Tuesday, January 10, 2006

TAIPEI NEW YEAR SHOPPING CARNIVAL TO IGNITE SHOPPING CRAZE

Taipei, Jan. 9 (CNA) There is no better place to shop for the upcoming Chinese New Year than 2006 Taipei New Year Shopping Carnival (TNYSC) , which will take place from Jan. 13-27 at four major commercial markets in Taipei City's Datong District, the shopping carnival organizing committee said Monday.

"Dry foods, Chinese herbs, textiles... this place has it all. Visitors will have a wonderful shopping experience as well as enjoying various food and drinks, " Director of Datong District Huang Mei-yun said in a plaza in the heart of the Dihua Street market, which will be the star of the show in the New Year carnival.

Located on the west side of Taipei City, Dihua Street is noted for its northern and southern dry goods and Chinese herbs and will be joined by three near-by commercial markets: Huayin Street/Rear Station, Ningsia Night Market and the Taipei Mall in the annual festivity that is entering its 10th year.

Each market is known for something different. Huayin Street is a wholesale center for luggage, leather goods and accessories while Ningsia Night Market is noted for its food culture. Underneath Civic Boulevard, the Taipei Mall features fashion and IT products and is the first themed underground shopping street in the country.

Dihua Street will be the main show of the event. Visitors from far and wide pack the narrow street every year during the Chinese New Year shopping season. Many people come here not only for shopping but also sight-seeing as the street is also noted for its historic shop houses, some of which date back to the 19th Century.

Located near the Tamsui River, the riverside Datong district, known as Dadaocheng in early days, began to thrive as a commercial area after the Treaty of Tianjin opened Chinese ports to foreign trade after the Second Opium War. As foreign traders set up trading companies in the district, Dadaocheng was developed into Taipei's largest goods and distribution center.

Many foreigners come to the area to embrace first-hand grass roots Taiwanese culture. "Many Japanese customers come here to look for Chinese herbal medicine. I guess it's because Japanese people understand more about the herbal medicine, " said Huang Cheng-wan, who owns a Chinese herbal medicine store in Dihua Street.

A female store owner surnamed Wu had a similar opinion, "The Japanese top our foreign customer list, and Chinese health food is always their favorite. Americans come second."

The carnival is about more than providing the pleasure of shopping, said Huang Mei-yun. It is also a part of the re-development of the city's west side.