Taiwan’s Lantern Festival to light up Chiayi City

The streets of Chiayi City, one of Taiwan’s largest southern cities, will be awash with colour and ancient Chinese tradition during Taiwan’s Lantern Festival, which will take place between 28th February and 7th March 2010.
 
Laser shows and firework displays will light up the night to celebrate this ‘second New Year’, which forms the final celebrations of the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year.
 
Towns and villages throughout Taiwan put on beautiful displays of decorative lanterns depicting birds, beasts and historical figures. Lanterns are carried by children in processions, which are used to colourfully decorate temples and light up family homes. The Lantern Festival is themed according to the animal of the Chinese zodiac representing that year, with 2010 being the year of the Tiger.
 
Festivities can last up to five days and traditional themes are celebrated with modern technology, such as laser light shows, fireworks and robotics, which produce dramatic shows and draw huge crowds.
 
For more information, visit: taiwan.net.tw