By MOOK Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported
Shining Bright in Wanjin ! This year’s Wanjin Christmas Festival features its first-ever light show, which made its dazzling debut on the evening of the 7th. Utilizing 3D animation projection technology, the nation’s oldest Wanjin Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was transformed into a canvas, telling the story of Catholicism in the area over the past 152 years as well as the warmth of Christmas, delivering a unique visual and auditory feast to the southern Taiwanese Christmas night sky.
The 3D light show at the Pingtung Wanjin Christmas Festival will run until Christmas Eve on December 24. (Photo provided by Pingtung County Government Tourism and Communications Department)
The Wanjin Christmas Festival is entering its third year. This year, the Pingtung County Government took the lead in southern Taiwan by innovatively introducing a 3D light show, which had its first test launch on the evening of last Saturday (the 7th). The square in front of the Wanjin Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was packed with people eager for a sneak peek, drawing a crowd comparable to that on Christmas Eve, the 24th. The 3D light show this year will also be held on December 14 and 15 for six-minute performances, and on December 21, 22, and 23, the three days leading up to Christmas Eve, ten-minute versions will be shown, each with two performances at 19:30 and 19:50. On Christmas Eve, December 24, the show will begin at 23:50. Among these, December 21 and 24 will also feature live performances by the Southern Taiwan Symphony Orchestra.
Yiing Feng-lan, director of the Pingtung County Government Tourism and Communications Department, pointed out that the Wanjin Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was originally built without steel, using a mixture of crushed stone, lime, brown sugar, honey, kapok, and fire bricks. After several restorations, it still retains its original Spanish-style fortress architecture, with its grayish-white walls perfectly suited for light projections.
Through the 3D light show, the Catholic culture and historical evolution of the Wanjin Church are shared with the public. (Photo provided by Pingtung County Government Tourism and Communications Department)
This 3D light show is divided into three segments: Catholic culture, the historical evolution of the Wanjin Church, and the festive spirit of Christmas. It includes the solemn story of the coming of Christ, as well as the multiple renovations of the Wanjin Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and the various pastors portrayed through light projections. The grand finale, accompanied by a live symphony orchestra, showcases the joyful atmosphere of Christmas Eve, bringing the event to its climax.
The dazzling and colorful light show gives a new look to the century-old shrine. (Photo provided by Pingtung County Government Tourism and Communications Department)
This year’s light show also invited the Southern Taiwan Symphony Orchestra to arrange the music and perform live. The Southern Taiwan Symphony Orchestra has performed for three consecutive years at the Tengzhi Forest Music Festival and will perform on the evenings of December 21 and 24. The repertoire includes a rock version of Bach's D Minor and classic songs paying tribute to Michael Jackson, adding even more impact to the light show.
● Read More:
Pingtung Wanjin Christmas Festival: Explore a Southern Catholic Town Through Three Themed Experiences
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