Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Avid shoppers, get your wallets ready for the Lunar New Year Street Bazaar! Mayor Hau Lung-bin announced that the annual holiday market will kick off this Friday (January 29) at six major commercial areas in the city. He promised the public that both the city government and individual market management associations vouch for the quality of goods at these street bazaars. During the press announcement on January 27, the mayor remarked that the 2010 Lunar New Year Street Market will span six major markets and commercial areas in Taipei, including Dihua Street, Huayin Street, Ningxia Street Night Market, Taipei City Mall, “Station-rear” commercial district, and Binjiang Street Market. According to the mayor, one of the enjoyments at the New Year Street Bazaar is the overwhelming amount of food samplings offered by the merchants and vendors. A number of activities will take place at the main stage, allowing visitors to experience fun and games while enjoying a moment of repose. In addition, the organizers will be holding a number of raffle draws, available to shoppers making purchases at the participating stores and stalls. The top prize for one of the raffle draw – available for shoppers with a receipt of NT500 or more from one of the stores – is an EasyCard giving the holder an entire year of free rides! The city government will also work with Yahoo!Kimo to set up an online New Year bazaar, offering individuals who cannot visit the bazaars access to over eight million products. Taipei City Office of Commerce has published a free brochure, which includes a map of the markets and activity schedule. Between now and February 12, the public can obtain a copy of the brochure at the following locations: Taipei Visitor Information Centers, district offices, information desks at participating commercial areas and markets, OK convenience stores, and Black Cat Delivery Service stations. For more information on the 2010 Lunar New Year Street Bazaar, please visit the Chinese website at http://www.2010newyear.com.tw/ http://english.taipei.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1104389&ctNode=8472&mp=100002