The main lantern of the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival makes its debut – A snake-shaped blue dragon soars into the sky on Lantern Festival

By MOOK Travel Life Net, reported and compiled by Chen Guanxin

 

Traditional, heart-shaped, pumpkin-shaped – we’ve seen all kinds of sky lantern designs. For the 2013 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City, a snake-shaped lantern will make its appearance this year. This year’s Lantern Festival main lantern, the “Blue Dragon,” with its plump body spiraling upwards, half-closed eyes, and a small red tongue sticking out, looks adorable and endearing. And the “companion” character, symbolizing two people leaning on each other, won the hearts of netizens in the “Love Representative Character Poll” that was actively held on the event’s official website last month, taking the throne as the “2013 Love Representative Character.”

There are heart-shaped lanterns for Valentine’s Day, pumpkin lanterns for Halloween, and for the Snake Year’s Lantern Festival, the organizer – New Taipei City Tourism Bureau – overcame production and launching challenges to specially create a large snake-shaped main lantern, the “Blue Dragon.” The real Blue Dragon will make its debut on February 24, the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, at the Shifen Square during the “Hand in Hand for Reunion, Celebrating Lantern Festival” event, where the public will witness for the first time a 12-meter-long snake-shaped lantern slowly ascending into the sky.

 

The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City isn’t only lively during the Spring Festival period. The warm-up events that started as early as January included the “Love Representative Character Poll,” which attracted numerous netizen votes. By the event deadline on January 25, the total number of votes reached 8,888, with the top vote-getter, the “companion” character, receiving support from 1,572 people, reflecting many people’s desire to have a loved one by their side for mutual support and companionship. At the “Twinkling Stars, Happiness Soaring” lantern event held on February 14 (the fifth day of the Lunar New Year) at Jing Tong Elementary School, the 2013 Love Representative Character “companion” will be written on a sky lantern, spreading the sweetest atmosphere as it gently floats upward.

Due to the large number of participants drawn to the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival every year, New Taipei City has strengthened traffic control and improved transportation convenience. On February 17 (the eighth day of the Lunar New Year) and February 24 (Lantern Festival), comprehensive vehicle controls for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles will be implemented, from 10:00 to 24:00. Vehicle control points include the Shuangxi Intersection at Provincial Highway 106 and 106B, the tunnel entrance before the Shiding Fort Tunnel on Provincial Highway 106B, Zhuangjing Bridge, the entrance and exit of Shifen Scenic Area, the entrance before Ping-Shuang Tunnel (entrance to Shuangxi Mana Villa), and the intersection of Ruiping Highway and Dingping Highway (Ruifang Industrial Area).

In coordination with the traffic control, shuttle buses have been arranged. Fares for the uphill journey range from NT$10 to NT$50, while the downhill ride is free. Train travelers should note that the Pingxi Line train schedules on festival days differ from regular schedules. Please check the Taiwan Railways Administration website for details. Additionally, on February 17, trains on the Pingxi Line will operate in two segments: Ruifang (Houtong) to Pingxi, and Pingxi to Jing Tong. Passengers heading to Jing Tong Station need to transfer at Pingxi Station. On February 24, trains will run in two segments: Ruifang (Houtong) to Shifen, and Shifen to Jing Tong. Passengers traveling to stations between Shifen and Jing Tong need to transfer at Shifen Station. Taiwan Railways Administration website: www.railway.gov.tw.

 

 

● Read more: Welcoming the New Year and Boosting Sales – New Taipei’s New Year Goods City Offers 50% Off on Local Specialties

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