Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

The Chinese New Year approaches, and age-old tradition beckons. New clothes are being bought, symbolizing fresh beginnings. Spring couplets are going up, offering blessings. Auspicious symbol-laden items are being placed strategically around homes, inviting in wealth and good fortune. Another favorite thing to do is buy flowers and plants to freshen up the home and sprout the new fortunes of the new spring. Planting a kumquat tree in your home symbolizes the growing of gold and wealth. The Chinese sacred lily is the representation of elegance and purity, often blooming during the Chinese New Year. The pronunciation of silver willow sounds just like the Taiwanese pronunciation for yin liang , the old coinage. The sword lily (gladiolus), because its flowers bloom from bottom to top, carries the lucky phrase bu bu gao sheng ,“step by step ever higher.”These symbolic plants will plant the roots of good fortune in your home as soon as you bring them home.
The Jianguo Holiday Flower Market is located under the Jianguo Expressway, along Jianguo South Road. Every weekend the giant fecund fair springs to life and visitors appear in great hordes as if by magic. This is a great place for expatriate and foreign travelers to check out Taipei-style living during Chinese Lunar New Year; immerse yourself in the happy hustle and bustle of the season, check out just what flowers and plants are in demand at this time, and maybe even bring home one of the inexpensive Malabar chestnut (money tree) yourself to put in your entranceway and symbolically lure more wealth into your bank account. The pronunciation of the first character in“butterfly orchid,” for example, is similar to that for“good fortune and happiness.” The peony has long been known as the“flower of riches and honor.”All the decorations needed to fill your place with the joyous ambiance of Chinese New Year tradition is just a quick and very convenient shopping spree away.
The flower market stretches almost half a kilometer and spans more than 8000 square meters. You'll find over 200 seller's booths to inspect. People come in droves each weekend, just to enjoy the sweet colors and scents, many to buy, the place becoming one of Taipei's most popular gardens of activity. To welcome in the new year, the Chinese Floricultural Foundation and the Jianguo Holiday Flower Market Self-Management Committee will stage the“2010 Spring Festival Flower Market and Yatsuka Peony Exhibition” from Feb. 6~11. The star Yatsuka Peony hails from Shimane Prefecture in Japan and is beloved the world over. The lovely, delicate peony is loaded with auspicious“wealth and social position”symbolism, and will be presented in colorful and creative ways during the show.
Right beside the flower market is the popular Taipei Jianguo Jade Market , featuring around 300 sellers, where you'll almost always see folks from overseas happily browsing. Many choose to take home an auspicious ruyi , a lucky talisman many locals will hang around their neck. Ruyi translates literally as“as you wish,”inviting good fortune. Another popular selection is a jade Buddha, which also invites good fortune and drives off evil spirits. You'll also find countless other items made of jade, including exquisite necklaces, cellphone charms, and much more. All you need to bring in a full year of good luck is waiting for you to come find it!