【Weekend in Taiwan】Yilan Green Expo’s Super Popular Kaohsiung Metro SNOOPY Painted Train Runs Temporarily

As spring returns and flowers bloom, various plants are in full display. The Spiranthes at Guandu Nature Park are also blooming at this time. Named for their flower spikes resembling ribbons, Spiranthes are also called “Qingming Grass” because they bloom around the Qingming Festival. As members of the Orchidaceae family, their flower spikes wind around the stem like red or blue dragons, and their fleshy roots resemble ginseng, hence they are also often referred to as “Dragon’s Ginseng.”

 

When not in bloom, Spiranthes blend in with the grass and are hard to spot. From April to early May each year, tiny dragon-pillar-like shoots emerge on the grass at Guandu Nature Park, soon followed by small purple-red or white flowers. With larger lips and uniquely delicate shapes, these lovely and fragrant blooms give off a subtle, elegant scent.

 

Location: Guandu Nature Park

Since its opening on White Day this year, the “Pingxi Police Station Sky Lantern” has been widely praised. To allow more visitors to experience the charm of customized LED wish sky lanterns, extended performances will be held starting April 10, with hourly sky lantern shows and personalized LED wish lanterns beginning daily at 16:00.

 

Location: Pingxi Police Station, New Taipei City

Taiwan’s most local, international, and literary “2014 Tainan Arts Festival” runs for over two months from now until June 20. A total of 59 groups from Taiwan and 10 other countries will stage up to 185 performances of drama, dance, and music across Tainan City. The Tainan City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau states that “International Classics, Taiwanese Excellence, and Urban Stages” are the three major themes of this year’s “Tainan Arts Festival.” Linked by literature, it can be called Taiwan’s “most local, most international, and most literary” arts festival. Among them, the “Festival Night” will kick off at 18:30 on April 12 at Nanying Green Heart, with the “West Side Story Film Symphony Concert” grandly opening the “International Classics” section of the 2014 Tainan Arts Festival.

 

Location: Tainan City

Dates: Now until June 20

For the first time, Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation has arranged a themed painted train on both the Red and Orange Lines. The Red Line train features Snoopy and his friends, while the Orange Line train showcases Snoopy and his companions engaging in various sports from the comics. These two painted trains will run in conjunction with the “Into the Peanut Comics – SNOOPY 65th Anniversary Tour Exhibition” at Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 Art Center until August 31, when the exhibition ends.

 

Location: Kaohsiung City