Taoyuan Sheltered Workshops Promote Mid-Autumn Gift Boxes on Quality, Not Charity

Taoyuan’s sheltered workshops want consumers to stop buying their products simply because they are made by people with disabilities. This Mid-Autumn season, they are asking shoppers to judge the mooncakes, food and household goods on quality and gift value.

The city’s Labor Department held a marketing event titled “Choose Sheltered Workshops for Mid-Autumn, Let Your Heart’s Meaning Be Just for You” on Sept. 1. The event promoted a range of gift boxes and recognized 15 sheltered workshops and vocational training units that received top evaluation ratings this year.

One of the featured performers was sheltered-workshop professional Xie Weiwei, who presented a unicycle and large-ball juggling routine. Taoyuan Deputy Mayor Su Chun-pin said the few minutes of performance reflected more than 10 years of practice, along with long-term support from teachers and parents. He said that support enabled people with disabilities to demonstrate their skills and confidence on stage.

Su said Taoyuan had promoted sheltered workshops for nearly 20 years, offering products for the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and weddings. He said market evaluations had gradually improved and that the products should be seen as competitive goods rather than mere charitable purchases. He added that he chose sheltered-workshop wedding favors for his own marriage, saying this showed they were genuinely high-quality products.

The city also promoted a separate “One Heart a Year, 1+1 Autumn Reunion Gift Box” selection through the friDay shopping platform. The collection, assembled by Taoyuan’s Social Enterprise Center with National Central University and Yuan Shih Digital Technology, includes social-enterprise and sustainable brands. Products include fruit snacks and tea, antibiotic-free chicken essence, and Taiwanese hinoki essential oil paired with a wood-grain aroma diffuser. Officials said Mid-Autumn gift purchases could support disability employment, food-saving agriculture and sustainable development.

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It can prove that it really is a high-quality product.