Department of Sports, Taipei City Government

Mayor Ko Wen-je attended the opening ceremony of the 2020 Taipei International Bakery Show at the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Center on July 30. Now in its twentieth year, the 4-day event taking place between July 30 and August 2 is organized by the Taipei Bakery Association.
 
During his address, Ko remarked that many international attendees were unable to visit the show in person due to the COVID-19 crisis. Nonetheless, the event attracted a total of 290 businesses and 916 vendor stalls, bearing testimony to Taiwan’s ability to maintain the operation of large-scale exhibition in the midst of a global pandemic. He also wondered why are there so many people here on a workday, noting that he is witnessing a real example of “vengeful consumption” at work.
 
The mayor pointed out that according to the statistics from the Ministry of Finance, the output value of Taiwan’s bakery industry in 2018 reached NT$60 billion. There are also over 5,000 bakery stores registered in Taiwan. Furthermore, the majority of convenience stores and supermarkets are developing their respective bakery options. Among the 135 tourism factories on the island, 14 are bakery-related facilities – accounting for 10-percent of the total number. These facts show that the bakery industry remains an important business in Taiwan.
 
Citing celebrity baker Wu Pao-chun’s success story, the mayor pointed out that more people around the world are learning about Taiwan’s fame in bakery as more and more Taiwanese bakers – Wang Peng-chieh, Chen Yao-hsun, Yao Dong-yun and others – claim top honors at international competitions.
 
Despite the postponement of the bakery event due to the pandemic, Ko remarked that one advantage for holding the showcase at this time is an opportunity to highlight mooncakes, given the approaching Mid-autumn Festival.