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February 13, 2025 | 11:25 am
TEMPO.CO, Taoyuan - The Taiwan Lantern Festival 2025 has officially opened today, Wednesday, February 12, 2025. The festival will last for 13 days until February 25, 2025.
President Lai Ching-Te inaugurated the festival by hitting a "home run," symbolizing Taiwan's baseball team. Alongside several high-ranking officials such as Prime Minister Cho Jung-Tai, Minister of Transportation and Tourism Chen Shih-kai, and Mayor of Taoyuan Chan San-Cheng, the president will light the main lantern themed "Infinity Paradise."
According to Lai Ching-Te, this is his first time participating in the Taiwan Lantern Festival since taking office as president. This year, the festival is centered in Taoyuan, a city that symbolizes baseball culture and international transportation. It is the 36th year of the Lantern Festival, which coincides with the 36th year of the Professional Baseball League.
Prime Minister Cho Jung-Tae stated that the Lantern Festival is also known as a small New Year. He hopes the festival can boost both domestic and international tourist visits.
There are over 300 artworks showcased in two areas, around Taoyuan Airport and near Station 19 or the Taiwan Sports Park Station.
Aiming for 10 Million Tourists
Deputy Head of the Taiwan Tourism Administration Lin Hsin Jen stated that the Lantern Festival is held annually on the 15th day after the Lunar New Year celebration. The festival is expected to attract 10 million local and foreign tourists, making it the largest tourism event in Taiwan.
"We also refer to this event as Disneyland without the roller coaster," Lin said when met in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
Lin also explained the "Infinity Paradise" symbol, the 2025 Lantern Festival theme. "This year is very special because it's the Year of the Snake, and the symbol or icon we launched is the infinity symbol, resembling a snake, so we call it 'Infinity Paradise'," Lin said.
The theme changes every year according to the Chinese calendar. In 2024, the Lantern Festival presented the concept of a dragon following the Chinese lunar calendar.
Main Lantern Reaching 8 Meters High
According to Lin, the government enlisted the help of several professionals to design and build the main lantern, which is about 8 meters high. The main lantern was designed by Taiwanese artist Akibo Lee.
Recycled materials were used. "After the pandemic, sustainable tourism has become a trend worldwide, so we used recycled materials to design the lantern. Since our country also won the world baseball competition, we have a baseball-themed lantern," Lin said.
With several Indonesian media and influencers, Tempo visited the 2025 Lantern Festival celebration in Taoyuan, Taiwan. There are also interactive lanterns, providing more entertainment for visitors.
Lin mentioned that visitors can experience something new, including lanterns equipped with a photobooth.
Heaven, a Taoyuan resident expressed joy at the lantern festival. "I can introduce Chinese culture to my children," he said when met by Tempo on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. He visited with his wife and three children.
Aside from Taoyuan, the Lantern Festival is also held in more than 20 cities in Taiwan. The funding for the festival comes from donations from several companies and the Taiwanese government.
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