Taipei City Government

The 2016 Taipei International Lantern Festival will be taking place at the Taipei Expo Park between February 20 and 29. The ten-day-long festival will feature a gigantic Year of the Monkey lantern based on the themes of “Fulu (fortune and prosperity)” and “gourd,” combining the latest lighting technology to present spectators with mesmerizing light shows in the evening.

In addition to the Fulu Monkey main lantern, the park will also display a wide variety of lighting artworks. This year, the exhibition will feature different themes in the separate display zones. The “Lanterns of Blessing Zone” will showcase scenes from the traditional Chinese folklore “Journey to the West.” The story characters appear in the form of lantern decorations, entertaining visitors at the start of the Year of the Monkey.

Lanterns with themes of sports and action form the “HOLD Championship Lantern Zone.” Three monkey athletes will demonstrate their preparedness to compete in the categories of archery, weightlifting, and baseball during the upcoming 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei. The “Joyous Circus Zone” will be led by the monkey ringmaster and his company of animal friends will bring joy and amusement, as well as enjoying their presence from a close distance.

Furthermore, the “Blowing Monkey Theater” will perform the “Blow the Fur to Create a Soldier” story from “Journey to the West.” Visitors will see how a platoon comprising 36 monkeys were created after Sun Wukong breathes life upon a strand of fur, and how the minions explore the story scene from Shuiliandong (Water Curtain Cave) to Huoyanshan (Flaming Mountain) to the Monkey King’s cloud.

At the student lantern display zone, works by students demonstrate the continuation of traditional lantern-making knowhow, while corporate-sponsored lanterns by companies from Shanghai, Macau, and Japan decorate the “International/Corporate Lantern Zone.”

In addition to the exhibition of colorful lanterns, Taipei International Lantern Festival has also organized various performances at the main stage. Activities include the famous lantern festival riddles and Lantern Craft DIY lessons. There will be performances by kids and students during the day, while the exciting music of bands will entertain visitors at night!

To bring the spirit of the Lantern Festival to communities, the organizers will also establish special lantern display zones across all twelve administrative districts. Hopefully, this will allow all residents to immerse themselves in the holiday atmosphere.

2016 Taipei Lantern Festival
http://www.2016taipeilanternfestival.com/en/index.html