Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York, which was known as the Chinese Information and Culture Center (CICC) of the CCNAA Office in New York at the time, held its grand opening on August 14, 1991.
TCC in New York was established as the first overseas office of Taiwan's Ministry of Culture in 1991. The Minister of Culture, Lee Yung-te, recently stated that he hoped that the center could continuously expand performance spaces for Taiwanese artists and teams to present the abundant beauty of Taiwanese art to international society.
Many distinguished guests were invited to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Ting Mao-shih, Taiwan’s Representative to the US, Shao Yu-ming, the Director General of the Government Information Office of the Executive Yuan, Yu Yuch-chao, the Director General from the Council for Cultural Affairs (now known as the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan), Natale H. Bellocchi, the Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, and David Dinkins, the Mayor of New York City.
After years of planning, Taiwan established its first overseas cultural center in 1991 in New York, later followed by additional centers in Paris and Hong Kong. The Taipei Theater and Taipei Gallery also opened their doors at 1221 Avenue of the Americas. Art enthusiasts enjoy easy access to their location in Midtown Manhattan.
To mark the beginning of the CICC era on August 14, 1991, the first-ever performance was performed by Fu Hsing Chinese Opera, Chinese music and acrobatics. A critic in the New York Times reported that “the Fu Hsing Chinese Opera Troupe’s current visit to New York is a pleasant excuse to make the acquaintance of a new attractive performing space: the 234-seat Taipei Theater deep in the bowels of the McGraw-Hill Building on the Avenue of the Americas at 49th Street.”
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, the Taipei Cultural Center (TCC) in New York will post old photos on its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tpecc.org/). These photos capture the people and scenery on August 14, 1991.
Image: CICC Opening Ceremony in front of the McGraw-Hill Building on the Avenue of the Americas at 49th Street, August 14, 1991