Banquet tables transformed into "watermelon ball tables" — Five-star hotel activity center hosts weekend fun

Reported and photographed by You Tzu-ju / Taichung

Halfway through summer vacation, what activities have you missed out on? This weekend (August 3), Taichung will host a unique "three-player table tennis tournament," converting a five-star hotel into an event space, turning round dining tables into ping pong tables, and using paddles covered in watermelon seeds for PK matches. The "National Grand Hotel Cup" is set to kick off just before Father’s Day.


▲ Players competing in a lively three-player ping pong match at the transformed banquet table.


This summer, you don’t have to head to the beach to beat the heat. The National Grand Hotel on Taichung’s Cultural Boulevard has brought the season's coolest fruit indoors. Traditional banquet tables have been converted into oversized ping pong tables, shaped like giant watermelons and paired with paddles studded with black watermelon seeds — the sight alone is refreshing. Moreover, this weekend (August 3), the National Grand Hotel will hold a watermelon-themed ping pong tournament called the "National Grand Hotel Cup." Teams of three can join in the Father’s Day fun.

Chen Hsiang-mei, PR and planning manager at the National Grand Hotel, said that to align with the summer "Green Circle Art Festival," the "National Grand Hotel Cup" is transforming the hotel’s banquet hall into an activity center for the first time, hoping to let the public enjoy art and interact with it in fun ways.


▲ From inside the hotel, you can see visitors lounging on the grass at the Chi Museum.

Besides the National Grand Hotel Cup, classic artworks are also on display during the summer break. Taiwanese bronze sculptor Yu Deng-chuan presents lively creations that capture childhood summer memories from the '50s and '60s in his exhibit “Childhood – Summer Outing Fun,” showcased in the hotel’s first-floor lobby. The hotel has also launched a “Stay 1 Night, 3 Meals Included” travel package, with each room available for a special price of NT$4,999.


▲ A room package priced at just NT$4,999 per night, including three meals.


[National Grand Hotel Cup — Father’s Day Fun Three-Player Ping Pong Tournament]
Time: August 3, 14:00–17:30
Location: B1 International Hall, 257 Section 1, Taichung Port Road, Taichung City
Registration period: Now until August 2
Registration fee: NT$100
Event details: (04)2326-0022