The 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival at Phoenix Rising in Yunlin spans a 50-hectare light display area

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

The 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival will be held from February 11 to 19, with two major lantern zones located at the Huwei Agricultural Exposition Ecological Park, various areas around Yunlin High-Speed Rail Station, and Beigang Chaotian Temple. This year’s main lantern, “Phoenix Rising,” stands 23 meters tall and will appear at 7 PM on the night of the Lantern Festival, with the phoenix raising its head and soaring, symbolizing Taiwan’s flight into a new era. After the official lighting ceremony, one main lantern show will be presented every hour on the hour and at half past the hour, with the event continuing until 10 PM on February 19.

The main lantern design pioneers the use of over 19,000 lighting circuit systems, outfitting the lantern’s interior with full-color LEDs, and incorporates eco-friendly sugarcane crystal particles as material, allowing visitors to enjoy ever-changing, colorful light displays from any angle. The phoenix’s eyes are inlaid with more than 200 large crystals, creating a one-of-a-kind main lantern for the 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival.

To welcome the 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival, Yunlin County Government has created a 50-hectare area across the Huwei and Beigang lantern zones, featuring 20 themed sections. These include the nation’s first “New Residents Lantern Area” showcasing the cultures of five Southeast Asian countries, an “Environmental Theater” highlighting harmony between humans and nature, a “Hundred-Meter Art Pavilion” displaying Yunlin’s traditional lantern charm, and the “Puppetry Through the Ages” section featuring movable 8-meter-tall puppets of Su Zhenchan and Luo Hou. In Beigang, the hometown of traditional lanterns, additional zones such as the Tourist Bridge, Shuidao Tou, and Gaotan Di will feature exquisite works by master lantern makers.

This year’s mini lantern, “Happy Miracle Chicken,” was personally introduced by designer Lin Jiawei. For the first time ever, the lantern comes in two shapes: “chicken” and “egg.” Its neck, legs, and tail can all be rotated or folded, and its wings are designed to be inserted upside down into the chicken body, allowing children to switch their lantern between a “chicken” or an “egg” while carrying it. The mini lanterns will be given out daily at 3 PM from February 11 (Lantern Festival) to February 19, at the Huwei main lantern zone and the Beigang lantern zone. Distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis, with one per person, and limited quantities available each day until supplies run out.

It is recommended that the public make use of high-speed rail, Taiwan Railways, and public transportation to enjoy the lantern displays with ease and avoid traffic congestion, ensuring a joyful, colorful, and exciting Lantern Festival experience.

【Info】
2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival
Huwei Main Lantern Zone: February 11–19
Beigang Lantern Zone: February 7–19