Perschke's big red ball begins Tainan tour at historic temple

Tainan, March 29 (CNA) American artist Kurt Perschke's team on Friday inflated a red ball 4.5 meters in diameter at the stone arch of Feng Shen (God of Wind) Temple, an historic site in Tainan, marking the beginning of the artwork's tour in the southern Taiwan city.

"The RedBall Project," considered the world's longest-running street artwork, is scheduled to appear at 10 locations across Tainan, with Feng Shen Temple's Jieguanting Arch (Official Reception Stone Arch) being the first stop.

As Tainan is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year, Perschke told reporters on Friday that the scale of the project on this occasion is the largest in more than 20 years, and all the 10 locations were chosen after he visited each one in person.

He hopes the project will help more people get to know Tainan's attractions and the culture of the city.

The red ball was placed at the Jieguanting Arch, with crowd control measures in place -- allowing a maximum of 100 visitors to get up close to the ball every 15 minutes.

Built in 1739, Feng Shen Temple is the only temple in Taiwan dedicated to the God of Wind, and is one of Tainan's most famous temples.

The RedBall project is in Tainan for 10 days, until April 7, during which time the giant ball will be exhibited for one day at each of the 10 locations.

Other locations where the red ball will be exhibited include Yong Le Market, Tainan Park, National Cheng Kung University's Future Venue, Anping Old Fort, Tainan Art Museum Building 2 and the Great South Gate.

Since 2001, the RedBall project has traveled to more than 40 cities globally, including Paris, Montreal, Sydney, Tokyo and Taipei, which it visited in April 2009, according to the artwork's website.