Little Yuan Zai plays with a diabolo, rides a giant King Kong — the 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival lights up the Flower Expo on February 7

▲The adorable panda cub born in 2012, “Yuan Zai,” will become another highlight at next year’s Taipei Lantern Festival, aside from the main lantern. The image above shows the cute panda pose at the 2013 Taipei Lantern Festival. (Photo / Provided byTaipei Tourism Network Facebook fan page)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

The 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival will kick off at the Taipei Flower Expo Park on February 7. The horse-themed main lantern of the coming Year of the Horse will not only be Taiwan’s first eco-friendly zodiac lantern, but the Taipei City Government also announced thatYuan Zai, the panda cub who has captured the hearts of the nation all year, will have her own dedicated lantern area, which will remain open until February 16.

Divided into 12 zones, the 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival will spotlight the newborn panda cub “Yuan Zai” as this year’s new star. Huang Lü-jin-ju, Director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, stated that among the two major lantern areas—“Nostalgic Toys” and “Dreamland”—Yuan Zai will be the leading lady besides the main lantern at next year’s festival.

The “2014 Taipei Lantern Festival” will be divided into 12 zones, each with a different theme. The left image shows a scene from one of the zones at the 2013 Taipei Lantern Festival; Section 1 to 3 of Zhongshan North Road will transform into a sea of lanterns (as shown on the right), with the lighting ceremony taking place ahead of the festival on January 25. (Photo / Provided byTaipei Tourism Network Facebook fan page)

Inside the “Dreamland” zone, a giant King Kong lantern measuring 8.3 meters in height and 6 meters in width, which took 17 lantern makers a full three months to complete, actually holds a secret. Huang Wen-quan, the designer of the area, revealed that little Yuan Zai will be hidden inside this giant King Kong lantern and will pop her head out every 15 minutes like a cuckoo clock, appearing from inside the giant’s belly to greet visitors.

Meanwhile, in the “Nostalgic Toys” zone, Yuan Zai will show off her skills. Crafted by designer Li Yan-hui, she will play with a diabolo, throw a bamboo-copter, rock on a hobby horse, and spin a top, allowing visitors to relive their childhood memories with Yuan Zai through these classic toys.

In addition, Section 1 to 3 of Zhongshan North Road in Taipei will be transformed into a “sea of happiness” in 2014, with colorful and romantic dazzling lantern decorations being lit up early on January 25.