TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Several Lunar New Year (LNY) events will be taking place across Tainan starting Saturday (Jan. 22), featuring specialty foods, live performances, and free giveaways.
In Xinhua District, a week-long specialties market will take place on the Old Street; visitors can shop among 150 vendors, enjoy a variety of daily performances, and receive free items such as fa gao and handwritten spring couplets. Every evening at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m., there will be 10-minute “snowfalls” at the Wude Hall Plaza, so visitors can experience the unique sight in the usually sunny city.
According to Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲), the Xinhua LNY Specialties Market was first held in 2012, and has become a staple of Tainan’s LNY celebrations ever since. In 2021, the event was suspended due to COVID-19 concerns, and this year, the event has been carefully planned around anti-pandemic measures, so the public can stay healthy while enjoying the festivities.
The market will operate daily between 12-8 p.m. from Saturday to Jan. 28, and visitors must wear masks at all times, take body temperature, and register for contact tracing.
Over the weekend, two other events will take place in Tainan. A market with 60 vendors in the Sigang Market parking lot will feature local delicacies, souvenirs, and interactive activities, running from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che shows off a miniature tiger he made at the Sigang Market. (Tainan City Government photo)
As many senior citizens live in the area, the event is designed to be family-oriented to highlight the importance of spending time with them. Huang encouraged grandchildren to take their grandparents out to shop, watch performances, and join games and do-it-yourself (DIY) activities with them.
Additionally, at the Hai’an Shopping District, the road will be closed from 4-12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday for an LNY event that features an outdoor cinema, a market, DIY spring couplet printing, lion dance, and a circus performance. The event organizer also invited artist Yen Chen-fa (顏振發), who is internationally renowned for the near-extinct craft of hand-painted movie posters and billboards, to showcase his painting skills for visitors to see.
A handicraft vendor welcomes customers at the Hai'an Shopping District Lunar New Year event. (Hai'an Shopping District photo)
