Heralded as Taiwan's biggest annual tourism event, the Ilan international Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival officially opens tomorrow. The event takes place through Aug. 19 and will be centered at Ilan Chinshui Park (親水公園).
one of the prime attractions of the event will be the large number of dance groups from all over the world that will be visiting Ilan. These performances will be held at the Ilan County Performing Arts Center starting 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday each week throughout the Festival period. There will also be many outdoor performances.
Local history will also be celebrated, with the Puppetry Hall expected to attract the most attention of the five theme pavilions. The Puppetry Hall will provide a special focus on the TV puppet character Shih Yen-wen (史艷文), who was part of the childhoods of most Taiwanese over 20. Shih Yan-wen is the creation of Huang Hai-tai (黃海岱) and his family, who recently brought the character back to a new generation of children in the film Legend of the Sacred Stone (聖石傳說).
There will also be an expansive International Hall, with a range of displays on children's folklore from around the world. There will also be an Aviation Hall, where the emphasis will be on children's fantasies about flying, and the City of Light and Magic where visitors can experience the myriad wonders of optical magic. Another highlight, especially if the hot temperatures continue, will be the water labyrinth, which will provide plenty of opportunities for the public to cool off.
Entry into Chinshui Park costs NT$300 on weekends and NT$250 on weekdays for the duration of the festival. More information can be obtained from the festival's Web site at http://www.folkgame.org.tw or by calling the Culture Bureau of the Ilan County Government at tel (03) 9310-720.
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