A special exhibition is set to be staged to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Taiwan Lantern Festival featuring past centerpieces and a virtual reality film starting Feb. 19 in the southern county of Pingtung.
 
Organized by the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the show, which will be held at the festival’s main location in Dapeng Bay through April 30, will feature models of all the main lanterns used since the annual event was first held in Taipei City in 1990.
 
Hsu Chu-lung, director of Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area Administration, said this is the first time the festival is hosting such an exhibition. The collection illustrates how lantern designs—mostly based on the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac and the culture of the hosting city—have evolved to incorporate more diverse elements over the years, he added
 
Visitors can also don VR headsets to enjoy a short film offering 360-degree views of Taiwan’s cultural activities, natural landscapes and night-time urban scenes.
 
Staged as an international event highlighting the country’s folk custom of celebrating the first full moon of the year in the lunar calendar, the Taiwan Lantern Festival has been held at a different location since 2001. This is Pingtung’s first time hosting the event.
 
This year’s edition will feature a 16-meter-tall centerpiece depicting a bluefin tuna jumping out of the sea to highlight the prominence of the county’s fishing industry. (CPY-E)