Experience the German Christmas Market in Taipei！

As 2023 is slowly coming to an end, the festive atmosphere of Christmas becomes increasingly vibrant. For the fourth consecutive year, the German Trade Office Taipei (GTO) is hosting the "German Christmas Market" in Taiwan, officially opening today at the Yuanshan Expo Park. Setting a record with 85 booths this year, the mar-ket features not only classic German sausages and Stollen, but also essential Christmas market delights such as mulled wine. Attendees can enjoy a variety of European cuisines, food trucks, a diverse range of German products, and family-friendly activities. Of course, the event wouldn't be complete without a visit from Santa Claus, bringing an authentic German flavor to the people of Taiwan.

Mr. Axel Limberg, Executive Director of the GTO, stats at the press conference, "The GTO aims not only to pro-mote and enhance Taiwan-Germany bilateral economic and trade relations but also to bring Germany's most beloved traditional Christmas market to Taiwan. We hope that through German tradition and cultural activi-ties, Taiwanese people can get to know Germany. This festive market intertwines the social, cultural, and eco-nomic activities of Taiwan and Germany, fostering mutual understanding and contributing to future economic cooperation."

This year, Audi Taiwan, partnering the event for the first time, was represented by Rahil Ansari, Managing Di-rector of Audi Taiwan. He expressed his excitement, stating, "It is our pleasure to join this year's Christmas market. Through this event, we hope Taiwanese people not only learn about Germany's traditional culture but also experience the endless charm of German products." At this Christmas market, Audi Taiwan will showcase Audi RS6 Avant performance and BEV flagship Q8 e-tron. Visitors can receive a cup of mulled wine or limited gifts by taking photos and checking in using Audi's exclusive Christmas camera filter.

Infineon, the leading semiconductor company headquartered in Munich, Germany, with its corporate vision of " Driving decarbonization and digitalization. Together.” is delighted to introduce its first Christmas eco-friendly booth this year. Chee-How Tan, Managing Director of Infineon Taiwan, said in his speech, “Christmas is an im-portant holiday for spending time with friends and family in Germany. We welcome everyone to our Infineon booth to join the interactive game 'Pedaling towards a Greener Future', to get to know Infineon and together, we can make our lives easier, safer, and greener." Visitors can simply check in at the booth, complete the game, and enjoy the exclusive Christmas painting experiences along with small gifts.

Additionally, China Airlines, with direct flights from Taipei to Frankfurt, Germany, has designed its booth in the shape of a gingerbread house. Through the hotwire game introducing six major European destinations, par-ticipants can win travel agency discount coupons, popcorn, model airplanes, and various gifts from the cap-sule toy machine.

A 5-meter-tall Christmas tree, lit up against the night sky at the Expo Park, is the centerpiece of this year's Ger-man Christmas Market Taipei, creating a simple and elegant festive atmosphere with ribbon decorations. Sur-rounding the tree are various German food stalls, including the classic German grilled sausage (Bratwurst), best enjoyed with specially made bread and topped with ketchup or mustard. Additionally, the Christmas market staple, Stollen, originating 600 years ago in Dresden, Germany, is showcased. The tradition of reserving the first slice of Stollen ensures that families have enough food for the coming year, similar to the Chinese tradition of wishing for abundance every year.

December in Germany is often covered in white snow, and the Christmas market wouldn't be complete without a warming drink – mulled wine (Glühwein), made with cinnamon, star anise, cloves, orange, and other ingredi-ents. For those seeking an adult version, there's the upgraded version of mulled wine: Feuerzangenbowle. This version includes a sugar cube soaked in strong alcohol, set on fire, creating a blue flame that gradually melts the sugar cube, enhancing the flavor of mulled wine. In addition, there is also non-alcoholic Christkindles Kinder Punsch available for children and the elderly to enjoy.

This year's market features a total of 22 German and European hot food vendors, as well as 15 beer stalls, 8 hot mulled wine stalls, and 6 red and white wine stalls. Additionally, there are 10 dessert and Christmas bread ven-dors, 10 German home appliances vendors, 4 board game and lifestyle vendors, along with exciting stage per-formances including DIY crafts, Christmas choir, magic shows, and Santa Claus appearances, creating a joyful and warm Christmas atmosphere for both children and adults to enjoy.

In addition to experiencing the warm German Christmas atmosphere, attendees can visit the GTO booth during the market period to win prizes. By following “German Christmas Market” on Facebook or Instagram, attendees can earn 1 sticker for every NT$200 spent at the Christmas market. Accumulating 10 stickers allows redemption for various prizes, including German beer provided by Buckskin and Erdinger, warm eye masks provided by Zeiss Taiwan, Christmas market Glühwein mugs, and more. Different gifts are available for redemption each day, and quantities are limited.

Furthermore, completing the collection of stickers gives participants the chance to win major prizes such as a round-trip ticket from Taipei to Frankfurt provided by China Airlines, an Audi X TaylorMade golf bag, Dyson Air-wrap provided by Infineon Taiwan, and other grand prizes.

The German Christmas Market is organized by DEinternational Taiwan Ltd., the service unit of the GTO, and in partnership with Audi Taiwan, Infineon Taiwan, the Sino-German Cultural and Economic Association, Franz, China Airlines, Kärcher, Rommelsbacher, beurer, Gutenberg Academy and Melchers.

Details of the 4th Edition German Christmas Market Taipei

Date: December 1, 2023 (Friday) to December 3, 2023 (Sunday)

Time: Daily from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Sunday until 8:00 PM)

Location: Yuanshan Expo Park, Long Corridor Square

More Information: www.facebook.com/GermanChristmasMarketGTOTaipei/