Chiayi International Wind Band Festival: 38 Groups and 5,000 Performers Parade in Street Carnival

▲2013 Chiayi City International Wind Band Festival Street Parade. (Photo / fromMayor Huang Min-hui’s Facebook Fan Page)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

The annual Chiayi City International Wind Band Festival opened on December 21, inviting 38 groups from both domestic and international backgrounds with over 5,000 performers in elaborate costumes to gather in downtown Chiayi for a street performance. The parade stretched nearly 4 kilometers and lasted two and a half hours, presenting a dazzling and spectacular scene. The event runs until New Year's Day 2014, featuring as many as 101 indoor and outdoor concerts during the period.

The Chiayi International Wind Band Festival has entered its 22nd edition. The opening ceremony was launched by six bagpipers from Hong Kong dressed in traditional Scottish attire, followed by 38 domestic and international groups parading along Zhongshan Road in Chiayi City and the iconic Central Fountain. Along the route, various performing groups presented shows simultaneously, including instrumental performances, dance acts, and synchronized marching bands, attracting over 30,000 spectators.

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▲Performances at the Chiayi City International Wind Band Festival. (Photo / from Mayor Huang Min-hui’s Facebook Fan Page)

Among the participating international bands were Japan’s Meisei High School Wind Orchestra, known as the “Queen’s Star,” making its first visit to Taiwan, along with the Shanghai Kongjiang High School Wind Orchestra and Hong Kong’s Percussive Arts Group; Taiwanese participants included the National Taiwan High School Wind Orchestra, Jinwen Girls’ High School Wind Orchestra, Zhongshan Girls’ High School Wind Orchestra, the Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School, Kaohsiung Shu-Te Vocational High School Wind and Drum Corps, and Kaohsiung Sanxin Home Economics and Commercial High School Wind and Drum Corps.

The Chiayi City Cultural Affairs Bureau noted that from now until New Year's Day next year, there will be 17 indoor and 84 outdoor concerts held at various locations including the Chiayi City Cultural Center Concert Hall, Zhongzheng Park, Culture Park, and Cultural Square. For related event information, please visitthe “2013 Asia Oboe Association Conference and Chiayi International Wind Band Festival”official website.