Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu endorsed the 5th Taichung Shopping Festival this year and shot a promotional video, in contrast to previous events where entertainers were invited as spokespersons. A press conference was held today (25th). Mayor Lu announced that the "Taichung Shopping Festival" will start tomorrow and the shopping frenzy will continue until December 26. A cash prize of NT$ 3,000 will be drawn every day, NT$ 100,000 every week, a million every month, a million-dollar luxury car every other week, and the final grant prize will be a carefully selected high-end residential unit. The total prize value is nearly NT$250 million; in addition, lottery draws are held from one district to another for this year’s shopping festival, one of which will be paired with Halloween for greater fun in the shopping festival. People from every corner of Taiwan are welcome to Taichung to buy and win!

Mayor Lu reported that the total spending recorded for the 4th Taichung Shopping Festival last year reached NT$ 35.8 billion, surpassing all other shopping festival-related events in Taiwan. Several important factors contributed to the success of Taichung Shopping Festival. The first is the big prizes, including cash, cars, houses, etc.; second, the prizes are many, with up to 75,000 prizes in cash, car, house and many more with significant chances to win big; third, all prizes are in cash in addition to cars and houses with NT$ 3,000 at the lowest up to the million-dollar grant prize. All the prizes are what the consumers want and desire for!

Mayor Lu emphasized that consumers are encouraged to visit and spend more in all 10 regions in Taichung, with the goal of leveling the consumption across Taichung’s 29 districts. This year, a special “regional consumption/receipt exclusive lottery” is prepared where consumers may win a chance to get 500% of their spendings at any of the participating stores back and there are 200 chances to win every day this year as opposed to 100 last year. It is hoped that this doubled chance to win will encourage consumers to spend their money at the 10 designated regions and shops, markets and hawker stands that issue the specified receipts. There are many chances to win. So, be a smart consumer!

Mayor Lu mentioned that the first two waves of cash vouchers in Taichung received an overwhelming response, and the third wave of cash vouchers will be distributed this year during the Taichung Shopping Festival. Citizens may exchange NT$ 100 for a NT$ 200 cash voucher to make their money bigger. 450,000 cash vouchers are expected to be distributed and will be available for public claiming from tomorrow to October 28. The vouchers can be claimed and spent in 23 business districts, 38 public markets, and 17 night markets (listed street vendor concentration areas) in Taichung from October 26th to 31st. Remember to collect your receipt or uniform invoice after spending the cash vouchers and register your spending via the event APP. This registration offers the chance to triple or even quintuple the cumulative amount. So, don’t miss out!

Mayor Lu also said that popular performance artists were invited to speak for previous Taichung Shopping Festivals, but this year she will join local stores, business districts, markets, night markets, and farmers' associations, as a spokesperson group for the event and produce a promotional film with them to advertise the 2023 Taichung Shopping Festival. 40 to 50 exclusive short videos have been filmed for 23 business districts to promote the shopping festival, and there will be an upcoming short video competition for business districts. As the Taichung Shopping Festival has made a name for itself, we hope that not only the government is working hard to boost the economy, but also local businesses know how to market themselves, "It is better to teach them to fish than to give them fish to eat." This approach will make the Taichung Shopping Festival more exciting and draw people from all over Taiwan to visit Taichung and spend their money.

The Economic Development Bureau stated that this year’s Taichung Shopping Festival award plan is to draw 1,250 groups worth 3,000 yuan every day (including 850 groups drawn by members of the Taichung Tong and Shopping Festival APP, 200 groups exclusively drawn for receipts, and 200 groups exclusively drawn for regional consumption). Prizes will also be drawn every week, featuring 12 groups of 100,000 yuan each, a million-dollar car drawn every other week, two groups receiving 1 million cash each month, and a high-quality house as the grand prize in the finale.

The Economic Development Bureau added that the first themed event of the Taichung Shopping Festival is scheduled on October 29 at Fengyuan Miaodong Fuxing Commercial District, in conjunction with the Halloween. There is the “NT% 3,000 cash prize everyday” on the day of the event for the first time and more prizes are coming, such as 3 iPhone 15s (256G). Citizens are welcome to come to Taichung to spend money and register your invoices for the big prizes. For event details, please visit the Taichung Shopping Festival official website (https://fun.taichung.gov.tw/) or check their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/shopping2015taichung).

Today's Taichung Shopping Festival kickoff press conference was attended by City Councilors Liu Shih-Chou and Chiu Ai-Shan, as well as the executives of major business districts, markets, night market and representatives of farmers' associations. City Councilors Chen Wen-Cheng, Lin Pei-Han, Huang Hsin-Hui, and Chen Cheng-Hsian had their representatives attended the grand ceremony.