Chinese Community • Washington DC
Taiwanese Community in Washington DC
8,000–15,000 Taiwanese Americans in DC metro • TECRO: Taiwan’s de facto embassy • TAAGWC est. 1967 • TPCW est. 1973 • North Potomac 40% Asian • Montgomery County MCPS top-ranked schools
Washington DC hosts an estimated 8,000–15,000 Taiwanese Americans across the metro area — a small community by national standards, but the most institutionally powerful Taiwanese American presence in the United States. TECRO (Taiwan’s de facto embassy at 4201 Wisconsin Ave NW), the Global Taiwan Institute (the only Taiwanese-American-led Taiwan policy think tank in DC), FAPA (founded 1982, headquartered on Capitol Hill), and the Congressional Taiwan Caucus (144 bipartisan members) are all here. The residential anchor is the Rockville–North Potomac–Gaithersburg corridor in Montgomery County, MD, where North Potomac is 40% Asian (ACS 2022) and the Taiwanese community has built a Sunday-centered community life on Needwood Road in Derwood since 1973.
Last updated: March 2026 • Full Chinese Community guide for Washington DC →
Why Taiwanese Families Choose Washington DC
No other American city puts a Taiwanese immigrant closer to Taiwan’s official presence and the levers of US-Taiwan policy. TECRO — the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, Taiwan’s de facto embassy — is headquartered at 4201 Wisconsin Ave NW. For Taiwanese nationals in the DC area, TECRO handles passport renewal, document authentication, notarization, and birth and marriage certificate services for the MD/VA/DE/WV/DC region. That function alone draws Taiwanese-born professionals and their families to the metro area at a consistent rate.
The professional draw is government, policy, law, and academia. DC’s think tank ecosystem has the highest concentration of Taiwan-focused policy researchers in the United States: CSIS, CNAS, Brookings, and Hudson Institute all run Taiwan policy programs and have received TECRO funding (publicly disclosed). The Global Taiwan Institute at 1836 Jefferson Place NW is the only Taiwanese-American-led Taiwan policy think tank in the country. For Taiwanese professionals in policy, law, diplomacy, or government-adjacent roles, DC offers career opportunities that simply do not exist in other cities.
For families, the draw is Montgomery County Public Schools. Thomas S. Wootton High School (Rockville), Winston Churchill High School (Potomac/Bethesda), and Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville) are consistently ranked in the top 6 high schools in Maryland. The Public Mandarin Immersion program at Potomac Elementary School — the nation’s oldest public Mandarin immersion program, founded 1996 — was established in the heart of the North Potomac area where Taiwanese families concentrate. The correlation between Taiwanese settlement patterns and MCPS school rankings is not coincidental.
DC’s Taiwanese community is numerically small — roughly 8,000–15,000 across the metro, compared to 100,000+ in the Los Angeles area — but it punches well above its weight. Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor (2001–2009) and Secretary of Transportation (2017–2021) and the first Asian American woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet, is Taiwanese-born (Taipei) and spent her government career based in DC. Florence Pan, Taiwanese American, was confirmed as a US District Court judge for DC in 2022. The community’s influence is institutional, not demographic.
Where Taiwanese Families Live in Washington DC
The DC Taiwanese community is almost entirely suburban. DC proper — with its high cost and urban density — houses almost no Taiwanese American families; the rare exceptions are policy professionals who live in the city for convenience. The real residential community is in Montgomery County, Maryland, concentrated along a north–south corridor following Route 355 (Rockville Pike) and I-270.
North Potomac & Derwood — The Taiwanese Community Campus
North Potomac, MD is 40.2% Asian (ACS 2022) Non-Hispanic — one of the highest rates in the entire United States. Taiwanese American families (dual-income STEM, medicine, and government contracting households) have settled here heavily since the 1990s. Just south, in Derwood, MD, two institutions on adjacent blocks of Needwood Road define the community’s spiritual and cultural life: the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Washington (7410 Needwood Rd, est. 1973) and the Washington DC Taiwan Culture Center (7509 Needwood Rd, est. 2000). Many families attend church in the morning, send children to the Washington DC Taiwanese School in the afternoon, and shop at nearby Asian markets — all within this corridor. This is the closest thing the DC Taiwanese community has to a neighborhood anchor.
Rockville — The Commercial Hub
Rockville, MD is 21% Asian (ACS 2022) overall and 8% Chinese American (ACS 2020) — and for the Taiwanese community, Rockville’s Hungerford Drive / Rockville Pike corridor is where community life happens commercially. Taipei Cafe (802 Hungerford Dr) and Great Wall Supermarket (700 Hungerford Dr) are on the same stretch. Li-Ming Chinese Academy holds Sunday classes at Richard Montgomery High School on Rockville Pike. TAAGWC (the oldest Taiwanese civic organization in DC, founded 1967) lists a Rockville PO Box as its address. Rockville is where Taiwanese families live, shop, send their children for heritage education, and gather for cultural events.
Gaithersburg — The TECRO Corridor
Gaithersburg, MD sits at the northern end of the Taiwanese settlement corridor. The TECRO Cultural Center (901 Wind River Lane) — a four-acre campus with an auditorium, classrooms, library, and exhibition rooms serving MD, VA, DE, WV, and DC — was placed here because that is where the community lives. The 99 Ranch Market (110 Odendhal Ave), which opened its first Maryland location in Gaithersburg in April 2018, anchors Taiwanese grocery shopping for the north end of the corridor. Asian American population growth in Gaithersburg has run approximately 40% over the last decade. This is the growth edge of the community.
Northern Virginia (Fairfax County) — The Secondary Cluster
Fairfax County, VA is approximately 3% Chinese (ACS 2022) American and houses a secondary Taiwanese American cluster — primarily families working at the Pentagon, defense contractors in Tysons, or federal agencies in Northern Virginia. Annandale, VA has the community’s best-known Taiwanese restaurant outside Montgomery County (A&J Restaurant, 4316 Markham St). The McLean/Tysons/Herndon/Reston corridor is growing as Amazon HQ2 and government contracting bring more STEM professionals to the area. However, Fairfax County’s Taiwanese community is less organizationally dense than Montgomery County’s — most families cross the Potomac to participate in Montgomery County events and institutions.
Taiwanese Organizations in Washington DC
Washington DC has the most organizationally dense Taiwanese American ecosystem in the country, with a unique split: community and cultural organizations are concentrated in Montgomery County MD (where the people live), while policy and advocacy organizations are headquartered in DC proper (where the action is). Newly arrived Taiwanese immigrants who want community will find their entry points in Rockville and Derwood; those who want to work on Taiwan policy will find their networks in Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill.
Taiwanese Association of America — Greater Washington Chapter (TAAGWC)
Founded 1967 • PO Box 4888, Rockville, MD 20850 • taagwc.org
TAAGWC is one of the oldest Taiwanese American civic organizations in the country — founded the year before many of its peer organizations in other cities. Its annual events include the 228 Memorial Concert (February, held at the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Washington — commemorating the February 28, 1947 massacre in Taiwan), Lunar New Year celebration, Taiwan Fiesta cultural festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and an annual Thanksgiving Banquet. TAAGWC also organizes bus trips to New York City for UN for Taiwan advocacy rallies. For new Taiwanese immigrants in the DC area, TAAGWC is the most direct entry point into community social life.
Washington DC Taiwan Culture Center
Founded March 9, 2000 • 7509 Needwood Rd, Derwood, MD 20855 • taiwanculturectr.org
The Culture Center runs the annual “Taiwan Night” concert each May during Taiwanese American Heritage Week, including the Taiwanese American Community Scholarship Award (TACSA) for high school seniors — over 160 graduates have received this award since 2005. The Center also administers the Janet Chang Memorial Scholarship Award for Taiwanese American medical students, partners with the North American Taiwanese Medical Association on free community medical consultations, and hosts Taiwan Film Appreciation Night screenings. Its location on Needwood Road, within blocks of the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, creates a de facto community campus for Sunday activities.
TAP-DC (Taiwanese American Professionals — Washington DC)
Volunteer-run 501(c)(3) • TACL affiliate chapter • tap-dc.org
TAP-DC is the DC chapter of the Taiwanese American Professionals network — described as the largest network of young Taiwanese American professionals in the US, with chapters in 9 cities. The DC chapter is particularly active given the concentration of government, policy, and advocacy work in the metro area. Its programming pillars are Leadership, Identity, Networking, and Citizenship (LINC). Events include Lunar New Year celebrations, professional networking nights, cultural events including “Taiwan Indigenous Night,” and community service activities. For recently arrived Taiwanese professionals in their 20s and 30s navigating DC, TAP-DC is the fastest path to a professional community.
FAPA (Formosan Association for Public Affairs)
Founded 1982 • 552 7th St SE, Washington, DC 20003 • (202) 547-3686 • fapa.org
FAPA is headquartered in Washington DC because its mission requires proximity to Congress: building US support for Taiwan’s right to self-determination and informing Members of Congress on Taiwan-related issues. Its long-running campaign for the Taiwan Representative Office Act — renaming TECRO to the Taiwan Representative Office as a recognition of Taiwan’s status — has been a decades-long advocacy effort on Capitol Hill. FAPA works closely with the Congressional Taiwan Caucus (144 bipartisan members; co-chaired by Reps. Greg Stanton, Ami Bera, Mario Díaz-Balart, and Andy Barr). Taiwanese Americans in DC who are interested in policy advocacy will find FAPA the most direct connection to Congressional Taiwan work.
Global Taiwan Institute (GTI)
Founded September 14, 2016 • 1836 Jefferson Place NW, Washington, DC 20036 • (202) 807-1800 • globaltaiwan.org
GTI is the only dedicated Taiwan policy think tank in Washington DC led by and for the Taiwanese American community. Executive Director Russell Hsiao and a board that includes former AIT director William Stanton lead an organization that publishes the biweekly Global Taiwan Brief, hosts an annual US-Taiwan policy symposium, and produces three policy podcasts. GTI also hosts the annual GTI Taiwanese Film Week (October/November, free and public) at its Dupont Circle location. For Taiwanese Americans arriving in DC who want to stay connected to Taiwan policy debates, GTI is the intellectual hub.
Taiwanese Churches in Washington DC
Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Washington (TPCW)
Founded 1973 • 7410 Needwood Rd, Derwood, MD 20855 • (301) 990-1140 • tpcwashington.org
TPCW is the spiritual anchor of the DC Taiwanese community — one of the earliest Taiwanese American religious institutions in the DC area, operating since 1973. Sunday services are offered in both Taiwanese (Tâi-gí) at 10:00 AM and English at 11:15 AM — a direct institutional connection to Taiwan’s indigenous Taiwanese-speaking Protestant tradition, which traces through the Japanese colonial-era Presbyterian missions. Located in Derwood, within a few hundred feet of the Washington DC Taiwan Culture Center on Needwood Road. The annual 228 Memorial Concert (February) commemorating the 1947 massacre is held here, organized by TAAGWC. Families attending TPCW typically coordinate with the Washington DC Taiwanese School (afternoon Sunday classes at Cabin John Middle School in Potomac) as part of a full Sunday community day.
Chinese Christian Church of Greater Washington DC (CCCGW)
Est. multi-campus • Main: 7716 Piney Branch Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910 • Gaithersburg: 13101 Darnestown Rd • (301) 587-0033 • cccgw.org
CCCGW is a non-denominational evangelical church with services in both English and Mandarin (Chinese Worship service with preaching in Mandarin, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM; English 10:30–11:30 AM). It serves a broadly Chinese American congregation including Taiwanese members. Its Gaithersburg campus is at 13101 Darnestown Rd, well within the Montgomery County Taiwanese residential corridor. Programs include Sunday School, youth and children’s ministries, an annual missions conference, Stephen Ministry, and a Chinese Language School. For Taiwanese families who prefer Mandarin-language services or a larger English-medium congregation, CCCGW is the most accessible option in the corridor.
Taiwanese Restaurants & Grocery Stores
Taipei Cafe — Rockville
802 Hungerford Dr, Rockville, MD 20850 • Yelp: 514 reviews
Taipei Cafe is a community institution on Rockville’s Hungerford Drive commercial corridor. Reviewers on TripAdvisor describe it as “one of last authentic Taiwanese restaurants in the DC and MD state” with a menu “very Taiwanese as opposed to a typical American-Chinese menu with a few Taiwanese dishes.” Signature dishes: Taiwanese beef noodle soup (savory with slight spice, specifically called out by multiple reviewers), oyster pancake, oyster vermicelli, stinky tofu, and spicy pig ear. For newly arrived Taiwanese immigrants who miss specific flavors from home, Taipei Cafe is the first stop.
Amore Eats — Rockville (The Gas Station That Went Viral)
1900 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD (inside Liberty Gas Station) • Sun–Thu 11:30 AM–8 PM; Fri–Sat 11 AM–8:30 PM • 4.5/5 on Yelp (111 reviews) and Google (165+ reviews)
The gas station setting became the story: customers line up for takeout in a shared space with the cashier and convenience store. DCist called it “some of the D.C. Region’s Best Taiwanese Food” (April 2023); NPR local covered it (April 2024); The MoCo Show featured it (August 2024). Signature: popcorn chicken seasoned with fried basil (described as “crispy outside, juicy tender inside”), plus beef noodle soup, intestine vermicelli, meatballs, and sticky rice. This is the kind of word-of-mouth institution the Taiwanese community rallies around. On Rockville Pike near Amore Eats is Lotte Plaza Market for Korean-Taiwanese grocery crossover items.
A&J Restaurant — Annandale, Virginia
4316 Markham St Ste B, Annandale, VA 22003 • (703) 813-8181 • Mon–Sun 11:30 AM–9 PM • Cash only • aandjrestaurant.com
A long-running Taiwanese chain with a loyal following among the Northern Virginia Taiwanese community. Food writers describe the menu as “simple, comforting dishes that remind Taiwanese Americans of home.” Celebrated dishes: “Thousand Layer” scallion pancakes (flaky, widely celebrated), pork braised rice, beef noodle soup, and pot stickers. Cash only — bring cash, as regulars know. A second Maryland location exists (check the website for current address). Serves the Fairfax County Taiwanese American population.
99 Ranch Market — Gaithersburg
110 Odendhal Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 • (301) 527-8899 • Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–9 PM; Fri 8:30 AM–10 PM; Sat 8:30 AM–close • 99ranch.com
The first 99 Ranch Market in Maryland opened here in April 2018 — a direct response to the Gaithersburg/North Potomac area’s dense Asian American population. For Taiwanese immigrants, 99 Ranch is the go-to source for specifically Taiwanese-branded products: Want Want snacks, Uni-President noodles, Taiwan Beer, Taiwanese-style fresh produce, and the frozen foods, sauces, and specialty items that are difficult to source elsewhere in Maryland. Also has a hot food area.
Great Wall Supermarket — Rockville
700 Hungerford Dr, Rockville, MD 20850 • (240) 314-0588 • Mon–Sun 8 AM–9 PM • gw-supermarket.com
Located on Hungerford Drive — the same stretch as Taipei Cafe, within walking distance. A full Chinese/Asian supermarket with fresh produce, seafood, meats, and Asian specialty items. Locals describe it as the primary Chinese market for northern Montgomery County. Carries rice varieties, sauces, and fresh produce used in Taiwanese cooking. For daily household grocery needs, Great Wall is the most convenient option for families living in the Rockville/North Potomac corridor.
Taiwanese Language Schools & Heritage Education
Taiwanese immigrant families choosing a heritage school in the DC area face an important decision: Traditional Chinese characters with Zhuyin (bopomofo) phonetics — the Taiwanese standard — versus Simplified characters with Pinyin, the mainland standard. Asking a school directly “Do you teach Traditional characters, and do you use Zhuyin or Pinyin?” will tell you immediately whether it aligns with the Taiwanese educational tradition.
Washington DC Taiwanese School (WDCTS / 華府台灣學校)
Founded 1983 • Cabin John Middle School, 10701 Gainsborough Rd, Potomac, MD 20854 • Sundays 1:30–4:30 PM • wdcts.org
WDCTS is explicitly Taiwanese in identity — not just a Chinese language school. It uses Traditional Chinese characters and incorporates Taiwanese cultural celebrations: Lunar New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Winter Solstice. Affiliated with TCML (Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning) and sponsored by the Taiwanese Youth Arts Foundation. Also offers a Tuesday in-person class and two online weekday classes. Located in Potomac, MD — in the same general corridor as the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Derwood. Families attending TPCW in the morning and WDCTS in the afternoon make a full Sunday community day out of the combination.
Li-Ming Chinese Academy (LMCA)
Founded Spring 1995 • Richard Montgomery High School, 250 Richard Montgomery Dr, Rockville, MD 20852 • Sundays 10 AM–3 PM (16 Sundays per semester, two semesters per year) • li-ming.org
Li-Ming is the most explicitly Taiwanese-oriented Chinese language school in the DC area: it teaches Traditional Chinese characters and uses Zhuyin (bopomofo) phonetics — the phonetic system used in Taiwan, not the Pinyin/Simplified system used in mainland China. Pinyin is added for students grade 8 and above. Serves pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Taiwanese immigrant families who want their children to learn Chinese the way it is taught in Taiwan — and to remain literate in Traditional characters — will typically choose Li-Ming over larger schools that use the mainland standard.
Rockville Chinese School
Founded 1981 • 9400 Key West Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850 • Sundays 10 AM–12:30 PM • rcsmd.org
One of the oldest Chinese heritage schools in the DC metro area, founded in 1981 at the height of the Taiwanese American settlement wave in Montgomery County. Serves ages approximately 3–18; programs include Chinese language instruction, Chinese drum, calligraphy, dance, painting, and speech and word recognition competitions. The 1981 founding is largely attributable to early Taiwanese American community organizing. Note: verify directly with the school on Traditional versus Simplified character instruction, as this is not confirmed in publicly available materials.
Arts, Culture & Annual Events
TECRO Cultural Center — Gaithersburg
901 Wind River Lane, Gaithersburg, MD • roc-taiwan.org/us_en
A four-acre community campus with auditorium, conference rooms, classrooms, library, and exhibition rooms, operated by TECRO and serving the MD, VA, DE, WV, and DC region. This is where community-facing cultural programming happens: classes on Taiwanese culture and arts, exhibitions, performances, and community events. The Taiwan Academy at TECRO’s main Wisconsin Ave DC office handles cultural diplomacy; Gaithersburg handles the community.
Double Ten — Taiwan National Day (October 10)
Double Ten — the National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan) — has political resonance in DC that it does not have in other American cities. TECRO’s Representative plays a diplomatic role in these celebrations analogous to an ambassador’s National Day reception. The event brings together the Taiwanese American community, TECRO diplomatic staff, American officials, and the policy community. In 2024, the celebration was held at the TECRO Cultural Center in Gaithersburg with TECRO’s Representative Alexander Tah-ray Yui as speaker. For newly arrived Taiwanese immigrants, attending Double Ten is both a community social event and an introduction to the political landscape that defines DC’s Taiwanese community.
Taiwanese American Heritage Week (May)
Annual, beginning Mother’s Day weekend in May during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The Congressional Taiwan Caucus co-chairs have issued annual statements of support since 1999. Key events: the “Taiwan Night” concert hosted by the Washington DC Taiwan Culture Center (featuring the TACSA scholarship ceremony), cultural performances, and community programming. In DC, this week carries the added weight of Congressional engagement that it does not have in non-capital cities.
GTI Taiwanese Film Week (October/November)
Global Taiwan Institute, 1836 Jefferson Pl NW, Washington, DC • Free and open to the public • globaltaiwan.org/cultural-events
Annual screenings of recent Taiwanese films with panel discussions — past editions have included conversations on “Making Films in the Shadow of China” and related cultural topics. Held in October or November (2020, 2021, 2022 confirmed; verify current year at the GTI website). Free, open to the public, and attended by both the Taiwanese American community and the broader DC policy and arts audiences.
228 Memorial Concert (February)
Annual concert held at the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Washington (7410 Needwood Rd, Derwood) in February, organized by TAAGWC. Commemorates the February 28, 1947 massacre in Taiwan — an event that remains central to Taiwanese American political identity and is why TAAGWC’s founding generation came to the US. In DC, the 228 Memorial carries additional resonance because of FAPA’s nearby Capitol Hill presence and the policy advocacy community it draws.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-Year Estimates) • Community organization websites and direct verification • Local school district enrollment data • Zillow and Apartments.com (rent estimates) • Glassdoor and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (salary data) • Redfin (home price data). Community population estimates reflect available Census language data combined with organization-reported figures. Read our full research methodology →