Xiao Qingyang designs the main visual | The Children's Folk Games Festival invites travelers to "jump" into Yilan

Reported by Chen Tzu-yin / Taipei

The annual Yilan Children's Folk Games Festival will take place from July 5 to August 24 at the Dongshan River Water Park this year. With the theme of "Jump," the festival has once again invited designer Xiao Qingyang to create the main visual characters. He has transformed the figures from Journey to the West into lively and fun personas, hoping to encourage visitors to break free from conventions and jump into the Children's Folk Games Festival.


▲ This year’s festival theme, “Jump,” invites everyone to jump into Yilan and into the Children’s Folk Games Festival. (Photo provided by the organizer, same below)

Drawing inspiration from bouncing balls and smiley emojis, Xiao Qingyang created seven new characters with round bodies and adorable, playful expressions that radiate energy even in the summer heat. Xiao Qingyang said, “A smile is a universal language. At the Children’s Folk Games Festival, visitors are the real stars. Everyone can freely show their smiles, unleash their creativity, and radiate energy here, becoming the best ambassadors of the festival.”

In addition, this year’s festival has also invited public artist Lin Shun-long to showcase his Seed Ship, which was previously invited to the Setouchi Triennale in Japan in 2013. The ship is based on floating ocean plant seeds and has been transformed into a 9-meter-high, 9-meter-wide, 30-ton installation. In 2014, it will serve as a stage for the Children’s Folk Games Festival, featuring additional interactive facilities where visitors can go down slides and try out trampolines.

Lin Chiu-fang, Director of Yilan County Government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, stated that the key highlights of this year’s Children’s Folk Games Festival include:a new attraction called “White Waves Roaring” that creates amazing surges, a “Tiny Tots Creative Play Kingdom” designed for children under three years old, an exhibition titled “Bouncing Village Creative Picture Book Museum” that features top domestic and international picture book artists, and 23 folk music and dance troupes from 18 countries around the world, including 14 local groups, who will soon arrive in Yilan to put on fantastic performances. Among the international participants, Palestine, Tunisia, and Tahiti are making their first-ever appearances in Taiwan.

▲ The festival brings substantial tourism business to Yilan every year. (Photo provided by the organizer)

Event Dates:July 5 to August 24, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Ticket Information:Pre-sale holiday individual tickets are priced at NT$300, and weekday individual tickets at NT$200; holiday child tickets are NT$200 and weekday child tickets NT$100, all NT$50 cheaper than during the event period. The electronic ticketing system’s pre-sale ends on July 4. Tickets can be purchased at 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and OK Mart convenience stores.

Transportation Information:The organizers offer direct buses from Taipei to the Children’s Folk Games Festival venue via Capital Bus Line 1570 and KMMC Bus Line 1917. Capital Bus has scheduled 16 round trips, with one-way tickets at NT$120 and round-trip tickets at NT$240. KMMC Bus offers 20 round trips, with one-way tickets at NT$135 and round-trip tickets at NT$243.

For more event details, visit the official Children’s Folk Games Festival website at www.yicfff.tw or the official Facebook fan page.