Chinese New Year shopping in Taipei can be just as fearsome an experience as
Christmas shopping. Focused on the area of Tihua Street(迪化街), with the
active involvement of the Taipei City Government and the Tatung District
Office, it has expanded both in area and in the range of activities on
offer. No longer is it just the usual mayhem of shopping, but has become a
chance to revel in Taiwanese traditions and celebrate Taipei's history.
Although mired in every kind of gimcrackery, Tihua Street is still the
center of the very serious business of buying ingredients for the New Year's
Eve family dinner and gifts for the days of visiting friends and relatives
that follows. In recent years, a home delivery service has been established,
so that shoppers need not be restricted to the amount they can actually
carry.
If you are not actually planning a New Year dinner, New Year shopping on
Tihua Street is a great opportunity to try many Chinese delicacies, as most
stores offer taste before you buy for many items, and an hour's walk down
Tihua Street can leave you feeling quite full. For a more substantial meal,
there is the nearby night market on Ninghsia Road (寧夏街), which has a huge
variety of food - and don't think you are restricted to Chinese food either.
Just one example: a stall selling Indian grilled meat wrapped in nan bread
(highly recommended) gives an idea of how cosmopolitan this most traditional
district has become.
Concerts and traditional arts from cake making to lion dancing will be
taking place throughout the district. Parking throughout will be difficult
and it is recommended that you use public transport. Events will continue
daily starting noon to 10pm (midnight on Tihua Street proper), until Feb.
11. Basic information in English can be obtained at
http://www.tatong.gov.tw/years/pd.htm. Information in Chinese about the
history of Tihua Street, Chinese New Year customs and specific activities
taking place in the Tatung District can be obtained from
http://www.tatong.gov.tw/years/years.htm.
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