《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taipei Lunar New Year event expands to 10 locations

/ Staff writer, with CNA

Taipei’s annual Lunar New Year market, which is to start on Saturday next week, is to be expanded to 10 streets and market areas, including the popular Dihua Street shopping area.

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In addition to Dihua Street, the event is to be held at Rongbin Market （榮濱商店街）, Taipei City Mall, Taipei Station Wholesale Market District （後車站商圈） and Huayin Street Shopping District （華陰街）.

It would also cover Siping Yangguang Shopping District （四平陽光）, Yuanlin Shopping District （沅陵街）, Dongmen Yongkang Shopping District （東門永康）, Ningxia Night Market （寧夏夜市） and Bangka Night Market （艋舺夜市）, the Taipei Office of Commerce said in a statement, adding that it hopes the event would encourage people to visit the shopping areas and help counter a COVID-19 pandemic-induced business slump.

Taipei Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan （黃珊珊） told a news event to promote Lunar New Year shopping that the 10 areas each have their own unique character.

Huang would visit some of the areas to hand out “fortune money” envelopes to shoppers, wishing them good luck in the new lunar year, the office said.

The red envelopes, featuring a tiger design, would contain NT$1 and symbolize good fortune for the year of the tiger, the office said, adding that it hopes shoppers would welcome the new year with hope and optimism.

The annual market was first held in Dihua Street in 1996, as it is one of the most festive streets in Taiwan during the Lunar New Year holiday.

However, Dihua Street, which usually invites vendors from across Taiwan to set up stalls during the annual event, would not do so this year, Huang said, adding that the area would focus mainly on local shops.

Dihua Shopping District Development Association chairman Hsu Ching-chi （徐慶棋） said that not allowing additional stalls would help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The move would also enable pedestrians to stroll along the street more easily, Hsu added.

The Lunar New Year market was canceled last year due to COVID-19.

More information about the event, which is to run through Jan. 30, can be found on the commerce office’s Facebook page.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES