Release Date 3 Oct 2022    Mandarin

The 3rd Yancheng Milk Tea Festival (Milk Tea Festival) was held by Salt Cheng 1946 (鹽埕研究社), a local community founded by Hsiao, Ching-Yuan (蕭清元) in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung. The purpose of the festival was to represent the glorious time of Yancheng in the past to be known by the public.

This year Salt Cheng 1946 worked hand in hand with NKUST College of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) to design the marketing campaign. The festival lasts till the end of Oct.

On Oct 7, the Kaohsiung government held the 2022 Taiwan Design Expo at the Pier 2 Art Center. The grand event sparked surges of visitors on the site and in peripheral areas.

Also, many visited the Milk Tea Festival. Its creative marketing campaign, designed products, and delicious foods told the stories of the old Yancheng community, and the festival created business opportunities for local shops. Visitors will find the whole area buzzing with visitors even on a weekday afternoon.

Driving into Sinle Street, visitors are taken to “Milk Tea Street,” a road full of milk tea shops on either side. In the past, Sinle Street used to be dubbed “Gold Street,” as either side of the street were jewelry stores. Now “Gold Street” becomes “Milk Tea Street.” This 550-meter-long street has more than 12 milk tea shops, and some make milk teas with their own unique flavors.

The core value of the Milk Tea Festival continues as it was to sparkle new flames in local businesses. The organizer cooperates with local shops, providing visitors with a historic walking tour. Taking visitors to walk into historical sites in the Yancheng District, know the stories of old buildings, and learn how young people who returned to their hometown burnish the dust and renovate buildings into new miracles.

The 3rd Yancheng Milk Tea Festival opened on Oct 1 at the intersection of Sinle Street and Dayong Road, which is closed to Exit 3 of KMRT Yanchengpu Station (O2).

The opening ceremony started with a cheerful dancing group performed by the children of Kapok Dance Group (木棉花舞蹈團). They danced ballet and hip-hop, bringing joy and laughter to the event. Then came a powerful dance performed by NKUST Street Dance Club motivated all participants and passersby to give applause. Though the festival opened with dance performances, a cup of tea balloon on the MC's right shoulder reminded us it was the Milk Tea Festival.

A highlight of the opening ceremony was that the organizer invited the founder Hsiao, Ching-Yuan of Salt Cheng 1946, Senior Executive Officer Chen, Yi-Liang of Economic Development Bureau, NKUST Vice President Yu, Ker-Wei, and Secretary General Yu-Chen Wei on the stage to touch balloons with their hands. The balloon exploded and turned into the words “Yancheng Milk Tea Festival.”

The surprising change on the stage further enlivened the festival. The ceremony was closed successfully with the enthusiastic group dance performed by Kaohsiung Dementia Friendly Community (高雄失智友善志工團).

With assistance from the Council of Labor Affairs the Multiple Employment Development Program and NKUST CCI, the creative market of the festival selected vendors and products with a clear philosophy, meaning that each product presented a piece of the history of Zuoying old city.

The Yancheng Milk Tea Festival starts from Oct 1 to 31 with 34 local shops attending the event. The festival welcomes the public to sign up for a walking tour of local historic buildings. Visitors can savor stories behind each building, local food, and milk teas in Yancheng.

The festival can revive a piece of Yancheng’s history and revitalize the area by bringing visitors and young people with similar interests to join the local businesses.

Further Reading

Taiwan Design Expo

Translated/Edited by Jess Lin