The Taipei Lantern Festival kicks off in grand style tonight！ Here are the 3 most anticipated highlights

▲Little Qi Ji has a lively and energetic design. (Photo / Reporter Yu Jiayun, same as below)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The Taipei Lantern Festival runs from tonight until February 12 for nine days. The Taipei City Government has planned eight major lantern zones, including the main performance area featuring the main lantern family of “Little Qi Ji,” as well as seven other exhibition areas: the Light Sculpture Zone, Gashapon Zone, Easter Egg Zone, Red Egg Zone, Egg Yolk Zone, Egg White Zone, and Golden Egg Zone. Stretching from Zhonghua West Road to Beimen, the three most discussed highlights currently include the adorable main lantern “Little Qi Ji,” the stunning light sculpture show at Beimen, and the grand finale of the festival parade on the 11th — an 8-meter-tall lantern of Goddess Matsu.

▲A cute member of the Little Qi Ji family: Pink Beauty Sister.

Little Qi Ji

The rooster-year main lantern Little Qi Ji was designed by No2good. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., it performs every 30 minutes, with over 30,000 LED bulbs constantly shifting through colorful lights. Occasionally, dry ice creates a misty atmosphere, captivating the audience.

In addition to the main lantern Little Qi Ji drawing much attention, designer No2good mentioned that this time he specially created the main lantern for the Taipei Lantern Festival. In addition to “Little Qi Ji,” there are also family members “Victory Bro, Pink Beauty Sister, and Calm Egg,” breaking away from the traditional single-main-lantern setup. Each character has a distinct personality and incorporates the youthful vibrancy of Ximending. He also said he hopes this design can be closer to the public, paired with the theatrical lighting show designed by Teacher Erma (Feng Jianzhang), which will definitely be spectacular.

▲The “demon god version” of Goddess Matsu is saved just in time. (Photo / Screenshot fromWei ZongchengFB)

The Goddess Matsu Lantern

The 8-meter-tall, 10-meter-long, and 5-meter-wide Goddess Matsu float, created in collaboration between the Ximending Pedestrian Zone Development Promotion Association and Taiwanese cartoonist Wei Zongcheng, is based on the “cute version of Goddess Matsu” from Wei’s work “The Demon Chronicle.” It is scheduled to be the grand finale of the lantern parade on the 11th. After its debut on the 2nd, Deputy Mayor Chen Jingjun was invited to dot its eyes, but due to the design differing significantly from illustrations and the original work, it drew sharp online criticism as a “demonic statue”! On the 3rd, Wei Zongcheng gave a media interview, stating, “The eyes are the soul of a character; without them, it just doesn’t feel right.” Subsequently, a 7-hour lighting project was launched, finally giving Goddess Matsu brand-new, shining eyes, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Taipei Lantern Festival.

Beimen Light Sculpture Show

For the first time in 20 years, the Taipei Lantern Festival has moved to the area around Beimen and Zhonghua Road. Therefore, along both sides of Section One of Zhonghua Road, you can enjoy various themed lantern zones, or visit Beimen to admire the impressive light sculpture show and witness the century-old charm of the old city gate. The best viewing spot for the light sculptures at Beimen is recommended to be from a 45-degree angle at Taipei Post Office, where you can see three sides of the sculptures at once.

2017 Taipei Lantern Festival Exhibition Area Information (February 4–12, 2017)