TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – With the Lunar New Year less than two weeks away, Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) has issued a pair of commemorative tickets for the Year of the Pig of the Chinese zodiac.

The pig-themed one-day pass set, containing two tickets and red envelopes, will be available at five information counters at the MRT Taipei Main Station and Zhongxiao Fuxing Station starting from 10 a.m. on Jan. 26. Priced at NT$300 (US$9.6), only 800 sets of the tickets are available, so hurry while stock lasts!

Once activated, the one-day passes are valid for unlimited rides across the Taipei Metro network until the end of service on the same day. Each person is allowed to purchase two sets at a time, according to TRTC.

One of the tickets features the profile of a white pig, against a backdrop awash with oranges that symbolize auspiciousness. Images of MRT trains and Taipei 101 can also been seen on the pass. The other ticket spotlights the design of a white pig looking forward, surrounded by bright yellow pineapples, which denote wealth and fortune. Behind the pig is a tiny pattern of CKS Memorial Hall, one of Taipei’s landmarks.

TRTC started issuing commemorative tickets with zodiac animal motifs in 1997, but the service ended in 2006 with the release of the Year of the Dog ticket. It wasn't until 2013 that the company resumed issuing the zodiac series tickets, when the Year of the Dragon ticket received unprecedented popularity. Last year, the dog edition pass sold out within one day of its launch, said TRTC.

To learn more about the pig edition Taipei Metro passes, call TRTC customer service 02-217-12345 or visit the website of the company.

Year of the Pig Taipei Metro One-Day Pass/red envelopes (Photo/Taipei Metro)