Huang Chen-tsan, who heads the Zhongyuan festival organizing committee, believes that the sharply rising cost of gold has been responsible for increased expenditures. Last year, only NT $ 770,000 was spent on the gold trophies. This year the same amount of gold would cost NT $ 1.1 million, or over NT $ 30,0000 more. In addition, each of the 13 qianggu poles costs NT $ 30,000.
中元祭典委員會主委黃振燦表示，造成今年經費增加的主因，在於金價暴漲，去年金牌花費才 77 萬元，今年買相同重量的黃金竟達 110 萬，多了 30 餘萬；另外 13 座孤棧，每支需補助 3 萬元，支出大幅增加，讓祭典委員會非常頭痛。