Introduction
『The Year of Ox- Representing the Pinnacle of Achievement』Themed lantern festival events will bring back memories of the
joyous festive season where cultural arts exchanges, community participation, carnivals, and folk holidays filled with warmth
redefine Lantern Festival in Yonghe. A series of events are held for residents to recall a shared memory, create a unique city style, and make ‘Yonghe, the city of arts and cultures’ a reality.
Activity Details:
1. Lantern Display
In passing on folk practices and cultures, schools, communities, and organizations in Yonghe area are invited to participate in the lantern-making and display events. The joyous and colorful local cultures are a blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology. The festive lantern watching is recreated to bring back the ‘old-time delights’ of extraordinarily bustling traditional festive celebrations.
2. Cuisine & Folk Custom Street
In order to pass on the thrilling sight of The Lantern Festival and carry forward the civic culture, there will be a cuisine & folk custom street peripheral to the activity site on the day. Local specialty foods
3. Creative Lighting and Landscaping Installations
In welcoming Lantern Festival, the crowd from all over the place gathered in Yonghe and set up ‘light sea tunnel’ themed lights and landscapes to create a bustling festive atmosphere and a dazzling lantern festival.
4. Free Portable Lantern Giveaways
Portable lanterns will be given away on the day for the general public to experience the old-time delights of Lantern Carnival and the unique bustling atmosphere at Yonghe. Everyone is invited to spend the night to remember on Lantern Festival in Yonghe.
5. Lantern Festive Street Parade
Literally taken from the ‘bustling street parade symbolizes happiness the whole year through’ folk practice on Lantern Festival, the street parade around streets in Yonghe brings back the bustling festive atmosphere. There is nothing like the stereotyped way of traditional folk festive celebrations. It is a joyous carnival in a very ‘carnival’ way!
6. Evening Performances
Popular music and old songs in Taiwanese dialect will be performed to demonstrate vitality and create the ‘bustling’ scenario of folk festivals. People’s shared memory of joyous festive celebrations will be recalled once again.
Purpose
The beauty of Yonghe lies in the borders of the city and the country, in the auspicious omen day and night. Due to rapid social
transformations, Lantern Festival celebrations receive less attention nowadays. In order to restore the holiday customs and create the ‘old-time delights’ of traditional festivals, Yonghe, launched『Auspicious Omen』-Lantern Festival Showcase Events in
Yonghe, Taipei County underwent special planning. Inspirations were drawn from ‘the turnip’, a well-known agricultural product of Yonghe. (‘turnip’ in Chinese pinyin: tsaitou meaning auspicious omen) Schools, communities, and organizations were also invited to participate in the activities. Traditional and creative ideas combined, this special lantern festival of Yonghe makes it possible for the ancient folk lantern-making techniques to be passed on and the lantern-watching customary practice to be continued. The ‘bustling street parade symbolizes happiness the whole year through’ folk practice on Lantern Festival’ at the carnival will strengthen people’s ‘bonding’, ‘exchanges’, and ‘group participation.’ The unique creativity and vitality in the locality are well demonstrated.
Local Attractions
Art Street
Through collaborated efforts of local residents, the purpose is to create a ‘cultured’ Boai Street by developing its cultural art qualities.
The Yan San-lang Art Museum, Jinou Girls High School, and Taipei Yonghe Soybean Milk are local specialties that add to the
charms of the Art Street. It is the best to take time off under a hectic work schedule, and to shop and rest at the Art Street. It is also the best venue for promoting arts education. The quality of life and developments in neighboring areas will thus be greatly
enhanced.
Museum of World Religions
Museum of World Religions, the world’s first ‘comprehensive and education-based’ museum is located at the intersection of
Chungshan Road and Baosheng Road. Conceptualized by ‘respect, tolerance, and great love’, here, the general public will find
respect for religion, ethnic groups, and life. ‘Water Curtain’, ‘pilgrim’s Way’, ‘Golden Lobby’, Great Genesis Hall’, ‘Journey of Life
Hall’, ‘Huayen World’, ‘Great Hall of World Religions’, ‘Life Awakening Hall’, ‘Spiritual Learning Area’, etc. are available. Interactive displays of cultural relics and high-tech multimedia are extensively used to vividly cover the diversified contents and the goodness of religions.
Korean Street
The well-renowned Korean Street, located on Chunghsing Street before Dingxi MRT Station, has a logo especially designed by
Fu-Hsin Trade and Arts School. Emerald green, peach blossom, bright yellow, and sky blue that symbolize the perseverance and diligence of Koreans are eye-catching. There are stores selling fabric, shirts, skirts, pants, silk quilt, ginseng, mushroom, chili powder, etc. extended hundred of meters long. The 135 Korean-style stores adjacent to each other offer a wide range of products.
