It’s time for Lantern Festival! Held on the first full-moon night of the lunar year, Lantern Festival is the first most happening thing in Taiwan after Chinese New Year as everyone celebrates this event with making lantern going to lantern festivals all over the country. Therefore, we decided to join the crowd on the first day of this almost two-week celebration.
Taipei Lantern Festival 2015
Starting from February 27 to March 8, Taipei Lantern Festival 2015 is held in Yuanshan Park (ex Yuanshan Taipei Flora Expo). For the purpose of educating our readers more about Chinese culture, let us provide you a brief introduction regarding Lantern Festival itself.
There are a lot of versions regarding the origin of this festive activity. The first one says that a long time ago, agricultural people celebrated the coming of spring season. Another (more interesting) story says that a Han dynasty emperor who lived around 206 B.C. – 220 A.D. ordered his people to light up lantern on the fifteenth night after lunar new year to pay respect to Buddha. Bright lantern will also make it easier for Gods and Goddess descending from heaven to give blessings to people on the earth.
Okay, let’s get back to this Taipei version of Lantern Festival! Even it’s not the biggest one in Taiwan (this year Taiwan’s biggest Lantern Festival is held in Taichung, FYI), Taipei Lantern Festival 2015 is worth to visit. Not convincing enough? Check these teasers out!
Enjoying hot spring
Iron Bear
Thor Bear
Bhulk
Captain Bear
Bear Eye
Panda piloting Mazinger Z
An Elephantine Reception
Great Grassland Ensemble – Dancing Ostriches
Great Grassland Ensemble – Zebra Drummers
Great Grassland Ensemble – Gorilla Trumpeters
Animals Grand Prix
Horses
The Song of a Wanderer
A Night over The Maple Bridge River
Returning Home – A Random Musing
Emperor Qin
Peace Treaty between Ming Dynasty and Dutch
Political Marriage of Wang Zhao Jun
Da Dao Cheng
Taiwan HSR
Taiwan Aborigines
Fat Man
Goat in A Drum
God of Fortune
DinTao – Lion Dance
Dancing Men
The Old Man
Taipei MRT
Pretty nice, isn’t it? Those are only a little bit of what you will see in Taipei Lantern Festival 2015. If you decide to come, make sure to come between 17.30 and 23.30 because it’s the time they light the lanterns up. Enjoy the festivity!
