About 25,000 tourists descended on a small village in Western Canada last weekend to experience a Taiwanese lantern festival, part of an annual Taiwanese Cultural Festival.
The village of Cumberland on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, has a population of about 2,700, but about 25,000 tourists flocked to it last weekend for a Taiwanese Lantern Festival.
The village's shopkeepers reported doing as much business in one day during the event as they usually do in a whole month.
The festival's executive coordinator, Charlie Wu (
Wu said the sky lantern event, based on an annual festival in Pinghsi, northern Taiwan, was the main attraction at the Cumberland festival.
It also marked the first time this event has been held anywhere in North America.
This is the second consecutive year that the festival -- a touring event held as part of an annual Taiwanese Cultural Festival -- has been held.
The festival is rated by the well-known travel magazine Westworld as one of the best events in Western Canada during the winter season -- vying with the famous Whistler ski resort.
The event brought traditional Taiwanese culture to areas beyond the main Taiwanese communities that have gathered in Canada's major cities.
Wu said he believed that in the future the festival would attract visitors from British Columbia and even from other countries.
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