Events that were scheduled to begin tomorrow at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung to mark the Lunar New Year are to be scaled down due to COVID-19 concerns.
The museum had invited dozens of guests to write Lunar New Year wishes tomorrow, while 20 calligraphers were to write chunlian (春聯, Spring Festival couplets) for visitors, it said.
The museum is to give away 1,500 printed copies of Spring Festival couplets by calligraphers Lee Ku-mo (李穀摩), Hsiao Shih-chiung (蕭世瓊), Lin Jung-sen (林榮森), Chen Hsuan-min (陳炫民) and Wu Chi-lin (吳啟林) tomorrow, it said.
However, in response to the COVID-19 situation, a downsized version of the program is to begin at 1:30pm with a performance by Taichung’s Ta-Ming High School’s dragon dance club, followed by a calligraphy ceremony led by museum Director Liang Yung-fei (梁永斐), it said.
Students from the National Taiwan University of Sport’s dance department are also to give a performance inspired by calligraphy, the museum said.
A print-making activity scheduled for Feb. 13 has been canceled, but the museum would give away limited numbers of fudai (福袋, or “lucky bags”) and red envelopes, and hold a draw for New Year prints as planned, it said.
The National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Symphony Orchestra is to perform at 3pm on Feb. 13, it said.
A recital on Sunday and the Taiwan International Light Festival might be altered, it said, adding that updates would be posted on www.ntmofa.gov.tw.
From Monday, the museum is to revert to its original schedule.
It would be open from 9am to 5pm on Tuesday to Friday each week, 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and closed on Mondays, it said.
It is to be closed on Lunar New Year’s Eve on Feb. 11 and Lunar New Year’s Day on Feb. 12, it said.
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