Cultural exchange precedes opening of friendship gate

 The Chinese Gate at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center (1355 West 3100 South) being built to symbolize friendship between West Valley City and its sister city of Nantu, Taiwan, is currently under construction and will be completed this September. In the months leading up to the grand opening of the gate, local and Taiwanese students are sharing and learning across cultures through a series of exchange trips.

 In June, West Valley City students traveled to Taiwan for a three-weeklong trip. The students studied Taiwanese language and culture, and stayed with host families before returning home on July 2. Just about three weeks later, on July 22, Taiwanese students will travel to West Valley City to learn more about our culture, stay with host families and study topics at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center.

 The center’s executive director Ross Olsen said the exchange trips are strengthening friendships and will be an early celebration of the long-awaited opening of the Chinese Gate.

 “Our kids had a wonderful time [in Taiwan],” he said. “It was life changing. We think the world is big, but it’s really very small.”

 Volunteers working through the West Valley Sister City Committee that directs communications between West Valley City and Nantu organized the exchange trips.

 West Valley City students who went on the trip were selected to participate in the exchange through a screening process. In order to attend, the students had to demonstrate high levels of academic achievement by maintaining a grade point average of at least 3.0 and have letters of recommendation from respected members of the community, teachers and school administrators.

 Local students also had to have the support of their families, in part because they were asked to open their homes to Taiwanese students after they returned.

 Each student also paid for the trip, which cost about $2,000 each.

 Olsen said the student exchange took much planning and organization to make happen.

 “It takes about three years to pull something like this off,” he said.

 During the second half of the exchange, the students from Taiwan will come to West Valley City and spend five mornings each week studying subjects such as civics and our form of local government, English and our transportation system.

 “They’re very interested in our mass transportation system,” Olsen said, because many of the Taiwanese students have ridden a bullet train at home, but have not seen a system like the UTA TRAX line.

 In the afternoons, the students will have the opportunity to take field trips to learn more in a hands-on environment. For example, the exchange students will make a visit to meet with West Valley City leaders at City Hall.

 The Chinese Gate is an ongoing project more than 10 years in the making. The local Asian community is funding the project with support from the Utah Cultural Celebration Center and city leaders.

 When complete, the gate will be 40 feet across and 22 feet tall.