Ten Small Tourist Towns Shortlisted as Province-Wide Voting Campaign Kicks Off

Written/Compiled by Li Xinyi

To promote local tourism development and attract both domestic and international travelers to explore Taiwan’s beautiful scenery, the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has commissioned a publishing company to organize the “Taiwan’s Top Ten Small Tourist Towns” selection. After the initial screening by the judges, 17 towns have advanced to the next round of the competition. Starting today, the public can cast their votes for their favorite towns, and the shortlisted small tourist towns have also launched their campaigns to win votes.

The “Taiwan’s Top Ten Small Tourist Towns” must possess one of ten key tourism elements: “folk religion,” “local culture,” “indigenous tribes,” “hot springs,” “innovation,” “contemporary culture,” “hiking,” “stargazing,” “ecotourism,” or “cycling.” The first phase of written reviews has concluded. To allow the public to participate and cheer for their favorite towns, the final selection will include a public voting component (accounting for 20% of the total score). Voting can be done online, via mobile app, or by postcard. Online voting runs from January 21 to March 9, mobile app voting from February 20 to March 9, and postcard voting from now until March 7. Each person can vote once per day, with up to six votes per day. Voters may have the chance to win a Nikon mirrorless camera. The results of the initial selection for “Taiwan’s Top Ten Small Tourist Towns” and details on how the public can participate in the final selection will be officially announced tomorrow (the 21st) on the official campaign website.

The selected towns include: Taipei City’s Beitou – the Town of Elegance, Taipei City’s Xinyi – the City of Fashion, New Taipei City’s Ruifang District – the Secret Mines of Shuijinjiu, Miaoli’s Sanyi – the Town of Woodcarving Art, Taichung’s Dajia District – the Makatao Culture, Taoyuan’s Daxi – the Presidents’ Town, Tainan’s Anping – Where Taiwan’s Name Originates, Kaohsiung’s Meinong District – Where Meinong’s Beauty and Warmth Thrive, Pingtung County’s Liuqiu Township, Taitung’s Luye – the Hometown of Hot Air Balloons, Changhua’s Lukang Town – Crafts, Cuisine, and Historic Sites, Nantou’s Jiji Town – the Train Impression 'Step into the Breezy Jiji', Hualien’s Ruisui Township, Yilan’s Jiaoxi – a Hot Spring Wellness and Lifestyle Town, Matsu’s Beigan – the Hometown of Battlefield History, Penghu County’s Magong – a Town of Folk Traditions, and Kinmen County’s Jincheng – the Quaint Old Town of Houpu.

Official website: tsaixiao.cheng.com.tw