On November 14, Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-Hsin of the Taichung City Government attended the celebration event of Belgium King’s Day on behalf of Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen to send regards and engaged warmly with Director Matthieu Baudouin A. Branders, head of the Belgian Office in Taipei. Deputy Mayor Cheng highlighted that Mayor Lu had personally invited Director Branders to participate in the filming of promotional video for the 6th annual Taichung Shopping Festival, reflecting the strong friendship between Taichung and Belgium. He expressed gratitude to Director Matthieu Branders for his support of Taichung Shopping Festival and conveyed hopes for further cooperation between the two sides.

During his speech, Director Matthieu Branders displayed a slide of the Taichung Shopping Festival on the screen and shared his experience participating in the filming of the promotional video. He proclaimed "Taichung Shopping Festival No.1!" which was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience, surprising both Deputy Mayor Cheng and Director of Taichung's Economic Development Bureau, Chang Feng-yuan.

Deputy Mayor Cheng noted that in the promotional video, Director Branders introduced Belgian food culture and several hidden gems in Taichung, including bistros proving authentic Belgian food and beer, famous chocolate brand, and waffle shops. The good rapport between Director Branders and Mayor Lu, as displayed in the video, also impressed audience. The promotional video has garnered over 10,000 views since it was released in late October, successfully promoting Taichung Shopping Festival while also sparking interest in Belgian food culture among Taiwanese people.

Director Chang Feng-yuan noted that Director Branders was the only European representative among the international guests featured in the Taichung Shopping Festival promotional video. In the video, he not only highlighted how Belgian beer is deeply intertwined with daily life and festivals but also introduced the famous Smurfs, which originated in Belgium. Viewers could follow Director Branders as he explored Taichung's bistros, chocolate shops, and street-side eateries that serve iconic Belgian waffles.

Director Chang also pointed out that this marked the first time foreign representatives had been invited to participate in the promotion of the Taichung Shopping Festival. The goal is to attract more international visitors and elevate the festival to a global level. According to the Taichung Economic Development Bureau, as of November 17, the festival has already generated more than NT$11.3 billion in total sales.

Trade Representative Yip Wei Kiat of the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei, who also participated in promoting the Taichung Shopping Festival, attended the King’s Day event. He engaged warmly with Deputy Mayor Cheng and Director Chang. During the celebration, Deputy Mayor Cheng shared the special offers available during the Taichung Shopping Festival, sparking curiosity among attendees. Many expressed interest in visiting Taichung to participate in the festival and take part in the exciting lucky draw.

In celebration of the King's Day, the Belgian Office in Taipei partnered with 7-ELEVEN to launch "Belgian Feast" promotional campaign, featuring a variety of Belgian chocolates, cookies, and beer. This campaign will continue through December 10. The Economic Development Bureau highlighted that 7-ELEVEN is one of the participating retailers in Taichung Shopping Festival. Consumers who purchase Belgian products at Taichung’s 7-ELEVEN stores and register their spending on the Taichung Pass and Shopping Festival APP will have the chance to win prizes, including NT$3,000 or other valuable rewards, through a lucky draw.

The Economic Development Bureau encourages the public to continue participating in the Taichung Shopping Festival, which offers a wide array of prizes. The campaign will run until December 25, with daily drawings for NT$3,000, weekly NT$100,000 giveaways, bi-weekly car prizes, monthly NT$1 million draws, and a grand prize for a cozy condominium. Physical lottery events are held every weekend, with exciting bonus prizes available throughout the campaign. The public is invited to download Taichung Pass and Shopping Festival APP and register purchases for a chance to win the prizes. For the latest updates, please visit the official Taichung Shopping Festival Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/shoppingtaichung/).