Sister City, Tainan, Taiwan - San Jose, CA
Posted by: DougK
N 37° 19.863 W 121° 53.737
10S E 597837 N 4132169
Tainan, Taiwan is one of San Jose, California's seven sister cities around the world.
Waymark Code: WM9MC7
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 09/03/2010
Views: 2
This sister city plaza is located near the Guadalupe Parkway Trail near
McEnery Park. It features a stone table surrounded by stone stools. The table is inscribed with a presentation message. A nearby flagpole flies the flag of Tainan, Taiwan. A dedication inscription is present on a plaque mounted in the ground.
From the near by sign:
Known as the "Culture City" because of its unique role in Taiwan's history, Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan (just as San Jose is the oldest city in California) and was the capital of Taiwan province from 1661, when it was liberated from the Dutch, until 1885. Located on the coastal plains on the southwest side of the island, with a population of 750,000, Tainan is the fourth largest city in Taiwan.
Although historically Tainan's economy has been based on agriculture and fishing, in recent years, the region has shifted towards technology and service industries, which are also string business sectors in San Jose. The Tainan Technology Industrial Park-nearly 4,000 acres-is rapidly shaping the city's future.
Tainan, Taiwan has been San Jose's sister city since 1975.
History of the Sister Cities Program
The Sister Cities Program began as an element of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's People-to-People Programs shortly after World War II. After meeting with American leaders from many fields, President Eisenhower proposed this initiative to engage private citizens in international diplomacy. By pairing like cities across the globe, the program sought to spark peace and conversation between people, without the influence of their respective governments.
San Jose has seven sister cities, which were chosen because of their social, economic, historic and cultural ties to the city: Okayama, Japan; San Jose, Costa Rica; Tainan Taiwan; Veracruz, Mexico; Dublin, Ireland; Pune India; and Ekaterinburg, Russia.