The first day of the Taiwan Culinary Exhibition drew 32,000 visitors, marking a 9% year-on-year increase

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The 2016 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition, themed “Taiwan’s Pure Food Era,” grandly opened today at Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1. With six major exhibition zones, 19 themed pavilions, and 820 booths, the event welcomed 32,236 visitors on its first day — an 8.65% increase from last year’s opening day figure of 29,669. Tourism Bureau Director-General Lai Su-jen estimated that total attendance over the four-day event would exceed 160,000.

▲ The Taiwan Culinary Exhibition attracted 32,236 visitors on its first day. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Themed around “Pure Food Era,” the Taiwan Culinary Exhibition aims to help visitors appreciate that “purity means deliciousness” and that “eating seasonal and local produce is the healthiest choice.” Vice Premier Lin Hsi-yao was invited to attend the opening ceremony and stated in his speech that the government places great importance on food safety. A new Toxic Chemicals and Chemical Substances Bureau is expected to be established by the end of the year at the earliest to manage food safety from the source, while increasing inspection frequency and penalties to ensure food safety for both domestic and international consumers.

Lai Su-jen, President of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and organizer of the event, expressed gratitude to the Executive Yuan, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Tourism Bureau, Taiwan Railways Administration, Council of Agriculture, Ministry of Culture, Council of Hakka Affairs, Council of Indigenous Peoples, as well as local governments including Hsinchu County, Taichung City, Changhua County, and Chiayi County, along with strong support from the culinary industry. Together, they presented the pure flavors of Taiwanese cuisine and built an international brand image for Taiwan as a gourmet kingdom. She also emphasized the special significance of the participation of Guizhou, Jiangsu, and Fujian provinces from mainland China.

In addition to hotels offering restaurant discounts, the culinary exhibition also seeks to guide the public in exploring regional specialties. Examples include the grassroots snack street hosted by Changhua County, the Wind and Bamboo County Pavilion by Hsinchu County, the Sunny Taiwan Pavilion by Chiayi County, and Taichung City showcasing floral banquet dishes to warm up for the 2018 World Flora Exposition. There are also distinctive pavilions from Nantou County’s “Sweet Nantou,” Yunlin County, Keelung City, and Yilan County. Each offers unique features, particularly the grassroots snack street organized by Changhua County, which drew continuous crowds eager to try local favorites such as Changhua rice balls and old-shop chicken foot jelly.