Popcorn Chicken, AI, and a Ceremonial Pitch: Welcome to Taiwan Day 2025

There’s a certain poetry in watching someone throw the first pitch at a ballgame. It’s ceremonial and deeply symbolic, a soft power gesture played on a diamond-shaped stage. On May 24, when Yeong-Chieh Chia, Chairperson of Taipei 101, steps up to the mound at Citi Field, it will be one of those moments, but for Taiwan.

Taiwan Day has existed for over two decades. Still, in recent years, it’s become more than just a nod to community heritage but a reflection of Taiwan’s evolving global identity: a blend of technology, culture, pride, and diplomacy wrapped in a night of baseball, food, and familiar faces.

This year’s theme, “AI Taiwan,” is doing double duty. In English, it signals the island’s rising influence in artificial intelligence. In Mandarin, “AI” sounds like ài (愛), the word for love. And that’s really what this night is about: a love for home, community, and where you come from, even if that place is an ocean away.

Chia understands this. Her resume might consist of leadership and a reputation for cultural diplomacy, but what she’s bringing to Citi Field is more personal. She’s representing a Taiwan that’s tech-savvy and ambitious, warm, connected, and rooted in people.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in New York for the invitation. Representing Taiwan on a Major League Baseball field in the United States is a tremendous honor. Although I just threw the first pitch in the CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League) a few days ago, I’ll keep practicing and do my best to share the spirit and friendship of Taiwan with American friends and overseas Taiwanese in this game.”

There’s also something beautifully circular happening. Earlier this year, Taipei 101 hosted a public exhibition called “Dreams Take Flight,” showcasing the baseball from Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking 50/50 season, a ball bought by a Taiwanese entrepreneur for a cool NT$140 million. Now, in a twist of fate, Ohtani will play in the game where Chia will take the mound. Different sides of the Pacific, same field, same story: one of shared moments that transcend borders.

But Taiwan Day isn’t only about symbolism. It’s vibrant, full of cheer squads waving flags, kids in bubble tea T-shirts, and aunties handing out rice noodles to curious Mets fans. It’s about the smell of popcorn chicken mixing with stadium hot dogs and the distinct feeling that, for one night, Taiwan will live inside Queens.

Ticket sales have surged this year. Over 1,500 seats were snapped up by early April, and more are being added to meet demand. The crowd won’t just be Taiwanese Americans either. Students, expats, curious locals, diplomats from allied countries, all of them will be in the stands, watching, eating, clapping, and, in their way, participating in a cultural exchange far more delicious and meaningful than any trade agreement.

The celebration spills into the next day. Chia will join the “Passport to Taiwan” street festival in Union Square. So when Chia winds up and throws that ball on May 24, it won’t just be a pitch but a gesture. A festive message. A kind of love letter to the past, the future, and everyone watching from the bleachers or across the ocean. Taiwan is showing up in big, joyful, unforgettable ways—and sometimes, all it takes is one pitch to say everything.