The Rice Noodles & Fish Balls Festival goes high-tech too—delicious fun plus chances to win an iMAC!

By Chi Bing-hui | Compiled & Reported

Hsinchu is best known for its rice noodles and fish balls, which are arguably the tastiest in all of Taiwan. The annual Hsinchu Rice Noodles & Fish Balls Festival always attracts large crowds, and this year, coinciding with the centennial of the Republic of China, the organizers have gone all out with technology, creating the first-ever smart service that combines a local food festival with mobile navigation, making it easier for visitors to find discounts and highlights around town.

Hsinchu Mayor Hsu Ming-tsai said that while everyone used to know they could get rice noodles and fish balls at Hsinchu’s City God Temple, now with the “Far EasTone Mobile Navigation App—Hsinchu Rice Noodles & Fish Balls Festival,” people can instantly access event schedules and promotional info. They can also use the mobile navigation function to find the sources of these delicacies, including 30 hidden spots operated by top rice noodle and fish ball businesses in Hsinchu, offering a deeper look into the local history and culture.

This year’s Rice Noodles & Fish Balls Festival combines resources from the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Local Industry Development Fund and the Hsinchu City Government. Transmition Digital Strategy Co., Ltd. has integrated Hsinchu’s signature industries—rice noodles and fish balls—with National Chiao Tung University and Far EasTone, perfectly merging traditional industries with innovative technology. GPS satellite positioning, route tracking, mobile guidance, Web 2.0, and social media are among the smart living and communication technologies used to document the century-old history of Hsinchu’s rice noodles and fish balls. Additionally, anyone who downloads the Far EasTone mobile navigation service and joins as a member between now and the end of October has a chance to win an iMAC grand prize.