By member Chris Frago
Perhaps more than most, we as Global Travelers can appreciate just how international Rotary really is. We chat across timezones in online breakout rooms, collaborate between continents, and (attempt to) recite the Four Way Test in sync from wherever we find ourselves in the world. Yet none of this could have prepared me for the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan.
I am no stranger to Taiwan. I studied abroad there for a year in college, and came back to teach English for a year after graduating. So you can imagine just how excited I was to show this Ilha Formosa (‘beautiful island’) to my fellow Rotarians!
To me, the most amazing thing about Rotary is how it connects people, and I started making connections before I even left the US. When boarding the plane for my flight, I overheard a couple in the row ahead of me saying they were going to Taiwan for a convention. It immediately caught my attention.
“Would that be the RI Convention, by chance?”
And just like that, I had two new friends who I would see multiple times over the coming week. They wouldn’t be the last.
When we landed in Taipei, Rotary seemed to have taken the city by storm. There were kind RI volunteers helping us in the airport everywhere I looked, and even the baggage carousel had a Rotary ad playing on repeat!
I arrived a couple days early, but was soon back at the airport to pick up my Rotarian parents. We even met some Global Travelers who were on the same flight!
The next day was our first time seeing the convention center. It was huge! I couldn’t imagine how Rotary would be able to fill up this space all on its own. We picked up our passes, and even got a cool Rotary-themed metro card for getting around the city.
Later that evening, I took my parents, fellow Global Traveler Elana, and another Rotarian to my favorite night market in Taipei. Attending the convention is just as much about exploring the host country as it is about Rotary events, and I was happy to help. Rain or shine, the Taiwanese night market food is unmissable!
Ok, maybe we could’ve gone without the ‘spicy sour chicken feet…”
With Global Travelers being an “e-club” I was used to seeing my fellow members contained in little boxes on the screen of my laptop. It was a true joy to have an in-person dinner before the convention got started, and to see some of the people who have been so welcoming to me since I joined.
The next day we attended the convention’s opening ceremony. The speakers and performance were phenomenal, though the personal highlight for me was the flag procession, where every country’s flag was waved before the crowd. The cheers for Taiwan, Japan. and the Philippines were especially electric!
The convention was now in full swing, and it was time to explore. People attended breakout rooms, donor events, and dinners hosted by Taiwanese Rotarians. But my favorite activity was simply exploring the House of Friendship, where clubs, vendors, and interest groups from all over the world set up booths to share their message.
My best memory from the House of Friendship was discovering the booth for RI District 52 from Shanghai. I knew a Rotarian from the city, so I went over, spoke some Chinese, and asked them if they knew him too. Immediately they smiled, welcomed me over, and practically adopted me as one of their own.
Even one of our own, Rahul, had a booth!
I was incredibly lucky to attend one of the RI Convention’s ‘Signature Events’ this year. We saw a wonderful symphony performance in Taipei’s national conference hall—a performance put on specially for Rotarians!
When I was waiting in the lobby after the show, I met a few more members of China District 52! When I mentioned visiting their booth and knowing their friends, they invited me to join them at a private-room karaoke bar, which is a classic Taiwanese pastime.
My sleep schedule was ruined, my business card holder was full, and it was time for the convention to conclude. It had been a whirlwind of speakers, friends, good food, and fellowship. I was so lucky to be able to attend, and I hope to visit more conventions in the future!