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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Related News
Feb. 2: New Taipei touts giant lanterns for 2023 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
![Meet deities across Taiwan during the Lunar New Year holiday]()
Meet deities across Taiwan during the Lunar New Year holidayTaiwan has long enjoyed a diverse and colorful temple culture, resulting in numerous religious buildings that are well worth visiting, if not to worship or pray for luck during ...01/18/2023 10:32 PM![2022 through the Lens]()
2022 through the LensIn 2022, the Central News Agency published more than 44,600 photos taken by its photojournalists and reporters in Taiwan and around the world.12/30/2022 08:46 PM![Inauguration day: Taiwan's newly-elected mayors, county magistrates take office]()
Inauguration day: Taiwan's newly-elected mayors, county magistrates take officeThe 22 mayors and county magistrates elected in Taiwan’s Nov. 26 elections took office Sunday in ceremonies held at city and county government offices around the country.12/25/2022 07:09 PM
- Society
Train passengers could be denied service for mobile device 'noise'
03/24/2023 07:40 PM - Politics
Taiwan helped Honduran first family in 2009 coup: Ex-ambassador
03/24/2023 07:25 PM - Society
Fungus breakout plaguing U.S. not yet a threat to Taiwan: CDC
03/24/2023 06:16 PM - Politics
Post-COVID spending bill clears Legislature
03/24/2023 04:36 PM - Business
U.S. dollar closes lower on Taipei forex market
03/24/2023 04:27 PM