By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team
The 2017 Taipei Lantern Festival, themed “WESTSIDE STORY, TAIPEI GLORY,” will run for nine days, sharing more of the glorious history and stories of Taipei’s West District. This year, the main performance area will be set up around Ximen MRT Station, presenting the characteristics of the Ximen street block through the concept of street theater. Both the opening and closing ceremonies will be held here, creating a cross-disciplinary grand show that combines urban aesthetics with audiovisual art.
Featuring participation from over ten artists in the lantern festival event. (Image source / Taipei City Government)
This year, renowned fashion designer and known as the first Chinese pop culture aesthetic artist, No2Good, was invited to design this area. No2Good said he is a Shizitou kid who grew up, studied, and pursued his dreams in Taipei, holding deep affection for Ximending. The overall shape design of the main performance area incorporates trendy elements from Ximending, and he revealed plans to create a distinctive character to leave a profound impression on domestic and international visitors to the West District.
Olympic table tennis athlete Chang Hung-chih endorses the 2017 Taipei Lantern Festival. (Image provided / Taipei City Tourism and Travel Bureau)
Additionally, Olympic table tennis athlete Chang Hung-chih was specially invited to film an endorsement promotional video for the Taipei Lantern Festival. The content uses the constant stream of notifications in modern life to introduce Taipei Lantern Festival’s “lantern meme.” Within one night of going online, the video garnered over ten thousand views. Chang Hung-chih will also attend the opening ceremony of the Taipei Lantern Festival and visit the Universiade interactive experience zone (the gashapon area), joining visitors for a unique lantern experience.
Besides the main performance area, along Section 1 of Zhonghua Road, there are various themed lantern areas including the indispensable lantern riddle activity, the highly interactive “Universiade Interaction Zone,” the festive “Landscape Art Zone,” the happiness-incubating “Blessing Lantern Zone,” the youthful and vibrant “Student Creation Zone,” and the light art-focused “Free Creation Zone.” There will also be light projection shows at Beimen and Zhongshan Hall.
The rooster-year mini lantern of the 2017 Taipei Lantern Festival, “Dancing Magic Rooster.” (Image source / Taipei City Government)
The much-anticipated rooster-year mini lantern, “Dancing Magic Rooster,” features an exquisitely crafted design with an innovative pendulum-based gravity structure that makes it sway back and forth with movement, fully showcasing rhythm and vitality. The handle is designed in the shape of Beimen, symbolizing a little chick hatched from Beimen. The rooster-year mini lantern will be available for the public to collect just before the start of the Taipei Lantern Festival.
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