By SpotSites, compiled and reported
The 2020 Taipei Lantern Festival runs from February 8 to February 16. For the first time, it adopts the concept of dual main venues in the east and west, with two main exhibition zones set up in Nangang and Ximending. With the theme “TOGETHER WE GLOW, Spinning Taipei into Light,” the designs of the two main lanterns in the eastern and western venues were unveiled this year.
The 2020 Taipei Lantern Festival takes place from February 8 to February 16. (Photo/Taipei City – same as below)
This year’s Taipei Lantern Festival extends the exhibition area that was previously located in the western part of the city over the past three years along the Bannan MRT line, Taiwan Railway, and High-Speed Rail routes, and opens up a new main exhibition zone near the Nangang Station in the eastern part of Taipei, which integrates three railway lines. This presents the concept of a connected, spinning light tunnel spanning east and west.
The eastern main lantern “Show of Wind God” uses common materials such as transparent wave panels and angle steel, and is designed in the shape of a transformed motorcycle.
Defined as “vibrant and unrestrained,” the main exhibition area in Nangang in the eastern district features the nine-meter-tall “Show of Wind God” as its central lantern. Inspired by the motorcycle — one of the most iconic symbols of Taiwanese life — it is transformed into a shape with legs and wings. It symbolizes people who leave their hometowns for the city, navigating Taipei’s alleys like mice, bathed in colorful lights, searching for the possibility of realizing their dreams, and hoping for a chance to spread their wings.
The western main lantern “Hide-and-Seek” breaks away from previous years’ zodiac-themed formats and instead presents a fairy tale-like, adorable design.
In addition, the playful western main lantern “Hide-and-Seek” breaks the single zodiac image limitation of past lantern festivals. Using dreamy and childlike elements, it creates a massive dreamlike scene on the streets of Ximending, transforming familiar street blocks into a vibrant picture-book-like landscape.
This year’s Taipei Lantern Festival is held in a dual-main-venue format for the first time.
In this installation, the originally zodiac-themed mouse baby will perform alongside a cat much larger than itself. Visitors can walk beneath the artwork, which stands an impressive nine meters tall — the tallest main lantern in Ximending in recent years.