Visiting Tihua Street
Merchants and officials in the main shopping areas of the old city, including Ninghsia Road
Tihua Street, which has undergone a facelift over the past year, is now further decorated for the New Year shopping week. Bamboo stalls have been built along the newly paved street, and red lanterns hang criss-cross between the arcades on long bamboo polls, creating a scene that might come straight out of a kungfu costume drama.
PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW, TAIPEI TIMES
The rich tradition that characterizes the Tihua Street shopping season will offer a short puppet show put on by the Ta-Thiun Thian Puppet Center
One of the great appeals of shopping at Tihua Street over the New Year season is the opportunity to taste a wide variety of special foods, which are offered to shoppers in the hope that they will come in and buy. Although some local merchants have protested that they are being overcharged to put up their bamboo stalls and that making the street open only to pedestrian traffic will cut deeply into their wholesale operations, Chan said that organizers have followed the majority opinion in organizing the current event. "There always will be people who complain in such a big event," she said.
In the runup to the activity, stall holders where already actively touting their products, which range from freshly pressed sesame oil to dried meats, preserved fruit and special nutritional foods for winter.
The active participation of the district administration authority has meant that a large number of activities has been possible this year. The New Year's shopping activities will officially open tomorrow with a ceremony at 7:30pm in the plaza in front of the Yungle Market building (永樂市場廣場) -- parades and other activities will begin around 6pm according to organizers at the City God Temple.
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