacy. In addition to sharing governance expertise, it also maintains ties through various exchange activities.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, international cities have only been able to communicate with each other online through video conferencing. The "Meet Our Friendship Cities in Taoyuan" Exhibition had participation from 14 sister cities and friendly cities from five countries in Asia, the Americas and Europe. Commemorative gifts and wonderful products from various countries were on display, enabling visitors to the Taoyuan exhibition to enjoy a taste of cities overseas and feel the glow of warmth and friendship from afar.

San Bernardino County, located in Southern California, is the fifth most populous county in California and the 14th most populous in the United States. It is the largest county in the United States by area. Beginning in the 1920s, San Bernardino County became an oasis for travelers traveling through the Mojave Desert along Route 66. San Bernadino city's California League baseball team is also named the Inland Empire 66ers. The world's first McDonald's, which opened in 1948, is not far away. San Bernardino County is also the center of Southern Californian citrus production and since 1911 has hosted the National Orange Show celebrating agriculture, with events such as carnivals, orange-themed exhibitions, and performances.

On February 24, 2017, Mayor Wen-chan Cheng signed a sister-city agreement with the Supervisor of San Bernardino County, California, at EVA Air's headquarter in Taoyuan. This was the first sister-city agreement Mayor Cheng has signed with a US city, which also made Taoyuan San Bernardino’s second sister city.

The wood plaque in the picture was made to commemorate the signing of the Sister City Agreement between Taoyuan City and San Bernardino County and the establishment of trade and investment cooperation in 2017. The plaque presents the seal of the California State Legislature and totems of the features of San Bernardino County, such as the Arrowhead Landmark, grape and orange farmlands, and migratory carriages.

In July 2017, Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan headed a delegation to the US, where he visited the Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County and signed the USA–Taiwan Promotion of Exchange between Airport Cities and Operators Joint Statement to push for direct flights between airports in the two cities. The first test flight, operated by Taiwan-based China Airlines, landed in Taiwan early in the morning of January 27, 2018, and Mayor Cheng went to Taoyuan International Airport to receive the US delegation led by San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman. The route was officially launched on March 25 of that year and serves passenger traveling between east Los Angeles and Taiwan. As the Ontario International Airport is an air cargo hub on the US West Coast and also the main base for FedEx and UPS, this will also create new opportunities for the shipping market.

Founded over 40 years ago, Maglite is a flashlight manufacturer in San Bernadino County. Maglite flashlights have often been used by police officers during vehicle stops or confrontations with suspects because the bright beam can disorient an attacker and the easy-to-hold, impact-resistant flashlight can be wielded as a baton. In 2007, the Los Angeles Police Department discontinued the use of heavy metal flashlights in favor of smaller LED flashlights after a patrolman was filmed beating a car theft suspect in a 2004 traffic stop.

Since the first orange grove was planted in Redlands, a city in San Bernadino, California, in 1882, it has become the world’s largest orange producer. With the gradual decline of the agricultural sector, only one orange-packing factory remains.

U.S. Route 66, also known as Main Street of American and the Mother Road, spans eight states and three time zones and stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles, with a total length of about 3,940 kilometers. A California League baseball team is named the Inland Empire 66ers.

San Manuel Stadium is an open-air ballpark located in downtown San Bernadino County, California. It opened in 1996 and is the home of San Bernardino's Inland Empire 66ers. San Bernardino residents clearly love baseball as much as the residents of Taoyuan.

The Orange Show Speedway is a quarter-mile race track in San Bernadino. Opened in 1947, it is said to be the longest continually running track on the West Coast of the United States. A range of events are still held on and around the track to provide residents with a variety of leisure and entertainment activities.

The Inland Empire is a metropolitan area in Southern California consisting of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ontario. Its most famous landmark is the arrow-shaped depression on the slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains, which is so large it can be seen for miles around. According to an Indian legend, a great heat monster ravaged the tribe and was eventually killed by huge arrows that fell from the heavens. The spot where the flaming beast died became a hot spring, and one of the divine arrows was imprinted on the hillside forever, pointing to the hot spring at the foot of the mountain.

Bastnäsite is a rare mineral that was first discovered in Sweden in 1838. In 1949, extensive bastnäsite deposits were discovered in San Bernardino. This mineral contains 0.1% europium oxide, an essential material for the production of color television sets.

For ore prospectors, the presence of chrysocolla means a copper deposit is close at hand.