By MOOK Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin
Hualien’s “2014 Pacific Lantern Festival & New Year Goods Street” will debut on January 24. Continuing the grand display of thousands of red lanterns from last year’s Spring Festival, this year’s event will once again light up Hualien with a spectacular array of twinkling lights, featuring the debut of adorable Q-version main lanterns—the “Red-Faced Duck” and the “Blue Orca”—to welcome the New Year. Meanwhile, local shopping streets along the venue will host a farmers’ market offering high-quality agricultural products and souvenirs from Hualien. Visitors to Hualien will be able to admire the charming main lantern designs and explore the authentically traditional Taiwanese New Year Goods Street, shopping for festive dishes and holiday gifts.
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One of the main lanterns of the Hualien Pacific Lantern Festival—the Red-Faced Duck—has successfully been launched into the water. (Photo source / from Hualien Tourism Facebook fan page)
This year’s Pacific Lantern Festival will run from January 24 to February 14, with synchronized light displays across Hualien’s 13 townships and districts, collectively blanketing the area in a sea of red lanterns. Hualien County Magistrate Fu Kun-chi stated that the two primary lighting venues—Phase VI Redevelopment Area in downtown Hualien and Liyu Lake—will feature playful appearances by a giant “Blue Orca” and “Red-Faced Duck,” respectively. Given that Hualien enjoys nearly a 100% whale and dolphin sighting rate, earning it the title of the “Whale and Dolphin Homeland,” the blue orca symbolizes the city’s coastal identity. Additionally, inspired by the immense popularity of the yellow duck in Taiwan, a locally designed 17-meter-long, 15-meter-high, and 14-meter-wide Red-Faced Duck will make its debut and remain permanently displayed at Liyu Lake after the lantern lighting ceremony.
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Streets adorned with rows of red lanterns add even more festive cheer to Hualien. (Photo source / from Hualien Tourism Facebook fan page)
Additionally, last year’s Spring Festival New Year Goods Market and Hualien Local Farmers’ Specialty Products Exhibition received widespread acclaim. This year’s New Year Goods Street will run concurrently with the Pacific Lantern Festival and continue until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, allowing all visiting tourists to complete their New Year shopping in one go. The goods market will not only feature stalls offering traditional, authentic delicacies and classic Taiwanese snacks, but also host exciting daily performances, along with lucky draws for prizes such as LCD TVs, fortune gift bags, and organic farm specialties.
● Extended Reading:
Kaohsiung Lantern Festival Countdown: 8 Days to Go, Mini Lanterns “Happy Horse” to Be Distributed in Two Phases
www.mook.com.tw/article.php?op=articleinfo&articleid=9527
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This year’s Hualien Pacific Lantern Festival will feature dual main lanterns: the Red-Faced Duck and the Blue Orca. (Photo provided / Hualien County-)