Food, hot springs, and shopping districts – Taipei to host a grand carnival party in 2016

▲ The Japanese-style palanquin collision ceremony held this year was a highlight of the Taipei Hot Spring Festival. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong, the same below)

Reporter Chen Ruizhong / Taipei Reporting

As the year draws to a close, the Taipei City Business District Industry Federation and the Taipei Hot Spring Festival held a joint appreciation gala tonight (December 28). Zhou Shuimei, chairwoman of the Taipei City Business District Industry Federation, said that in addition to events such as the Hot Spring Festival and the Beitou palanquin collision ceremony in 2015, plans are also underway for a large-scale Taipei Industry Carnival in 2016 to make Taipei even more fun.

The Hot Spring Festival’s palanquin collision show is full of energy – hundreds lift a 700kg sacred palanquin for a spirited showdown<<<看这里

Tonight’s joint appreciation gala hosted 38 tables, with chairpersons and members from major and minor business districts across Taipei in attendance, totaling around 400 guests. Looking back at 2015, the Taipei Hot Spring Festival held in Beitou at the end of October invited four Japanese sacred palanquins, each weighing 700kg, and over 400 Japanese strongmen who came specially to Taiwan to perform the palanquin collision ceremony, making it the biggest highlight of this year’s festival.

▲ The Taipei City Business District Industry Federation and the Taipei Hot Spring Festival held a joint appreciation gala tonight (December 28).

Zhou Shuimei stated that the Taipei City Hot Spring Development Association will continue to promote the Taipei Hot Spring Festival in 2016. In addition, there are current plans to collaborate with major and minor business districts in Taipei, focusing on local cuisine, district features, and hot springs, with the hope of holding a large-scale industry carnival during May or June. Through the event, Taipei’s various features and business districts will be promoted.

Taipei City Department of Commerce Director Tsai Zongxiong also mentioned that Taipei currently has 59 business districts, which will cooperate in the future through methods such as “larger districts driving smaller ones” and “mutual joint promotion.”