The Central Taiwan Lantern Festival opens on Feb. 18 with a snake-themed main lantern, a first in its history

By MOOK Travel & Lifestyle Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

 

The 2013 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival will take place from Feb. 18 to March 3 at the Wenxin Forest Park. For the first time, a snake-designed main lantern—"Sacred Snake Guarding the Pearl"—will be unveiled. The entirely mechanical and interactive main lantern will be accompanied by real drummers, delivering a spectacular and powerful lantern show. Additionally, the opening night lighting ceremony will be held on Feb. 18 at the Garden Full Outdoor Theater, featuring performances by Kang Kang, Kimberley Chen, and the Chemical Monkeys band; the Lantern Festival Gala on Feb. 24 will invite Japan’s Tottori Taiko Drum Group and the Model Kings Night to perform; and the closing night on March 3 will showcase popular artists such as Ding Dang, Bii, Shih Wen-bin, and Chen Shi-an. As for the highly anticipated mini lanterns, a total of 50,000 will be distributed starting Feb. 18 at service desks near the intersection of Xiangshang Road and Section 1, Wenshin Road.

This year marks the 15th edition of the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival, which has gained nationwide fame for its cartoon-themed lantern displays over the years. Since its inception in 1999, the festival has never featured a snake-shaped main lantern. This year, not only will a hyper-realistic snake design take center stage as the main lantern, but it also boasts several unique features unmatched across the country—including a 27-meter-long Sacred Snake adorned with colorful and wealth-attracting coin motifs; a 90-meter-long mechanical track allowing the serpent to spiral upward around a pearl, ascending to a height of 16 meters; and a main lantern show featuring live performers, specially inviting former U-Theatre percussionist to create a dynamic and awe-inspiring light and shadow theater with stirring drumbeats.

 

The secondary lantern area is designed as a "Happiness Wonderland," featuring themed lanterns such as the Love Fairy Nüwa, Twin Snakes with One Heart, and Kissy Black Tortoise Babies. The "Circle of Fulfillment Light Corridor," inspired by the ouroboros symbol, invites visitors to walk through and immerse themselves in an auspicious and joyful atmosphere. Echoing a sustainable future and incorporating light sculpture design, the "Hope Mountain-Sea-Tun Light Corridor" encourages the public to join in the search for the Happy Bluebird. By pedaling human-powered bikes to generate energy, the hidden Happy Bluebird in the lantern area will take flight under the night sky.

In the international lantern section, displays from Hong Kong, Zigong City of Sichuan Province, and Hanzhong City of Shaanxi Province will be exhibited. Among them, the world-renowned Zigong Lantern Festival, following last year’s stunning vase lanterns, will bring this year grand symbolic lanterns and fan-shaped colorful lanterns representing peace and prosperity, expected to create another sensation. Making their first appearance, Hanzhong City of Shaanxi Province will present lanterns featuring the “Four Treasures of Qinling”—the Crested Ibis, Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, Takin, and Giant Panda—local endemic animals that promote the region’s scenic charm.

 

The much-anticipated mini lantern "Robot Snake Girl Niuniu" can be collected from 6:00 PM daily from Feb. 18 to 24 at service desks at the intersection of Xiangshang Road and Section 1, Wenshin Road, as well as at the intersection of Huilin Road and Dadun 7th Street. Additionally, the "Central Taiwan Lantern Festival – Fengyuan Art Week" event, organized by the Fengyuan District Office, will also distribute mini lanterns from 6:00 PM daily from Feb. 18 to 24. A total of 10,000 mini lanterns will be given out on-site in Fengyuan. Lantern festival official website: www.2013taichunglantern.com.tw.

 

 

● Read more: Taipei Lantern Festival mini lanterns revealed, to be given out citywide on Feb. 23 and at the Flower Expo site

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