Taiwan Lantern Festival
Encyclopedia
The Taiwan Lantern Festival (臺灣燈會) is an annual event hosted by the Tourism Bureau (觀光局) of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications
(交通部) in Taiwan
to celebrate the Lantern Festival
.
There are many activities all over Taiwan during Taiwan Lantern Festival. During the Taiwan Lantern Festival(臺灣燈會), thousands of sky lanterns light over Pingxi District (平溪) in Taiwan. In Yanshui District, the firecracker
s ceremony of Wumiao Temple is also one of the important activities.
(fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar
). The purpose of the festival is to spread the traditional folklore
festival.
The firecrackers ceremony of the Wumiao Temple in Yanshui District was held by ancient people in order to show respect for the exploits of Guan Yu
. Fengpao is the ceremony to start to burn thousands of soaring firecrackers hung on a five to twenty-five meters high wooden stand. This ceremony starts from six o'clock in the afternoon until five o'clock in the morning. Thousands of people and visitors attend the ceremony.
The festival is the most important annual lantern festival in Taiwan. Earlier times, the event was held in Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park
in Taipei
. Since 2001, the event toured around Taiwan.
In 2009, the festival was on Monday 9 February.
. All of them are over ten meters tall.
Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Republic of China)
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China is a cabinet-level governmental body of the Executive Yuan. It is in charge of all policy and regulation of transportation and communications networks and administration of all transportation and communications operations...
(交通部) in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to celebrate the Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival ; is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in the Chinese calendar, the last day...
.
There are many activities all over Taiwan during Taiwan Lantern Festival. During the Taiwan Lantern Festival(臺灣燈會), thousands of sky lanterns light over Pingxi District (平溪) in Taiwan. In Yanshui District, the firecracker
Firecracker
A firecracker is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang; any visual effect is incidental to this goal. They have fuses, and are wrapped in a heavy paper casing to contain the explosive compound...
s ceremony of Wumiao Temple is also one of the important activities.
History
Starting from 1990, the Tourism Bureau integrated civilian and local governmental resources to conduct the event to celebrate the Lantern FestivalLantern Festival
The Lantern Festival ; is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in the Chinese calendar, the last day...
(fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
). The purpose of the festival is to spread the traditional folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
festival.
The firecrackers ceremony of the Wumiao Temple in Yanshui District was held by ancient people in order to show respect for the exploits of Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
. Fengpao is the ceremony to start to burn thousands of soaring firecrackers hung on a five to twenty-five meters high wooden stand. This ceremony starts from six o'clock in the afternoon until five o'clock in the morning. Thousands of people and visitors attend the ceremony.
The festival is the most important annual lantern festival in Taiwan. Earlier times, the event was held in Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attractions erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei, Republic of China ....
in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. Since 2001, the event toured around Taiwan.
In 2009, the festival was on Monday 9 February.
Main lantern
The theme of the main lanterns often corresponds with the zodiac signs of Chinese astrologyChinese astrology
Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy, which came to flourish during the Han Dynasty ....
. All of them are over ten meters tall.
External links
- Chinese Lantern Festival Lantern Festival Planning & Production
- Tourism Bureau,Republic of China (Taiwan)
- 2011 Taiwan Lantern Festival in MIAOLI