The lead-up to the Lunar New Year is the best time to roam Dihua Street in Taipei for New Year supplies. You can bet on some good discounts when you go shopping around this time of year.
The Lunar New Year begins January 25 this year. At Taipei’s Dihua Street, shopping for Lunar New Year goods has already begun. Shopkeepers have decorated their storefronts with festive New Year decorations and started offering generous discounts. Dried seafood goods are 20% off, though nuts cost the same as they did last year.
The Taipei City Government has taken action in light of public concerns about the safety of food from the street’s vendors. On the first day of sales, the government formed an inspection team to check on the food items being sold and hygiene along the street. The authorities have made sure that products are carefully packaged and that places of origin and prices are clearly labeled. Officials say that shop owners found to violate regulation could be fined up to US$6.7 million.