The side exhibition of the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival was opened on December 21st in Wenxin Park while the main exhibition area in Houli will also be grandly opened between February 8th and 23rd in February, 2020! Mayor, Lu Shiow-Yen, today (24th), said that at the city affairs meeting, there were three main features of the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival including the 65-day long exhibition period in the side exhibition area, marking it as the longest lantern festival celebration in Taiwan, the first “aromatic and snowing” one, and Taichung being the ideal destination for visiting, shopping, and gourmet dining. Everyone is welcome to Taichung for the Festival.
Mayor Lu described that in order to maintain continuous prosperity in the Houli area after the 2018 Taichung World Flora Expo, the City Government uses Houli as the main exhibition area of the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival to allow “Houli as the host” to integrate local stores, tourism information and transit information to design the app. Additionally, the event of “Good Things Happen in Houli and the Lucky Winner of a Car When Consuming in Houli” provides incentives, so that when visitors come to Taichung for the Festival, they can visit the lantern exhibition area during night time and travel around Houli during day time. She also promised to hire local Houli people based on the “welfare-to-work program” and bring more visitors to Houli and boost the local economy.
Today’s city affairs meeting was held in Houli and the Director General of Tourism and Travel Bureau, Lin Shiau-chi, and Director General of Information Bureau, Huang Kuo-wei, presented the project of “the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung” at the meeting. Director General Lin pointed out that according to venue features, themes on “Children’s Wonderland,” “Forest Secret Scene,” and “Fantastic World” are planned. The main exhibition area in Houli Flora Expo Park occupies about 35 hectares and will be officially open between February 8th and 23rd, 2020, with a duration of 16 days. The side exhibition area in Wenxin Forest Park occupies 8.8 hectares and exhibits from December 21st, 2019 to February 23rd, 2020 at the duration of 65 days.
Director General Lin said the theme in Houli Forest Park is “Forest Secret Scene” under the planning of the “Li Shan Harmony Lantern Area” promoting the co-existence of the community and the environment, the “Xin Xi Joyful Lantern Area,” presenting diverse cultures of new immigrants, and “Religious Lantern Area” demonstrating diverse religion belief, “Dazzling 29 Lantern Car Area” showing features of each district in Taichung, “International Friendship Lantern Area” gathering festival customs of friendly cities of Taichung, “ Lantern Contest Area” introducing master traditional skills and crafts, and “Co-Prosperity Lantern Area of Cities around Taiwan” jointly participated in by Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Yunlin, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, and Kinmen. Additionally, there is also a specially area of “Military Lantern Exhibition.”
Furthermore, in the Secret Forest Scene area, exciting performance events are arranged including 800 drones on both opening and closing ceremony days and 500 on other exhibition days to create the “meteor shower of drone.” Various domestic and international performing teams present their programs from 17:00 to 21:00 every night. Performance also includes cultural presentation of new immigrants and religions!
Director General Lin pointed out that in the Equestrian Park, according to the theme of “Fantastic World,” a 760-meter long walking path of “Wandering in Hakka Lantern Area” is built and there are also the “Animal Festival Lantern Area” planned based on features of the Park with the joyful atmosphere, “Indigenous Symphony Lantern Area” showcasing the music and dance of indigenous custom, the “Ring-Taichung Light and Shadow Lantern Area” showing Taiwan’s first 9-meter high borderless immersed projection, the “Industrial Glory Lantern Area” demonstrating Taichung’s industrial energy, and “Friendly City Lantern Area.” The City Government also invites the local performing group and parade team of “Formosa Dazzling Patrol Team” to take part. The high-altitude stunt performance by the international well-known performing team is also included in the programs.
Director General Lin also mentioned that the side exhibition area in Wenxin Forest Park was officially open based on the axis of “Children’s Wonderland” under the planning of the five lantern areas, “Zodiac Garden,” “Tropical Jungle,” “Festival Celebrations,” “Colorful World” and “Meeting International Celebrities” showcasing more than 50 dazzling lantern sets. There are more than 100 performing activities on the “Children’s Fun Stage” on weekends and holidays.
Director General of Information Bureau, Huang Kuo-wei, said that in order to promote the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival, the City Government utilized diverse methods including “YouTubers Taking You to the Lantern Festival” by those with millions of followers, “Easy Animation Introduction” and traffic information map card to let the public know about transport and transit plan to the exhibition areas. With the planning of “Celebrities Taking You to the Lantern Festival” highlight films, theme night and disclosure to stories behind, highlights of each lantern area are introduces. Every visitor is welcome to come to visit the Festival.
Councilman Chen Ban-Tian thanks Mayor Lu for organizing the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Houli and brining better benefits to Houli with the “Welfare-to-Work” program to create local employment opportunities. He also hopes that the Transportation Bureau will conduct a good transit plan to avoid traffic impact on visitors who travel around and visit exhibition area in Houli during both day and night time.