Many of the nation’s largest department stores said they have already prepared “lucky bags” (福袋) for the first shoppers on Lunar New Year’s Day.
The practice of giving away “lucky bags” began in Japan a few years ago. The bags, filled with a variety of goods and prizes, are sold at discount prices on New Year’s Day as a way of thanking customers for their support.
Local department stores and retailers soon copied the practice as part of their Lunar New Year celebrations.
The value of the bags vary from store to store, with the top prizes ranging from cars to cash awards, jewelry, designer bags and airline tickets.
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store will sell 1,000 bags at NT$1,000 (US$32) each on Thursday, the first day of the new lunar year, with each bag guaranteed to contain items worth a minimum of NT$3,000.
The chain’s top prizes are a NT$850,000 car at its Xinyi branch and a diamond pendant valued at more than NT$400,000 at its Nanxi branch, the retailer said.
A car worth about NT$600,000 is listed as the top prize by the Breeze Center in Taipei, which plans to sell 600 bags for NT$1,000 each, also with NT$3,000 worth of gifts inside, including designer bags and coupons, the retailer said.
The Zhongxiao branch of the Pacific Sogo Department Stores Taipei has prepared more than 10,000 bags for Thursday and subsequent days, with different top prizes on offer each day, it said. The top prizes include a car worth NT$1 million, Hong Kong tour packages and iPhones, it said, while shoppers purchasing brand name lucky bags at its Tianmu branch might take home furniture made with pure gold.
The lucky winner of the top prize at Taipei’s Living Mall will be able to choose between a NT$680,000 car or NT$500,000 in cash, while Far Eastern Department Store is offering a car as the top prize, the retailers said.
Meanwhile, the Taipei 101 mall has set up 101 sheep statues to mark the Year of the Sheep, with the art installation to run through March 8.
Several Taipei night markets plan to be closed on Lunar New Year’s Eve on Wednesday, but open the rest of the holiday, including the Shilin Night Market (士林夜市), Jingmei Night Market (景美夜市), Raohe Street Night Market (饒河街夜市), Ningxia Night Market (寧夏夜市) and Nanjichang Night Market (南機場夜市), Taipei’s Market Administration Office said.
To accommodate holiday visitors, vendors at the Ningxia market agreed to open early, at 3:30pm, and close at 3:30am during the holiday, Ningxia Night Market Tourism Association director Lin Ting-kuo (林定國) said.
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