Since its launch on July 17th this year, the inaugural "Taichung Hot Pot and Grill Festival" has garnered a remarkable response. As of the deadline for voting on August 17th, 489 stores participated in the election, with a total of 4.42 million votes. Taichung Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu revealed the "Top 10 Hot Pot and Grill Restaurants" at today's press conference (21st). The champions of the four major categories are Haidilao Hot Pot (Chungyo Store), Islamic en de Yuan Dumpling Restaurant, Umai (Chongde Store), and Gekiuma Yakitori. She also drew out one million-valued car and three hundred sets of NTD 10,000 hot pot and grill vouchers for the grand finale. After the press conference, the mayor personally went to the champion store to post an honor board to congratulate them, declaring the successful conclusion of the first Hot Pot and Grill Festival.

"We can say that people in Taichung eat hot pots and grills 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!" Mayor Lu said that hot pot and grill restaurants are flourishing in Taichung City, and there are about 1,000 restaurants in Taichung City alone. The city government tried to hold the "Taichung Hot Pot and Grill Festival" for the first time, and the number of votes not only reached 4.42 million in just one month, but it was to revitalize the economy, promote consumption in Taichung City and the visibility of catering industry. The "Taichung Pass and Shopping Festival APP" used for voting has more than 1.95 million downloads, making it one of the most popular government apps in the country. Mayor Lu additionally pledged on the spot, "We will definitely be hosting this event again next year!"
"Economy comes first, and economy comes first again!" Mayor Lu explained and also announced the top 10 stores today. The city government hopes that through the event, the industry will attract the attention of people across the country and create a degree of discussion, which will also drive other stores in Taichung and consumption, such as sightseeing and tourism. Furthermore, the initiative contributes to the growth of the local economy, benefiting various sectors such as meat, vegetables, fruits, and fish produce.

Mayor Lu highlighted that throughout the event, both shop owners and the public actively engaged, with shop owners offering increased discounts to garner votes, and the public participating daily for a chance to win the prize. This dynamic interaction led to an impressive 30% boost in business performance, and in some cases, even up to 80%! This event has also drawn out three hundred sets of NTD 10,000 hot pot and grill vouchers, which are "you enjoy hot pot and grill, the city government pays," allowing the public to enjoy the NTD 10,000 hot pot and grill for free. Whether it's spring, summer, autumn, or winter, coming to Taichung is the season for hot pot and grill!

Mayor Lu also drew the grand finale "one million-valued car" at the same time today, and she called out on the spot to congratulate the only lucky person who stood out from the million serial numbers. "Did I win the jackpot?" Mr. Lin, who lives in the North District and works in cram school education, couldn't believe it when he received the call. He excitedly said that he would give the car to his family for use. Mayor Lu jokingly welcomed Mr. Lin to promote the Taichung Hot Pot and Grill Festival and drive his new car to take his family to eat hot pot and grill together. Immediately after the press conference, Mayor Lu posted an honor board at the grill champion restaurant "Umai Chongde Store" entrance to express her congratulations and affirm the store's performance. The restaurant reciprocated the excitement, affirming their commitment to continuous improvement. To celebrate the occasion, they even set off firecrackers on-site, creating a warm and jubilant atmosphere.

According to the Economic Development Bureau, Taichung is known as the "Capital of Hot Pot and Grill." This year, for the first time, Taichung has launched the Taichung Hot Pot and Grill Festival in the midst of the hot summer. Nearly half a thousand stores in Taichung City responded, and the bureau held online voting, local store marketing, and exclusive vouchers through the "Taichung Pass and Shopping Festival APP." Countless tourists also plan a gourmet trip based on the sights to visit the store, making the "Capital of Hot Pot and Grill" well-deserved. Whether it is a brand or an alley delicacy, it integrates hot pot and grill into the life of Taichung people.

The Economic Development Bureau clarified that each individual had their own preferences for the various shops, and the public participated with great enthusiasm in the Taichung Hot Pot and Grill Voting Even, rendering all the participating establishments as winners. Amid fierce competition, the bureau announced "Top 10 Hot Pot and Grill Restaurants" selected by 4.42 million votes today, among which the four groups of champion restaurants are [Brand Hot Pot Team--Haidilao Hot Pot (Chungyo Store)] with 28,211 votes, [Alley Hot Pot Team--Islamic en de Yuan Dumpling Restaurant] received 26,550 votes, [Brand Grill Team--Umai (Chongde Store)] received 36,996 votes, and [Alley Grill Team--Gekiuma Yakitori.] received 79,834 votes.

The Economic Development Bureau added that this year's Hot Pot and Grill Festival has another popular event besides the stores voting, the "I Love Hot Pot and Grill Contest," and the number of entries reached 251. After preliminary rounds and finals, 15 teams won the top three and honorable mentions. Today, the bureau also specially invited the combination of first prize winner Yo-Yo, third place Chuan-Ren Lee and Pei-Zhen Yu to sing the winning works "Theme Song of Taichung Hot Pot and Grill Festival" and the Rap "Hot Pot--Don't Gain Weight After Eating" live to show their love of hot pot and grill creativity and passion. Mayor Lu announced today that the awarded works will receive authorization for display in all participating establishments, thus cementing hot pot and grill as a distinctive local economic hallmark of Taichung City.

According to the Information Management Center, the first Taichung Hot Pot and Grill Festival collocated with the "Taichung Pass" platform. As of August 17, the cumulative number of downloads of the Taichung Pass APP reached 1.953161 times, and the number of registered members also reached 1.190682. The number of votes also reached 4,429,684. It shows that the large-scale activities of the city government are equipped with the Taichung Pass platform, which is convenient for citizens and friends to participate in the activities on their usual mobile phones. In addition to not needing to build an additional platform, you can also use Taichung Pass to learn about event information, enjoy store discounts, and even participate in the voting of stores at the Hot Pot and Grill Festival. You can even draw lucky Taichung Hot Pot and Grill vouchers, which can be redeemed for consumption directly through the app. With this successful integration, Taichung Pass is poised to continue synergizing with the city government's extensive initiatives, making participation easier for citizens and participants while simultaneously reducing paper waste through digital engagement. This approach aligns with the goals of convenience and environmental responsibility, fostering a digitally enhanced yet eco-friendly lifestyle.

Today's event included Mayor Lu, City Councilor Wen-Zheng Chen, Qiu Ai-Shan Qiu, Shi-Zhou Liu, Director of Economic Development Bureau Feng-Yuan Chang, Director of Information Management Center Gu-Long Lin, Director of Legal Affairs Bureau Shan-Chih Lee, Director of Labor Affairs Bureau Da-Chun Chang, the Chief of Staff of the Industrial Development & Investment Promotion Committee of Taichung City Yu-Shan Huang, and representatives of the Information Bureau, Agriculture Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau, and Tourism and Travel Bureau. Besides, the Chief of Staff of the Shalu District Farmers' Association Jun-Hong Chen, the President of Taichung Meat Market Gui-Sen Wu, the Supervisor of the Promotion Department of the Qingshui District Farmers' Association Yue-Gui Lee, the Chairperson of the Dali Jhongsing Commercial District Ming-Zong Lee, the Chairperson of Ziyou Road Commercial District Yun-Ling Wang, the Chief Director of the Taichung Hotel Association Xin-Cang He, and the local district and village chiefs were all present. City Councilors Xin-Hui Huang, Zheng-Xian Chen, and Pei-Han Lin also sent representatives to participate in the grand event.