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PHOTO ESSAY/Lantern Festival celebrations around Taiwan

02/02/2023 11:20 PM
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The main display of the Taiwan Lantern Festival held in Taipei -- "Brilliant Light of the Jade Hare" -- is turned on for testing Wednesday night. CNA photo Feb. 1, 2023
The main display of the Taiwan Lantern Festival held in Taipei -- "Brilliant Light of the Jade Hare" -- is turned on for testing Wednesday night. CNA photo Feb. 1, 2023

Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) Lanterns and light installations have popped up around Taiwan ahead of the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year.

The Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the 1st month of the Lunar New Year, which began on Jan. 22, traditionally marks the end of the New Year holiday.

The country's main celebration, the Taiwan Lantern Festival organized by the Tourism Bureau, will return to Taipei for the first time in 23 years, since the annual event around the country was renamed from the original Taipei Lantern Festival used from 1990 to 2000.

Taipei has set up several light installations in phases since mid-January as warmup events ahead of the official opening of the festival on Feb. 5.

An visitor to Taipei City Hall stops and looks at an inflated installation comprising several rabbits after it was turn on Tuesday. CNA photo Jan. 31, 2023
An visitor to Taipei City Hall stops and looks at an inflated installation comprising several rabbits after it was turn on Tuesday. CNA photo Jan. 31, 2023
A maze built with more than 2,700 LED panels is open to visitors Tuesday night. CNA photo Jan. 31, 2023
A maze built with more than 2,700 LED panels is open to visitors Tuesday night. CNA photo Jan. 31, 2023

Most recently, the theme of this year's Taiwan Lantern Festival "Light up the Future" has been projected onto Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 skyscraper as part of nightly light shows from Wednesday, with more displays of lanterns and a maze made of LED panels unveiled the previous day.

On Sunday, a street parade of over 500 performers will take place around city hall from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., followed by more performances at four locations around city hall into the evening.

The festival will be officially launched when the main display for the Year of the Rabbit, a 22-meter-tall robot exhibition titled "Brilliant Light of the Jade Hare" is turned on at the Central Display Zone around National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall at 4:59 p.m., according to the organizers.

The festival in Taipei will conclude on Feb. 19.

CNA photo Feb. 1, 2023
CNA photo Feb. 1, 2023
Children play in an light installation at New Taipei Metropolitan Park in Sangchong District, where the 2023 New Taipei City Lantern Festival takes place from Jan. 26-Feb. 12. Photo courtesy of New Taipei City Government
Children play in an light installation at New Taipei Metropolitan Park in Sangchong District, where the 2023 New Taipei City Lantern Festival takes place from Jan. 26-Feb. 12. Photo courtesy of New Taipei City Government

Meanwhile, city and county governments around Taiwan, many of which have hosted the Tourism Bureau event since 2001, are holding their own celebrations.

Last year's host, Kaohsiung, launched its Lantern Festival event around Lotus Lake and several locations across the city on Jan. 26.

The displays around Lotus Lake and in Gangshan District will conclude on Feb. 5, while the light displays around an old electricity tower at Sanmin Parent-Child Park along Love River and the Caogong Channel in Fongshan District will continue until Feb. 28.

A giant lantern is displayed at the entrance of the festive event in Kaohsiung
A giant lantern is displayed at the entrance of the festive event in Kaohsiung's Lotus Lake. Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung City Government
The festive display at Kaohsiung
The festive display at Kaohsiung's Lotus Lake. Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau

The festive displays in Linyuan District, as well as the Lantern Festival event held by the Buddhist Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Dashu District will run through Feb. 19, according to the city government.

In neighboring Tainan, the city has been holding the Longci Light Festival in Longci District since Christmas Eve, and the Yuejin Lantern Festival in coastal Yanshuei District since Jan. 14.

The two events, the city government said, attracted more than 420,000 visitors during the 10-day Lunar New Year holiday that started on Jan. 20, and both will conclude on Feb. 12.

The main display at the Longci Light Festival. Photo courtesy of Tainan City Government
The main display at the Longci Light Festival. Photo courtesy of Tainan City Government
An installation displayed at the Yuejin Lantern Festival. Photo courtesy of Tainan City Government
An installation displayed at the Yuejin Lantern Festival. Photo courtesy of Tainan City Government

In Taichung, the 2023 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival organized by the city government, will take place at Taichung Central Park from Feb. 4-12, and the nearby Central Taiwan Cinema Center has been decorated with lights of various colors since Wednesday, which will continue until Feb. 28.

(By Kay Liu)
Ednitem/AW

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Various colors of lights are projected on to the Central Taiwan Cinema Center in Taihucng. Photo courtesy of Taichung City Government
Various colors of lights are projected on to the Central Taiwan Cinema Center in Taihucng. Photo courtesy of Taichung City Government
The 2023 Nantou Lantern Festival at Nantou County Expo Center in the central county, which is being held from Jan. 14-Feb. 5. Photo courtesy of Nantou County Government
The 2023 Nantou Lantern Festival at Nantou County Expo Center in the central county, which is being held from Jan. 14-Feb. 5. Photo courtesy of Nantou County Government
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