The 23.4-meter-tall main lantern debuts tonight as Taiwan Lantern Festival kicks off, drawing one million visitors on opening day

▲ The 2015 Taiwan Lantern Festival's main lantern "Prosperous Sheep Bringing Blessings." (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taichung

The main lantern of the 2015 Taiwan Lantern Festival was lit up tonight (March 5) at the Taichung Wuri High-Speed Rail Special Zone. In addition to other illuminated zones such as the Fengyuan Lantern Area and Taichung Park, which have been gradually lit since the end of February, the main lantern "Prosperous Sheep Bringing Blessings" located in the Wuri High-Speed Rail Special Zone also made its official debut to the public, marking the grandest moment of the Taiwan Lantern Festival.

▲ A large mysterious castle lantern allows visitors to walk through its gate for an immersive experience.

This year’s lantern festival runs from March 5 to March 15. The main lantern “Prosperous Sheep Bringing Blessings” stands approximately 23.4 meters tall, the highest in the festival’s history. Its pair of large sheep horns is designed based on the ancient Chinese character for "sheep" (sheep radical in oracle bone script), while its feet step on rising mountain ridges symbolizing continuous upward progress for Taiwan.The main lantern also adopts new optoelectronic technology, allowing its "wool" patterns and colors to change along with the music. Around the main lantern are four themed sub-lanterns: "Fish Leaping into a Dragon," "Phoenix Frolicking in Spring," "Prosperous Sheep Fulfilling Wishes," and "Dreams Setting Sail." Each main lantern show is performed every 30 minutes during the event period.

▲ On the opening day of this year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival, over one million visitors flocked to the site, packing the area to capacity.

This year’s Wuri High-Speed Rail Lantern Area features various themed zones including a Joy Lantern Zone, a Painting Lantern Zone, and a Competition Lantern Zone. These range from playful student creations to a massive mysterious castle that visitors can actually walk inside. The displays also incorporate a variety of folk styles, featuring lanterns from Japan, indigenous totems, Hakka fabric patterns, and scenery from Jiangsu Province, allowing visitors to experience different cultural elements while enjoying the lantern displays.

▲ An oversized lantern inspired by Degas' artwork "The Little Dancer of Fourteen Years" is truly spectacular.

President Ma Ying-jeou stated that since the inauguration of the Taiwan Lantern Festival 26 years ago, it has become an internationally

▲This year, real sheep were displayed at the lantern festival venue, and their adorable appearance attracted large crowds.

This year, many lantern displays feature the timely theme of the “sheep,” and some vendors have even set up a special “sheep” area where visitors can see real sheep grazing on the grass in an adorable scene. In addition, several large, uniquely designed lanterns also drew visitors to stop and take photos. According to the organizers, it is estimated that over one million people visited the main lantern area on its first day of illumination, and nearby high-speed rail and train stations were packed to capacity. It is expected that even more visitors will come to enjoy the lanterns and celebrate the holiday during the upcoming weekend.

%What is known as the “Adventure Zone.”