Source: CCTV.com
02-06-2007 15:47
Special Report: 2007 Spring FestivalThe Spring Festival brings a welcome release from winter to gift stores and food sellers. In Taiwan, Taipei's annual Spring Festival market opened last weekend, hoping for a share of promised New Year prosperity.
The opening day saw stiff competition among the sales staff, eagerly hawking their stuff. Adapting popular songs or imitating news reports, they never fail to come up with new gimmicks to lure in the shoppers.
The market stretches over a whole street, displaying a vast assortment of foods and toys.
" The price of candy is the same as last year. " " People's tastes for candy vary a lot. Some prefer jelly candy and some like those with beautiful wrappers." Merchandisers said.
The Spring Festival Market in Taipei traditionally opens a couple of weeks ahead of the festival. To get things going this year the newly elected Mayor of Taipei turned up and distributed 1200 bonus envelopes to the crowd. But his greatest concern was for people's vulnerability to the less scrupulous members of society.
Hau Lung-Bin, Mayor of Taipei, said " The market has been infested by thieves in the past years. So I urged the police to reinforce their efforts to safeguard shoppers' wallets. "
But such dangers aside, public always arrives in droves hoping to kick start that festive feeling with some traditional bargains.
Editor:Du Xiaodan
