The Joyful Flavors of the Taipei Lunar New Year
The Year of the Tiger is about to pounce, and in this issue we tell you everything you need to know to fully savor the many-splendored flavors of Lunar New Year celebrating in the inimitable Taipei, whether you've been here for many a Lunar New Year or this is your very first.

Want to dive right into the fun of the New Year shopping crowds? Then head right for the Lunar New Year Festival, focused on popular“big street”shopping meccas such as Dihua St., Ningxia Rd., Huayin St., the area behind Taipei Main Station, and Taipei City Mall, where there will be special sales and promotions galore. Then we're off to the famous Chengzhong Market and Yuanling St. area to buy new shoes and, maybe, a whole new wardrobe! After this we zip over to Jianguo Holiday Flower Market and the Taipei Pot Plant Auction to again buy items loaded with Lunar New Year auspicious symbolism.

There is much to do beyond shopping during the Lunar New Year season, including special activities of splendid variation, and during the traditional holiday from New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival you'll have great fun visiting local temples, where you can follow such traditions as lighting“bright fortune”and“Tai Sui”luminaries to make the year just born a blessed one. Those of you who admire the beauty of Chinese characters will be happy to know that at major venues around the city New Year couplet writing sessions are staged, giving away couplets crafted“live”by gifted masters. A special treat is in store this issue when we talk to numerous foreign-nationality program hosts with the Central Broadcasting System, who share their special New Year Festival experiences and share with you insiders' ways to experience the season with authentic local Taipei“flavors and seasonings.”

Traditional festivals inevitably stimulate a sense of nostalgia. We guide you into and through the past in our Architecture section with a lengthy feature on the Bo'ai Special District, home to Taipei's greatest vault of heritage sites. Then, over in our Food department, we take you on a feasting tour of the best of this city's purveyors of healthy hotpot, where you can fill your tank with warming treats while also topping up your reservoir of health.