"Giant Bamboo Broom" Lights Up to Kick Off a Joyful Year in Yilan

By Chen Tzu-yin / Comprehensive Report

Next week marks the Lunar New Year, and the festive spirit has already swept across Taiwan. Yesterday evening in Yilan, the "Happy Yilan New Year Tree" was illuminated at the Luodong Cultural Workshop, officially welcoming the holiday season and kicking off a series of celebratory events.


▲Yilan's Happy New Year lights up a giant bamboo broom, exuding strong festive vibes. (Photo / Provided by Yilan County Government Cultural Affairs Bureau)

The 2014 Happy Yilan New Year Tree is designed in the shape of a "bamboo broom," built with a base made from 500 locally sourced Yilan bamboo poles, topped with another 500 brooms forming one giant broom. The entire structure stands 14 meters tall and 4 meters wide. Yesterday evening, under the leadership of Yilan County Magistrate Lin Cong-xian, the tree was lit up to mark the start of the Happy Yilan New Year festivities. Alongside it, a 50-meter-long light tunnel also illuminated simultaneously. The tree display will remain until the end of the Lantern Festival.

Lin Cong-xian stated that Yilan is well-known for its bamboo weaving craftsmanship. To showcase this traditional skill, the materials used for the New Year tree were specially chosen to include bamboo and wood. The design of the "broom" carries the symbolic meaning of "sweeping away the old to welcome the new." In 2013, Taiwan faced various livelihood issues such as food safety concerns and economic sluggishness. The hope is to bid farewell to 2013 and embrace the arrival of the new year, 2014.

%The base is constructed from 500 locally sourced Yilan bamboo poles, with another 500 brooms assembled to form one giant broom, standing 14 meters tall and 4 meters wide.

A series of Happy Yilan New Year events began on Thursday, January 23, with a "besom-raising ceremony" at Luodong Dianan Temple. On Saturday, January 25, the Luodong Cultural Workshop will host exciting activities including "calligraphy by master artists," "DIY broom making," "printmaking workshops," and a "creative cultural market." On Thursday, January 30, the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner will take place from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, featuring a hundred tables for the public to enjoy a gathering together. This will be followed by a New Year’s Eve party starting at 9:00 PM, with highlights including the "Year Beast Drive-Away," "Stove-Lighting Ceremony," and "traditional toy challenge games." The program will be led by instructor Lin Ren-jie along with well-known local bands, including the "Lanyang Brass Quintet," "Yilan Youth Chinese Orchestra," and "Contemporary Music Workshop," with nearly 100 performers showcasing innovative interpretations of traditional music with passionate tango rhythms. At midnight, Magistrate Lin himself is expected to hand out 3,000 horse-year commemorative red envelopes to the attendees, wishing everyone good fortune for the new year.