【Friday Fun in Taiwan】Must-Know Christmas Event Info for a Most Romantic Weekend

This year, the New Taipei City Joyful Christmas Town has erected the tallest Christmas tree in the country, standing at 35.5 meters. With dazzling LED light shows, animation displays, a carousel, and a spinning coffee cup ride, the Civic Plaza and surrounding areas have been transformed into a Christmas castle where both kids and adults can have fun together and create precious holiday memories.

Over the years, Xinyi District in Taipei City has always been a top destination for getting into the Christmas spirit. This year’s 2013 Taipei International Christmas Town event kicks off tonight. Starting this evening, visitors can not only immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere along the Champs-Élysées Boulevard but also enjoy beautiful Christmas trees at nearby landmarks such as CTBC, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, and BELLAVITA.

The Christmas series of events organized by the Taichung City Government kicked off with the erection of a 16-meter-tall Christmas tree in front of the Municipal Government Building on Taiwan Boulevard. The tree is decorated with recycled CDs, PET bottles, and spoons, serving as a reminder to celebrate in an eco-friendly way. The 24 street lamps in the square also feature energy-saving designs, incorporating installation art such as polar bears and Formosan black bears, as well as cute teddy bear seats, creating a “super bear-tastic” Christmas vibe around the civic plaza.

 

In addition, from now until December 25, every weekend evening from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, performance groups will be invited to put on shows at the Christmas Square. On Christmas Eve, December 24, a second round of limited-edition Christmas dolls will be given away, with lucky draws for big prizes including tablets, 1TB USB drives, ovens, and 18-speed bicycles. Separately, the “2013 Taichung Business District Shopping Festival” Part II series, hosted by the Bureau of Economic Development, runs from now until December 31. On December 21, the “Red & White Bubble Crazy Christmas Costume Contest” will take place in the Jingming 1st Street business district. The festival’s grand finale will be the “2014 Float Festival” on December 31 at the Fengyuan Miaodong Revival Business District, where the biggest prize winner of the shopping festival – a car – will be announced.

Tainan’s annual Christmas light displays have always been highly popular. The main Christmas tree, located in front of the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, complements the museum’s brick load-bearing wall structure and its elegant stone-wash textured exterior, attracting many visitors for photos. This year’s Christmas light setup also aligns with the city government’s low-carbon and energy-saving philosophy, using LED lights and recyclable materials. In addition to continuing the tradition of decorating areas such as Tainan Railway Station, Tang De-chang Memorial Park, Zhongshan Road, Nanmen Road, and the Mayor’s Residence, dazzling Christmas lights can also be seen at key city spots and transportation hubs, including district government offices across Tainan.