At 7 PM on Feb. 26th, 2007 the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival kicked off in the Round Lawn Theater at WenHsin Forest Park cohosted by Mayor Hu, Ho Ming Hsien, the President of Hotel National Taichung, parliament speaker Chang, and other personalities, under the backdrop of lights and fireworks.

　　Mayor Hu and participating VIP decorated themselves with pig head masks to entertain thousands of onlookers. According to the Mayor, the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival will see 6 million people from the surrounding area, hence the reason Central Taiwan was put in the title of the festival. Achievements in recent years have contributed to internationalization of the festival. The subjects for festivals each year are always surprising, this year it is Piglet of Winnie the Pooh fame, evaluated as the most interesting design by mass media surveys.

　　The main lantern in the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival is Piglet of Winnie the Pooh, 18 meters tall to slowly rise 2 meters along with Winnie the Pooh with light and music rotating 360 degrees, at a total length of 20 meters, as the highest and most brilliant on display in the country. It will include various water dances and laser light shows each 30 minutes from 7 PM to 10 PM every night between Feb. 26th and Mar. 11th. Winnie the Pooh will also remain during the 14-day festival for the Happy Pig Year 2007 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival.

　　Famous designers were invited to style the Piglet subject lantern, presented as a 3D image for a 360 degree rotating show, facilitated with internal lighting to exhibit eye catching detail, along with dazzling firework shows to guarantee audiences an enjoyable experience.

　　Piglet is wearing a red cotton padded jacket in traditional Chinese style, holding New Year couplets to give the appearance of a Chinese pig rather than a western cartoon character. The other 3 members of the Winnie of the Pooh cast are also present to catch people’s attention throughout the exhibition in 8 subject lantern areas, such as kite flying, climbing bamboo poles, counting meteors on tranquil nights and other shows for a memorable evening.

　　Mr. Ho Ming Hsien, the president of China Metal Products Co. Ltd., has generously sponsored manufacturing of the main lantern Piglet. His local enterprise hopes to give back something to the community, creating a new page in history in the only Disney lantern festival in the world through cooperation between business and government. The characters are also expected to be the favorite lanterns for children.