The 2014 5th United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) opening ceremony took place at the Regent Hotel Taipei on the afternoon of 3 September. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-Bin, hoping to give UCLG ASPAC administrators a favourable first impression of Taipei, invited attendees to join him on a city tour by YouBike and then to try their hands at making the famous xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung.

In his welcome speech, Mayor Hau guaranteed that Taipei is an extremely safe city and that people can walk the streets of any district without fearing for their safety, anytime of the day or night. Taipei is a very friendly place, with people eager to help and give directions should you get lost. Much of the time, people are so helpful that they will actually guide you to your destination.

Mayor Hau also said that YouBike plays a very important role in Taipei’s green transport. It was the success of YouBike that gave Taipei the chance to bid for the right to host the Velo-city conference. During the bidding process, Taipei received the assistance of many mayors who had tried YouBike, so Mayor Hau wanted everyone to try YouBike and learn about Taipei’s successful new bike share scheme.

During an interview, Stephen Yarwood, Lord Mayor of Adelaide said that YouBike has encouraged the people of Taipei to ride bicycles, a form of transport which is not just convenient and fast but also enjoyable and healthy. The Lord Mayor recommends cycling and YouBike because bikes do not get stuck in traffic and they are a very good way to get around the city.

Benito George Jones, Mayor of Mbabane, in Swaziland, also shared some thoughts after riding a YouBike. He thinks that Taipei is a well-ordered city and that the bike lanes have been very well thought out. People can now enjoy all the beauty of Taipei City without having to watch out for cars.

The mayors and city administrators who tried out YouBike are: the Lord Mayor of Adelaide (Australia), the Mayor of Hamamatsu (Japan), the Mayor of Mbabane (Swaziland), the Mayor of San Salvador (El Salvador), the Mayor of Stirling (UK), the Deputy Mayor of Luxembourg City (Luxembourg), the Deputy Mayor of Chiang Mai (Thailand),the Design Champion of Auckland (New Zealand) and the Director of Ulan Bator (Mongolia).

After the YouBike city tour, Mayor Hau took the guests to Din Tai Fung at Taipei 101, where they enjoyed their unforgettable xiaolongbao. Before they sat down to eat, Mayor Hau invited the guests into the kitchen to experience first-hand how to make this famous delicacy: rolling the dough, inserting the filling and pinching shut the dumplings. It was an amusing and fun experience. Mayor Hau complimented the Lord Mayor of Adelaide on how well he had shaped the dough, even better than Mayor Hau himself, and said that maybe living in Taipei would really suit him.

The administrators’ first encounter with Youbike and Din Tai Fung delicacies was a resounding success, showing first-time visitors to Taipei the warmth and hospitality this city has to offer.