Taiwan celebrates 34th Lantern Festival, marking return to pre-pandemic normal
TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan’s 34th Lantern Festival celebrations officially kicked off last Sunday (Feb. 5) in Taipei, marking the start of Taiwan’s tourism industry in 2023 after a disruption from the global COVID-19 pandemic. .
The Taiwan Lantern Festival was first created by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Communications in 1990, and it returned to the capital after 23 years, with the theme of “Lighting the Future”.
Zhang Shih-chung, head of Taiwan’s tourism bureau, said the celebrations marked Taiwan’s return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
“Three years after the (Covid-19 pandemic) we are hosting one of these ‘World Nightscape’ heritage events.”
“This marks a return to normal in Taiwan. We hope tourism will rebound,” Chang told a news conference on Monday.
Taiwan steps up efforts to boost tourism
Zhang revealed that Taiwan aims to reach 50 percent of the total number of foreign tourists to Taiwan in 2023, which was recorded before the pandemic in 2019, and reach 11.86 million in 2024.
according to Taipei Times, Transport Minister Wang Guocai also announced that the Taiwanese government will spend NT$6 billion (US$200.69 million) this year on incentives to attract more than six million international tourists to Taiwan.
Including free high-speed rail tickets when purchasing air tickets to Taiwan, fresh fruit exchange coupons in convenience stores for tourists, half-day tours between flights, NT$500 EasyCard or iPass and other electronic payment cards. independent traveler.
The first large-scale public event after the epidemic
For the first time, the Lantern Festival will become a real “urban” Lantern Festival. It will be located in a densely populated area of Taipei City. The works will be displayed among high-rise buildings, and the lights will illuminate the streets and alleys of the city. The Lantern Festival is also the first large-scale public event in Taiwan after the epidemic.
There are more than 300 exhibits, 12 administrative lighting areas, and an exhibition area of 168 hectares. According to the Taipei City News and Tourism Bureau, the festival attracted more than 462,000 people to the festival’s main venue on the first day.
All lantern festival venues can take MRT (main stations: Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, Zhongxiao Dunhua Station, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station, Taipei City Hall Station, Taipei 101 Station), connecting East District and Xinyi District, integrating local enterprises, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei 101 and other city highlights.
Four major lighting districts and exhibition areas (Lighthouse, Fountain of Light, Light of the Future, and Central Exhibition Area) distributed in 12 districts of Taipei have been designated as venues for the exhibition.
In her opening remarks at the event on Sunday, President Tsai Ing-wen described the festival as one of “Taiwan’s premier international festivals” and said the country was ready to welcome tourists from around the world.
These sites will feature rabbits to commemorate the Year of the Rabbit. There are also lanterns presented by countries such as St. Kitts and Nevis, Belize and St. Lucia, which are allies of Taiwan.
The International Friendship Lighting Zone includes ten cities, with Japanese companies participating.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that the countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan of the Republic of China include Belize, Swaziland (formerly known as Swaziland), Guatemala, Haiti, the Holy See (the central administrative organ of the Roman Catholic Church), etc. 14 countries. Church), Honduras, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tuvalu.
For more information, visit the official website here.