This is Amstelveen, which is home to the busy Schiphol International Airport, KPMG, one of the four largest accounting firms in the world, and Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM). Due to geographical advantages that have helped make it one of Europe's primary transportation hubs, Amstelveen is also among the most diverse cities in the Netherlands, attracting numerous Japanese companies, such as Canon and Nikon, as well as other foreign multinationals that have established their European headquarters here.

Not far from Canon's European headquarters, a well-known Taiwanese vendor has also set up operations that serve as a foothold for expanding throughout the European market. That's MEAN WELL, long a global leader in standard switching power supplies, which established its subsidiary here in 2006. Working with the Amstelveen City Government, the Taiwanese Representative Office in the Netherlands, the overseas Taiwanese community association, and the Taiwan Business Association in the Netherlands, among other organizations, MEAN WELL organized this year's Dragon Boat Festival event to rally its European distribution partners.

Revisiting Traditions: MEAN WELL highlights Taiwanese culture

You might be curious why anyone would bring traditional Taiwanese dragon boat racing to an event in the Netherlands along with other Dragon Boat Festival customs, Taiwanese cuisine, and children's games. The answer traces back to two ''actual'' Taiwanese dragon boats that made the long journey to the Netherlands.

Many years ago, the Kaohsiung City Government presented two dragon boats to Amstelveen as a symbol of friendship between the two cities. However, with time and a lack of maintenance, the condition of the boats, stored away in a warehouse, gradually deteriorated, and they were eventually forgotten.

MEAN WELL founder Jerry Lin learned of the existence of these dragon boats by chance, then sought their whereabouts, eventually discovering that one of them was still in the Netherlands. He tasked MEAN WELL Europe with purchasing this precious Taiwanese dragon boat. They assisted in repairing and restoring it and organized famous dragon boat races in Europe to highlight the Taiwanese tradition and the associated festival.

This year's Taiwan Dragon Boat Festival marks the third time MEAN WELL has organized the event in the Netherlands. All told, 16 teams entered the races, including the Reliable, Sustainable, Excellence, and CSR teams formed by MEAN WELL's European distributors. Additionally, there were teams from other Taiwanese companies and organizations, like the Evergreen Group, Yang Ming Marine Transport, Advantech Corporation, and the Taiwanese Representative Office in the Netherlands.

Local institutions such as the Amstelveen City Government and Hockey Myra sports club enthusiastically joined. After a full day of intense competition, victory was claimed by the Taipei School in The Hague. Advantech's team secured second place, while MEAN WELL's Reliable team took third place.

MEAN WELL values cultural heritage, aiming to foster a spirit of teamwork and friendship among partners through the dragon boat races.

More than a thousand people were estimated to have attended the event, including dragon boat team members, staff from MEAN WELL's European distributors, Taiwanese compatriots who learned of the event from the overseas Taiwanese community association, and eager Dutch locals.

In remarks after the event, Taiwan's Representative to the Netherlands, Chen Hsing Hsing, who personally competed in the dragon boat race with her colleagues, noted that MEAN WELL Europe engages in various charitable activities, such as providing meals for Ukrainian refugees and promoting Chinese-language education, in addition to devoting substantial effort and resources to organizing the dragon boat races. The Dragon Boat Festival event, particularly, helps highlight Taiwanese culture abroad and sets an example for Taiwanese businesses deeply committed to the Netherlands.

Committed to Europe for Over 20 Years: MEAN WELL supports Taiwanese dance troupe that impresses Dutch audience

MEAN WELL arranged exciting performances, including percussion pieces, martial arts demonstrations, traditional dances, string ensembles, and even a uniquely Taiwanese combination of folk dancing and electronic pop music to heighten further the festive atmosphere surrounding the races. In addition, those in attendance could try their hand at traditional crafts such as sachet-making and diabolo spinning and sample Taiwanese culinary favorites such as zongzi, boba tea, and Taiwanese-style fried chicken cutlets.

MEAN WELL invited its European distribution partners and the Dutch Taiwanese community to enjoy the traditional dragon dance performance, experiencing Taiwan's distinctive culture together.

On the following evening, MEAN WELL arranged an impressive performing arts event. Founder Jerry Lin had invited the MeimageDance troupe from Taiwan to perform at the Theater Amsterdam. They presented an avant-garde dance drama, "New Paradise of Silent Island," which inventively showcased varied facets of Taiwanese culture.

Directed by Ho Hsiao-mei, recipient of the 19th National Award for Arts in Dance and current Dean of the Dance Department at the Taipei National University of the Arts, MeimageDance cleverly reimagined elements from Taiwan's traditional temple festivals such as ornate floats, giant costumes, and processions. Having created an aura of mystery in the theater, the performers captivated the audience with a surreal rendition of a sacred ceremony, infusing fresh life into ancient traditions.

Performers from the MeimageDance troupe donned traditional puppetry costumes to depict visually arresting scenes of ancient temple courtyards and processions as they might be portrayed in contemporary traveling Taiwanese outdoor theater.

"New Paradise of Silent Island" blurred the boundary between performers and audience in traditional theater, giving the audience a compelling experience of the power of Taiwanese dance theater. In the open stage layout, the audience were offered seating on the colorful but humble plastic chairs commonly seen at Taiwanese temple fairs and outdoor banquet events. Both local and foreign members of the audience either sat or stood as they chose, enjoying the performance while becoming part of it.

The dance drama had the performers ascend a 3-meter-high puppetry stage, transformed into cosplay versions of deities and typical Taiwanese puppet characters, highlighting Taiwan's diverse blend of cultures and its boundless vitality. The immersive visuals of the performance, which incorporated elements from both modern life and traditional customs in Taiwan, enabled the more than 400 attendees, including staff from MEAN WELL's European distributors, to vividly experience Taiwan's resilient and energetic spirit.