Released on 7/19/2013 at 18:51:58

News content 07/19 (published by Yonghua Municipal Administration Center)

Written by Wei-Lin Chen / Department of Information and International Relations

Photographed by Fei-Ming Syue / Department of Information and International Relations

The Tainan City Government and Council formed a delegation to promote the “Blissful Tainan” campaign. During their second day in Hong Kong, the delegation members visited the branch store of Black Bridge Food to offer their support to this Tainan-based company. Then the delegation promoted the summer rubies, mangos, which were air freighted to Hong Kong, at the supermarket in SOGO Department Store. In the afternoon, the members arrived at the Eslite Bookstore to share the happy experience of Tainan with Hong Kong residents and attended the Tainan Gourmet and Specialty Exhibition organized by the Tourism Bureau at Panda Place in Tsuen Wan, New Territories. These events attracted numerous Hong Kong residents and achieved impressive sales.

In the morning, the Tainan City Government team led by Mayor Ching-Te Lai, Legislators Yi-Ching Yeh and Ting-Fei Chen, together with the Tainan City Council team led by Speaker Mei-Hui Lai and Deputy Speaker Hsin-Liang Kuo, paid a special visit to the branch store of Black Bridge Food on Jordan Road to back this Tainan-based company. Chun Chen, President of Black Bridge Food, expressed his gratitude to the delegation. He proudly announced that the Hong Kong branch achieved a turnover of over $3 million in one month despite the fact that the store was opened only two months ago. Black Bridge Food was planning its second store by the end of this year. The delegates sampled the sausage and buns made by Black Bridge Food and praised their fine tastes and unique aromas.

Mayor Lai was delighted to see the local business living up to its corporate spirit – “Make Good Sausages in a Good Spirit” – and gain popularity in Hong Kong with its high quality products. Its success also signifies a solid reputation for products from Tainan and even a good basis for Tainan’s industries to make connections in Hong Kong. He expected more outstanding enterprises to set up offices in Hong Kong, and welcomed individuals and companies from Hong Kong to explore the potential markets of the great Tainan area.

The delegation then rushed to promote the high quality mangos from Tainan at the supermarket in SOGO Department Store, a highly ranked supermarket in Hong Kong. Mayor Lai particularly recommended Irwin mangoes, with up to 18 degrees of sweetness, to the Hong Kong residents shopping at the supermarket. Being placed in the fresh and raw food display cabinet next to the fruits from other countries, the fruits from Tainan surely gained favor among consumers by the excellent quality and reasonable prices. The mango tasting trial and promotion held by the councilmen attracted a huge crowd of local shoppers, creating a boisterous scene. With the effective promoting strategy, many Hong Kong residents purchased the mangos.

In the afternoon, Mayor Lai was received by President Ching-Yu Wu of Eslite Bookstore, and held a press conference on his visit to Hong Kong at the Bookstore. Mayor Lai also shared the happy experience of tasting Tainan local foods with Craig Au Yeung, a famous gourmet writer in Hong Kong.

As pointed out by Mayor Lai, Tainan is the birthplace of Taiwan history. Historic sites are scattered throughout Tainan. 22 out of the 90 national-level historic sites of Taiwan are located in Tainan, which marks its place as the cultural capital of Taiwan. In 2012, Tainan joined the League of Historical Cities, becoming the only member city in Taiwan at present. Major Lai said that international tourists cannot miss Tainan when visiting Taiwan.

Mayor Lai further added that delicacies represent the attitude of Tainan residents towards life. Tainan residents are most picky about food among Taiwanese people, and their pickiness has shaped a special gourmet culture. As July is the peak season for mangos in Yujing, Irwin mangos, nicknamed “summer rubies”, were exported to Hong Kong for its residents to enjoy.

Tainan is also the only city with three national scenic areas in Taiwan. The 11 precious protected wetland areas in Tainan make the city one of the most important destinations in the world for Black-faced spoonbills to spend the winter. The mangrove waterway in Sihcao, dubbed the Amazon River in Taiwan, is a must-see place for eco-tour lovers. The sunrise in Erliao, located within the Siraya National Scenic Area, is an emerging sightseeing spot; the chalky terrain against a sea of clouds with ever-changing colors is a favorite theme for photography enthusiasts. The Jingzijiao Salt Field in Beimen not only offers a salt-harvesting experience, but also presents an indescribably beautiful scene when the orange setting sun shines upon the snow-white salt pans at dusk. Guanzihling, featuring special mud hot springs, are one of the three such kinds in Tainan. Tourists may have a hot spring tour in winter, savoring the beauty of the mountains and forests to experience pleasurable moments in Tainan.

The Tainan Gourmet and Specialty Exhibition, organized by the Tourism Bureau, was opened at 2:30 p.m. at Panda Place in Tsuen Wan. It attracted numerous visitors and buyers. Council Speaker Mei-Hui Lai, Deputy Speaker Hsin-Liang Kuo and some other councilmen also attended the event.

Vigorous sales were achieved. Food suppliers such as Du Hsiao Yueh, TCKW and Chou's Shrimp Rolls sold out the products that they had prepared before 4 p.m. Worrying that people could not buy their desired products the next day, these suppliers had to stop selling before the closing time. Instead, they only introduced their products to the crowd. Other participants such as Cheng Kung University Hospital, E-chyun Dermatology Clinic  and other medical tourism business operators also received a lot of inquiries.

Hong Kong residents attending the events were greatly appealed by Tainan’s products. Some said that more convenient sales channels should be made available in the future, so that more and more Hong Kong residents could experience the excellent products from Tainan. These events also helped them better understand Tainan. They hoped for the opportunity to take a flight with China Airlines to taste more delicious foods in Tainan.