By / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Department Compilation & Report
 
The 2016 Taipei Lantern Festival took place from February 20 to February 29. The most talked-about main lantern featured an unprecedented irregularly curved light sculpture called “Fulu Monkey,” crafted by internationally acclaimed multimedia artist Mr. Lin Shumin. Additionally, 12 distinctive lantern zones were unveiled, integrating resources from Taipei’s 12 administrative districts, marking the first time the creative concept of “the entire city as the Taipei Lantern Festival” was realized. There was also an i-Voting campaign titled “12 Lantern Zones – Let the Public Vote for the Best,” where Mayor Ko Wen-je visited the top-voted lantern zone on the night of the Lantern Festival to celebrate with Taipei citizens and visitors.

The main lantern “Fulu Monkey” stands 14.2 meters tall and takes the shape of a “gourd,” inspired by the traditional meanings of “good fortune and prosperity” and “fertility and abundance.” The lantern was named “Fulu Monkey” based on the gourd’s homophone. The peach and goldfish on the monkey carry auspicious meanings of “longevity” and “abundance year after year.” Beyond its design, this year’s main lantern emphasizes the integration of environmentalism and art. The surface of the “Fulu Monkey” is made of bubble wrap, and the surrounding area features recycled Styrofoam crafted into a Taipei land-art installation. When viewed from above, it forms a miniature map of Taipei City, aiming to turn the concept of environmentalism into an art form through the festival.
 
Main Lantern Design Concept
The main lantern of the 2016 Taipei Lantern Festival is a uniquely designed “light sculpture monkey.” Designer Mr. Lin Shumin broke away from the conventional flat light sculpture style commonly used in Taiwan, boldly experimenting with projecting light sculptures onto an irregularly curved surface. Beyond this technical innovation, the performance aspect is simply breathtaking and captivating. The artist transforms the “Fulu Monkey” main lantern into a screen, using technology as a brush and light as paint. From 7pm to 11pm every evening during the festival, a 5-minute show is presented every 30 minutes. It begins with a remarkably realistic red curtain that instantly transitions into a green forest, then morphs into contemporary lines, traditional blue-and-white porcelain vases, delicate gourd lacquerware, soft rice dumplings for the Lantern Festival, suddenly filling the gourd with water and numerous goldfish, and then transforming into the vast universe. The performance is dazzlingly vivid, with ingenious creativity making the “Fulu Monkey” lantern take on ever-changing forms—as if it were a treasure-filled gourd. Each transformation is achieved through technological effects, surprising the audience with each change. It’s a must-see highlight of the Taipei Lantern Festival this year that you absolutely can’t miss.

Highlights of Lantern Festival Events
Another highlight of this year’s Taipei Lantern Festival is the distinctive lantern zones meticulously created by the 12 administrative districts. Starting with the “Songshan Lantern Zone,” the Songshan Ciyou Temple’s Colorful Starlight Tunnel, which lasts the longest throughout the festival, resembles the brightest rainbow in the night sky. The Taipei City God Temple sets up a special lantern zone on the central pedestrian walkway of Civic Boulevard and hosts a Peaceful Rice Dumpling Sharing Event. The “Xinyi Lantern Zone” features a cross-street light corridor decorated from Fude Street to the main venue at Songshan Cihui Temple, with over a hundred types of interactive facilities including traditional lanterns and cartoon lanterns, making it a great spot for New Year worship and hiking. The “Da’an Lantern Zone” emphasizes international connections and community participation, displaying lanterns drawn by residents on both sides of Xinsheng South Road (between Heping East Road and Xinyi Road section of the sidewalk), creating a unique lantern avenue. The “Zhongshan Lantern Zone” presents the “Wenchang Sacred Realm” in front of Wenchang Temple, where glowing energy spheres can be digitally blessed by scanning with a mobile phone to receive blessings from the God of Literature—making it a favorite among young students. The “Zhongzheng Lantern Zone” features street-spanning decorations along Wuchang Street Section 1 (from Zhonghua Road to Chongqing South Road section) in front of Taipei’s Taiwan Provincial City God Temple, making it feel as if the path is filled with starlight.

The “Datong Lantern Zone” is the only district with two distinctive lantern areas—one features Taipei Bao’an Temple, the only UNESCO-recognized historic site in Taiwan, utilizing nighttime light sculpture on its unique architecture, and the other is presented by the Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art, showcasing the beauty of interactive experiences and contemporary art through modern technology and diverse artistic expressions. The “Wanhua Lantern Zone” installs a large Guanyin image blessing lantern at Longshan Temple in Bangka Starry Square, offering blessings to visitors. The “Wenshan Lantern Zone” combines floral and horticultural displays from Taipei’s Flower and Plant Wholesale Market with various lanterns, creating a beautiful harmony between “flowers” and “lanterns.” The “Nangang Lantern Zone” sets up a traditional festive and zodiac-themed sea of lanterns on the first-floor plaza of CITYLINK Nangang Store Buildings A and B, with a connected string of themed lanterns from Nansing Park to Nangang Station, engaging local residents. The “Neihu Lantern Zone” decorates Neihu Old Street and faith centers, adorning the Civic Hall with traditional lanterns and light strings to showcase the strength of community unity. The “Shilin Lantern Zone” combines with Cishou Temple (Mazu Temple), installing blessed lanterns featuring the God of Wealth and the Matchmaker, and setting up a sea of 1,200 bright lamps on the temple square and Shilin Night Market’s Dakan Road. The “Beitou Lantern Zone” is located at Guandu Temple and Guandu Riverside Park, the largest exhibition area of the festival, featuring a large monkey-year zodiac main lantern, traditional vintage lanterns, and riverside-themed light corridors in the park, and traditional electric lanterns inside the temple, allowing visitors to experience the unique atmosphere of the famous Guandu Lantern Festival.
 
The 2016 Taipei Lantern Festival’s main exhibition at the Taipei Expo Park’s Yuanshan venue ran from February 20 to 29, while the 12 district lantern zones were unveiled from the end of January to mid-March. February 21 and 22 were the dates for distributing the 2016 Monkey Year mini lantern “Lele.” Those planning to visit the lantern festival in Taipei should prepare in advance. Everyone visiting Taipei for the lantern festival can vote for their favorite creative lantern zone on the i-Voting official website from February 16 to 12:00 PM on February 29.
 

Tainan Yuejin Port Lantern Festival Debuts: Creating a Nighttime Art Museum