Taichung flora expo mascots Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver recently passed Mayor Lu's job interview with flying colors and were successfully appointed as Taichung City mascots. Today (10th), they arrived at the City Hall to attend their inauguration ceremony and accepted the letter of appointment from Mayor Shiow-yen Lu. Many fans turned out for the function to offer the mascots their support. Mayor Lu immediately entrusted them with new missions including visiting the City Council with City Hall colleagues to obtain the support from the city councilors and to promote the very first Taichung Shopping Festival. The Mayor encouraged the Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver to keep on marketing Taichung.

Taichung City Information Bureau conducted the inauguration ceremony at the Taichung City Hall on Taiwan Boulevard, where Mayor Lu presented them with the letter of appointment, seal, and employee ID card. During the swearing-in and seal stamping ceremony, the Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver proclaimed "Bribery is unacceptable, except for Taichung pastries!" They promised to "maintain a healthy body and optimistic spirit to help promote and market the city". When they picked up the seal with their adorable mugshots for the seal stamping ceremony, their adorable demeanor enchanted the entire audience.

In light of the coming Mother's Day weekend, the thoughtful Leo especially prepared a carnation bouquet for the Mayor (who is also a mother) and his wife Leona. He even held hands with Leona to publicly display his affection for her, and Mayor Lu exclaimed jokingly "My goodness, talk about public display of affection!" Many fans of the Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver were at the scene to congratulate them and take group photos, creating a jovial vibe.

Mayor Lu suggested that the Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver possess excellent image, abundant work experience, and they are loved by the citizens, therefore she decided to hire them as City Hall employees after the interview for an unlimited period of time. In the future, the mascots will be seen in various activities in Taichung, and she also instructed the mascots to provide the citizens coming to the City Hall for official business with the necessary assistance and outstanding service.

Mayor Lu also gave them 2 assignments; first, the City Council is in the process of reviewing the city's budget adjustments for reintroducing national health insurance subsidy for senior citizens, child care policy, senior citizens' card, and other citizens' rights-related budgets, therefore she asked the mascots to visit the City Council in order to facilitate friendly communications between officials; secondly, Taichung will be hosting the inaugural Taichung Shopping Festival from July 10 to August 18, so she has instructed the mascots to proactively conduct marketing and promotion at various shopping districts, inviting everyone to participate in the event.

According to Information Bureau Director General Huang-sheng Wu, the City Hall is appreciative of the Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver's contributions during the Taichung flora expo. This year, the City Hall has especially applied for a patented trademark for the Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver, making them official Taichung City mascots. By taking up residence in the City Hall, they not only inject a breath of fresh air to Taichung but will also generate the optimal benefits in marketing the city.

Mr. Lin, a huge fan of the mascots, also attended the inauguration ceremony today and said that he follows the Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver on their Facebook page frequently, and whenever he is available he always attends their activities. He is glad to have joined the inauguration ceremony today. Attending the inauguration ceremony with her 2 daughters and husband, Ms. Hu commented that her kids really adore the Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver, so she has purchased the entire set of 5 mascot figures for them. When she learned of the inauguration event today on Facebook, she had to bring her whole family along to experience the festive ambiance.

Information Bureau remarked that the 2018 Taichung flora expo drew to a conclusion on April 24 this year, setting a record of over 7.2 million visitors. In particular, the success of the promotional campaign is attributed to the mascots Leopard Cat Family and Old Horsiver, whose Facebook posts have been immensely popular among their fans, with any of them leaving messages on the Leopard Cat Family Love&Life Facebook fan page. Last Friday, the mascots went to the City Hall for a job interview by Mayor Lu, where they pulled out all the stops to demonstrate their skills. Eventually, they passed the interview with flying colors and were appointed as the official mascots of Taichung City, in turn successfully pursuing an alternative career.