By MOOK Travel Life Net’s Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported
The “2013 Taiwan Hot Springs & Food Carnival” officially kicks off today in the Jinshan-Wanli Hot Spring Area of New Taipei City. This year, the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has gathered 17 hot spring areas across Taiwan to offer a variety of promotions, and has invited top names in travel and food—Sasha and narrator Ah Song—as this year’s event ambassadors, inviting all Taiwanese to come and “soak in great hot springs and win great prizes” before January 20, 2014 (Year 103)!
Top travel and food personality Sasha strips down for a soak to endorse this year’s hot spring carnival. (Photo provided by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications)
Now in its 7th edition, the “2013 Taiwan Hot Springs & Food Carnival” once again unites 17 hot spring area businesses across Taiwan for a joint marketing campaign. Combining hot springs, food, and in-depth travel information, the event features local hot spring activities in various regions along with special deals, aiming to help more Taiwanese discover Taiwan’s excellent hot springs and cuisine, as well as attract foreign tourists to experience them.
Tourism Bureau Director-General Xie Weijun said that every autumn and winter, hot spring businesses eagerly anticipate this grand event. The Food Carnival has reached its 7th year—it originally started as a Hot Spring Carnival, but later incorporated food elements and integrated local characteristics, giving visitors a unique experience in every location. Taiwan’s hot spring waters are world-renowned for their diverse types. Once the event launches, hot spring and food offerings in various counties and cities will follow suit, waiting for visitors to come and experience and share.
Spokesperson Sasha said that Taiwan has many wonderful hot springs. In Jinshan, the Jinshan-Wanli area offers four types—iron springs, sulfur springs, carbonated springs, and Taiwan’s one-of-a-kind submarine hot springs—that are simply irresistible. She also reminds everyone not to miss trying the “Three Treasures of Jinshan”: taro, sweet potatoes, and beautiful-legs (a type of local fern), which are local delicacies.
Additionally, the Tourism Bureau stated that this year’s Hot Spring & Food Carnival offers three great promotions. By soaking in a hot spring and registering online, you could win the grand prize—a NT$100,000 gold savings certificate. Other prizes include a NT$50,000 gold savings certificate, flight tickets, LCD TVs, tablets, digital cameras, smartphones, and a total of 175 prizes worth over NT$1 million, making it the biggest ever.
This year’s hot spring event brings together over 100 businesses with the “Hot Spring Label” certification across Taiwan, along with quality local restaurants and accommodation providers, to launch special offers. Paired with a “Soak Once, Win Three Great Prizes” lottery, a “Good Fortune Passport” has been created. The public can pick one up at any Taiwan Tourism Service Center. The passport not only compiles the features of each hot spring area, hot spring shops, and detailed transportation info, but also recommends must-visit spots, must-try foods, and must-buy souvenirs in each hot spring area. As long as you present the passport when visiting designated shops for hot spring soaks or purchases, you can enjoy great discounts.
In addition, netizens can participate in the lottery by taking photos with the event ambassadors—life-sized cutouts of Sasha and Ah Song—and uploading them to the website, or by participating in the event and spending NT$199 or more at a Hot Spring Label shop to register an invoice, or by earning points through the passport’s point exchange system.
● Read More:
2013 Hot Spring Season – Warm Springs Across Taiwan Info
http://goo.gl/ZxSvUF