This year’s edition of the Taipei Lantern Festival is to showcase robots from the toy and media franchise Transformers in the city’s first-ever attempt to have a double-featured theme for the event.
The festival this year, which is to cost the city NT$60 million (US$1.9 million), has reached a deal with the franchise to use its character designs in light installations at Taipei Expo Park, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said.
The park would serve as the festival’s secondary location for families bringing children to the event, while the primary area, the venue in the Ximen District (西門), is to employ a separate theme, it said.
Photo: CNA
A 10m Optimus Prime installation is to star at Taipei Expo Park as its main attraction, alongside the franchise’s famous characters Bumblebee and Megatron, the department said.
The festival’s park area is to focus on creating a technological and futuristic feel to emphasize Taipei’s vibrant life, it said, adding that 100,000 Transformer-themed handheld lanterns would be distributed, it said.
The handheld lights would be available from March 1 to March 3 at the Ximen venue, Taipei Expo Park and select distribution points to be announced at a later time, it added.
The event would also feature immersive light sculptures that take inspiration from Taipei landmarks and stars in the night sky in a collaboration with Hsu Chih-ming (徐志銘), the department said.
The Taipei Lantern Festival is to run from 5pm to 10pm between Feb. 25 and March 15, it said.
Taipei Expo Park is to be utilized for the festival for the first time, was selected for its spaciousness and proximity to MRT stations, commercial zones and city attractions, the department said.
In related news, the Chiayi County Government has announced that hand-held paper lanterns featuring Taiwan’s tourism mascot OhBear riding a rocking horse are to be handed out during the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi starting at 3pm daily from March 3 to March 15. The festival is to take place at the plaza in front of Chiayi County Hall.
Each person would be limited to one lantern, with a limited number available daily.
A total of 280,000 lanterns have been prepared by the Tourism Administration and the county government.
Additional reporting by CNA
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