Keelung Marks 130 Years Since Port Establishment — “Eagle Festival” Road Closures and Nighttime Celebrations on June 25

▲ The giant puppets at the Eagle Festival, the taller ones requiring at least 40–50 people to carry. (Photo from previous years / Provided by Keelung City Cultural Affairs Bureau)

Reported by Tsai Wen-jun, Taipei

Keelung’s annual “Eagle Festival” is set to kick off on June 25. To celebrate the 130th anniversary of Keelung’s port establishment, the Keelung City Government has expanded this year’s Eagle Festival events. In addition to admiring a birthday cake float representing 130 years of Keelung, visitors can enjoy a parade featuring giant puppets carried by dozens of people. The festivities will conclude with a lighting ceremony and concert at Dong San Wharf — don’t miss this important annual event.

The Eagle Festival was first held in 2011 and is now in its sixth year. The Keelung City Government stated that the festival was originally initiated through a collaboration between the Grand Vision Development Association and the Dream Community Cultural and Educational Development Foundation. Named after Keelung’s city bird, the eagle, it is a celebration that combines marine conservation with artistic creativity.

▲ Behind-the-scenes footage of giant puppet production for the 2016 Eagle Festival. (Video / Authorized by Zheng Ding-ching, Section Chief of Keelung City Cultural Affairs Bureau)

The most distinctive feature of the Eagle Festival is that the giant puppets and large props seen in the parade are created just 3–4 weeks before the event. Local participants, along with visiting artists, come together in workshops to build them, aiming to convey marine conservation concepts through artistic expression. It has gradually become a beloved annual tradition in Keelung.

▲ The Eagle Festival is one of the biggest annual events in Keelung. (Photo from previous years / Provided by Keelung City Cultural Affairs Bureau)

The Keelung City Cultural Affairs Bureau noted that this year marks the 130th anniversary of the port’s establishment, hence the expanded festival. Starting at 4 p.m., a parade of 31 groups will stretch over 700 meters. The bureau said the highlight of this year’s parade is the birthday cake float, as well as a 7-meter-tall giant puppet requiring 40–50 carriers. There will also be several around 3-meter-tall ocean-themed puppets, each carried by about 20 people, as the parade winds around the harbor area before finally arriving at Dong San Wharf.

In addition to the usual samba dancers, over 100 international students studying in Taiwan will be invited to join the parade, dressed in their national traditional attire or special costumes — another unique feature of this year’s event.

The “2016 Eagle Festival” is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on June 25. The parade route will extend westward toward Keelung Railway Station, then south to Keelung Miaokou, before all participants gather at 6 p.m. at Dong San Wharf for the opening night’s lighting ceremony and concert celebrating the 130th anniversary of Keelung Port.

Keelung “2016 Eagle Festival”
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., June 25
Parade Route:
Keelung Old Railway Station (starting point) → Zhongyi 1st Rd. → Xiaoer 2nd Rd. → Zhongyi 2nd Rd. → Ren 3rd Rd. → Ai 3rd Rd. → Ren 1st Rd. → Yi 2nd Rd. → Xin 3rd Rd. → East Harbor Pier No. 3 (end point)