lantern festival
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The document provides information about Taiwan's GSE inbound team and the Lantern Festival tradition in Taiwan. It introduces four team members - Sakula, Wendy, Karol, and Evonne and provides their education and experience backgrounds. It then describes the Lantern Festival celebration and some notable events including the Taiwan Lantern Festival featuring large lanterns, the Pingxi Heavenly Lanterns display, and the Yanshui Fireworks show in Tainan County.
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lantern festival
- 9. TAIWAN ->
- 10. Taiwan Area : 13,823 square miles Population: 23 million Capital : Taipei City Language : Mandarin/Taiwanese/Hakka/Indigenous Religion : Buddhism/Taoism/Christianity/Islam Currency: US$1=NT$32
- 11. 3470 District ： Yunlin County Chiayi County Chiayi City Tainan County Tainan City
- 12. Lantern Festival
Editor's Notes
- CA is 12X bigger than TW Area: 35801 km2, 13822.8 sq mi 23 million Length near 400 km Width near 100 km ish CA: 423970 km2, 163696 sq mi The island is 394 kilometers (245 miles) long and 144 kilometers (89 miles) wide Over 93% of Taiwanese are adherents of a combination of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism; 4.5% are adherents of Christianity, which includes Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, and other non-denominational Christian groups; and 2.5% are adherents of other religions, such as Islam.
- atmosphereAccording to the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) and get all their families united in the joyful atmosphere. Lighting Up the Night Sky Celebrating the Taiwan Lantern Festival The 15th day of the first lunar month each year, known as "Yuan Xiao", is one of the three major traditional festivals in Taiwan. It is also the first festival celebration after the start of the Lunar New Year. Special events include the Taiwan Lantern Festival, Pingxi Heavenly Lanterns, Taitung Bombing of the God Handan, the Beehive Rockets of Yanshui, the Taipei Lantern Festival, and traditional celebratory temple rituals. The Discovery Channel's "Fantastic Festivals of the World" program also strongly recommended the Taiwan Lantern Festival as one of the world's best festival events. Since 1990, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau has organized the Taiwan Lantern Festival, and this year, the festival enters its 21st year. The centerpiece of the event is a giant theme lantern modeled on the Chinese zodiacal animal of the year, accompanied by subsidiary lanterns and special lantern areas such as the Hope & Wishes lantern section, the Fun-Filled lantern section and many others, all of which successfully display the art of lantern-making. During the official opening ceremony, performing groups from Taiwan and overseas enliven the festivities, making this an event you cannot miss ! 空燦光輝 祈福慶元宵 元宵節是台灣傳統三大節慶之一，也是農曆新年以後，開春第一個節慶。傳統上，農曆正月 15 日，也就是元宵節，台灣各地大、小寺廟無不張燈結綵，喜氣洋洋地舉辦各項元宵活動，像是台灣燈會、平溪天燈、台東炸寒單、台南鹽水烽炮、台北燈會及各地廟宇傳統慶祝儀式。美國 Discovery 頻道亦曾製作 Fantastic Festivals of the World 節目，力讚台灣慶元宵活動為全球最棒慶典之一。交通部觀光局自 1990 年起舉辦燈會以來，今年已邁入第 21 個年頭。每年燈會主燈造型皆以該年生肖為主題，輔以副燈、祈福燈區、歡樂燈區等多元花燈藝術，開幕當天更有來自國內、外著名表演團體參與演出，精采可期，您一定不能錯過。 The Lantern festival is also known as the "little-New Year." Aside from the usual worship of the gods, the occasion involves guessing lantern riddles, eating rice-flour dumplings, and releasing lanterns into the sky in Pingxi Township. The Yanshui Beehive Rocket Festival in Tainan County is another major event during the Lantern Festival. Colorful and lanterns of all sizes and shapes have always been main attractions of the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated with a grand national festival and major festival in Taipei and Kaohsiung. The Taipei Lantern Festival is held for several days at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, reaching its peak on the day of the Lantern Festival itself. There is a gigantic lantern depicting this year's Chinese zodiac animal, which is the centerpiece of the festival. There are also many traditional lanterns, electromechanical lantern displays, and large themed lantern floats designed by different companies. The Kaohsiung Lantern Festival is held on the Love River. During the festival period, both sides of the river as well as Wufu Rd., Heping Rd., Guangzhou St., and other thoroughfares have lantern exhibitions. There are also musical performances, helping to out the whole city is in a festive mood. 農曆 1 月 15 日是元宵節，一般稱為「小過年」，在眾多節慶中，元宵節熱鬧的程度僅次於農曆春節，是台灣最熱鬧的大型傳統文化節慶。全國各地張燈結綵熱鬧地辦理燈會慶元宵系列活動，包括台灣燈會、平溪天燈、台東炸寒單、台南鹽水蜂炮、台北燈會及高雄燈會等及各地廟宇傳統慶祝儀式，已成為最受國際觀光客喜愛的台灣節慶。美國 Discovery 頻道「世界最佳節慶（ Fantastic Festivals of the World ）」節目曾來台製作” Lantern Celebrations” Taiwan 專輯，極力推薦台灣燈會慶元宵系列活動為全球最佳節慶活動。 Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar. It marks the first full moon of the year, and it also signals the end of the Chinese New Year period. The origins of the festival are unclear; one story goes that the lanterns are part of the birthday celebrations for Tianguan, the Taoist god of good fortune. Others say that the festival started in ancient times, in worship of Taiyi, the god of heaven. Another story says that the origins can be traced back to the first century emperor, Mingdi of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In accordance with his newly found Buddhist belief that the aura of the Buddha can overcome darkness, he ordered his subjects to light lanterns. ... http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1094&Itemid=263
- Though decorative lanterns have traditionally been made from bamboo, electric counterparts have become more popular in recent years.
- Beehive
- The centerpiece of the event is a giant theme lantern modeled on the Chinese zodiacal animal of the year, accompanied by subsidiary lanterns and special lantern areas such as the Hope & Wishes lantern section, the Fun-Filled lantern section and many others, all of which successfully display the art of lantern-making. During the official opening ceremony, performing groups from Taiwan and overseas enliven the festivities, The Tourism Bureau has been holding the Taiwan Lantern Festival for 20 years to attract visitors and raise the international profile of the cultural charms of Taiwan. Traditionally, the festival has been celebrated by carrying hand lanterns. The Taiwan Lantern Festival adds a high-tech to this traditional custom and brings the event to the international stage. From to the theme lantern displays to folk arts and performances, the festival has become a perennial favorite of locals and foreign visitors alike. 交通部觀光局為能將台灣觀光旅遊形象推廣到世界，以吸引更多國外旅客來台旅遊，並提昇旅遊觀光外匯收入， 20 年來都以「民俗文化根、傳統國際化」的理念來辦理台灣燈會。元宵節提燈籠原本是傳統的民俗活動，在融合本土風情及新科技後，台灣燈會更打造出國際級觀光盛會的氣勢，不但主燈展演美不勝收，國內外民俗團體的精采獻藝，以及一波波表演團隊之熱絡表演，使得來台參加台灣燈會的國外嘉賓及旅客都讚聲連連。 Colorful and lanterns of all sizes and shapes have always been main attractions of the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated with a grand national festival and major festival in Taipei and Kaohsiung. The Taipei Lantern Festival is held for several days at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, reaching its peak on the day of the Lantern Festival itself. There is a gigantic lantern depicting this year's Chinese zodiac animal, which is the centerpiece of the festival. There are also many traditional lanterns, electromechanical lantern displays, and large themed lantern floats designed by different companies. 台北燈節在中正紀念堂一連舉辦多天，以元宵節當天掀起最高潮。當晚不僅有熱鬧的點燈及猜燈謎等活動舉行，最受矚目的還是立在廣場中央一座以該年生肖的大型主題燈會。此外，環繞中正紀念堂四周還有各式傳統花燈、現代化電動花燈起大型主題花車等展示。 高雄燈會則選在景致優美愛河舉辦，於愛河兩旁及五福路、和平路、廣州街等路段均有花燈展示，整個活動熱鬧非凡，吸引大量人潮觀賞，為高雄市的重要盛會之一
- Each year, this festival showcases a new theme based on the zodiac animal of the year. The main event of the festival is the Lantern Lighting Ceremony held on the first day of the display with a fusion of color, light, and sound that attracts universal applause from onlookers. It is a show of dazzling color remembered by all. Combining traditional art with modern technology, the Taipei Lantern Festival carries on a centuries-old folk custom, and has become a major activity marking the beginning of the Chinese New Year.
- The night sky on Lantern Festival is also illuminated by the Tainan Yanshui Fireworks Display and Taipei Pinghsi Sky Lanterns - known together as "Fireworks in the South, Sky Lanterns in the North”. The flying of a sky lantern is actually very scientific. As air inside the lantern is heated up, it expands and fills up the lantern interior. When the density of hot air inside is smaller than the density of cool air outside, then the lantern will soar toward the sky. This theory is not unlike that of the ascension of a hot-air balloon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWfkZMV4ZNQ&feature=player_embedded# The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the most colorful activities of the Lantern Festival. Pingxi is a remote hillside town. In former times, those who worked or farmed in the mountains faced the risks of being robbed or killed; so the people used lanterns to tell their families they were safe. The lanterns have lost their function as a warning signal, and today they are a symbol of peace and good fortune. 平溪放天燈是元宵節當晚另一項精彩的活動。追溯平溪天燈的由來，主要因台北縣平溪鄉地處偏遠山區，早年入山開拓者常遭殺害搶劫，為便於通信，乃以放天燈的方式來互報平安。流傳至今，平溪放天燈已不再具有互通信息的功能，而演變成元宵夜的一項觀光活動，成為遊人許願祈福的象徵物。 The Origin of Sky Lantern Sky lantern originated in the Three Kingdoms Period. It is said that Zhuge Liang (Kongming) was the inventor; hence the term Kongming Lantern. In order to pass military information around the city, Kongming utilized the theory of “hot air floating upward” and made lanterns which can float in the sky. Those lanterns created a make-believe astronomic phenomenon that distracted the opposing Sima Yi troops. Kongming Lantern is also the prototype of the modern-day hot-air balloon. As for the origin of Taiwan’s sky lantern, there are several historically reliable versions: Releasing sky lantern is an old custom that was popular in Huian and Anxi of Fujiang Province on the Chinese mainland. As early as the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, settlers in Pingxi Shifen-liao of Taipei County, moving from the above-mentioned areas, still released sky lanterns during off seasons. Influenced by terrains and winds, sky lanterns would float down the Keelung River valley and into the sea. Local folks believed that such image symbolized their remembrance of the ancestral mainland and greetings for Chinese New Year. According to local elders’ accounts, back in the Qing Dynasty when bandits often plagued Shifen area, villagers were forced to seek refuge in the mountains. After the bandits had left, village guardsmen would release nighttime sky lantern to send an “it is safe to return home” message to refugees. Therefore, Shifen villagers like to call sky lantern “prayer lantern” or “peace lantern.” 天燈最早起源於三國時代，相傳原本由諸葛亮（孔明）首創，故又名孔明燈。當初為了要在城內傳遞軍情，利用熱氣上升原理製作燈盞飄浮於空中，造成錯誤的「星象」資訊，用以欺騙司馬懿大軍，也是現今世界上熱氣球的先驅。 而臺灣的天燈起源目前有幾則較有歷史根據的版本： 施放天燈為大陸福建省、惠安、安溪一帶的舊習俗，清朝道光年間，先民由該地區移墾臺灣的台北縣十分寮地區後，在農閒期間仍會施放天燈。而天燈受到地勢和風向的影響，會順著基隆河飛往河口入海處，居民們認為這象徵著向位在大陸地區的親人們報平安，同時也有慶賀年節的祝福意味。 據十分寮地區父老前輩的口述表示，早年在前清年間十分地區經常遭到盜匪騷擾作亂，由於地處山區，村民們只好移往山中躲避禍亂，等待土匪離去後，留守在村中的壯丁，就在夜間施放天燈做為信號，告知山上避難的村民，可以下山回家了，也借此種方式向村民報平安，因此十分地區的村民又稱天燈為「祈福燈」或「平安燈」。 Over the years, the custom of releasing sky lanterns on the first month of Lunar New Year had become a specialty of Shifen-liao. The quiet mountain village has been carrying on this folklore tradition for close to 200 years now. This is indeed the most distinguished cultural festival that northern Taiwan can offer. On Lantern Festival night, tens of thousands people would flock to the majestic festivities in Pingxi Shifen area and send lanterns and their wishes to heaven. 久而久之，放天燈便成為了每年元宵節十分地區的特殊民俗，在一個寧靜的山城小村（十分寮）承襲了此一民俗文化的衣缽，綿延一兩百年之久，是台灣北部最具有民俗色彩之文化活動。直至今日，天燈的施放，已象徵著大家祈福納喜的活動，每年的元宵節當晚，都會吸引著數萬人潮到平溪參與盛會
- The quiet mountain village has been carrying on this folklore tradition for close to 200 years now. This is indeed the most distinguished cultural festival that northern Taiwan can offer. On Lantern Festival night, tens of thousands people would flock to the majestic festivities in Pingxi Shifen area and send lanterns and their wishes to heaven.
- The circular framework of a sky lantern is made of bamboo. The sky lantern is made of rice paper reinforced with hemp fibers, hence getting tough enough to withstand the bulging hot air.
- It is suggested that after the tinder is lit up, you place the lantern on the ground and step on the bamboo rim at the bottom of the lantern. Once the lantern interior is filled up with hot air, let go of your feet and the lantern will lift off rather rapidly toward the sky; your wishes will reach the heaven too.
- Besides, as temperature of the lantern interior goes up, it may very well become too hot for your hands and force you to release the sky lantern prematurely. It is suggested that after the tinder is lit up, you place the lantern on the ground and step on the bamboo rim at the bottom of the lantern.
- Once the lantern interior is filled up with hot air, let go of your feet and the lantern will lift off rather rapidly toward the sky; your wishes will reach the heaven too.
- The fireworks display put on by the God of War Temple in Yanshui, Tainan County is one of the more popular and much awaited events during the Lantern Festival. The display starts one day before the Lantern Festival with the tour of the god's sedan chair, accompanied by the discharge of firecrackers. The noise, lights, and festivities that follow continue well into the following morning. 「北天燈、南蜂炮」，元宵夜除了放天燈之外，台南縣鹽水鎮武廟的蜂炮也聞名國內外。據說起由來是因為清光緒年間，鹽水一帶瘟疫流行，致使當地百姓生計困難，故傳求關聖帝君顯威靈、出巡遶境，從 1 月 13 日至 1 月 15 日一連三天，所到之處，百姓施放煙火鞭炮，藉以去除瘟疫﹔此後，鹽水鎮一帶果然歸於安寧。 百姓為感念關聖帝君的神威，遂明訂每年元宵節當天燃放煙火，並舉行「關帝遶境」。隨著觀光風氣盛行，鹽水鎮蜂炮的提前在元宵節前夜 ( 農曆 1 月 14 日 ) 開始引燃。當神轎抵達時，附近商家、住戶蜂擁而上將蜂炮抬出點燃，一時飛炮沖天，頓時將鹽水鎮化做一座不夜城。 Land god carried by worshippers on a chariot is being thrown with firecrackers at a traditional ceremony of Neihu Distrct, Taipei City, March 4, 2007, to celebrate the Lantern Festival.(2007/03/04) http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=27&page=view&catid=46&key=19&imgid=1336&hit=1 The Yanshuei Fireworks is an important folk activity and tourist attraction which always causes a great sensation nationally during the Lantern Festival. It attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year. It shares proverbial honors with the Pingsi Sky Lanterns in the well-known phrase, “Sky lanterns in northern Taiwan and fireworks in southern Taiwan”. It is said that the Yanshuei Fireworks started in July and August of the Guangsyu Emperor’s 11th year. Cholera was widespread in Yanshuei at that time. Because pre-modern medical care was inadequate, many people died. Residents were panic-stricken and prayed to the Guan Yu divinity to save them. On the night of the Lantern Festival, the Guan Yu divinity ordered General Jhoucang to lead the way. The sedan chair of the divinity followed, with disciples behind it, setting off fireworks along the route. They went through the streets and alleys until dawn and drove away all the disease demons. The custom was continued by later generations of inviting the Guan Yu divinity to patrol the streets on the night of the Lantern Festival. What began as a simple scattering of firecrackers gradually evolved into the display seen at the present day, when it has become one of the best-known folk activities of Yanshuei. The Yanshuei Fireworks ceremony is as bright and beautiful as Carnival in Brazil. On the Lantern Festival night, every business in Yanshuei follows the sedan chair of the divinity and sets off firecrackers. It fills the whole of Yanshuei Town with loud noise, and the night sky is brilliant with colors. The constantly changing sounds and lights are truly an unusual spectacle. 鹽水蜂炮，是元宵節轟動全台的重要觀光民俗活動，每年吸引觀光客人數數以萬計，和「平溪天燈」，有「北天燈，南蜂炮」之美稱。 鹽水蜂炮起源相傳於光緒 11 年 7 、 8 月間，鹽水街流行霍亂瘟疫，當時因醫藥不發達，死者日眾，居民恐慌，祈求關帝聖君解災救難。關聖帝君乃於元宵夜命周倉將軍為前導，帝君神轎殿後，眾善信隨神轎一路燃放鞭炮，遶境大街小巷至天明，將邪魔一掃而除。自此，後代子孫每年均沿襲往例，迎請關聖帝君元宵夜出巡。這種當初單純的燃放鞭炮蛻變為「蜂炮」、「炮城」等活動，奠定今日鹽水遠近馳名的民俗特色。 鹽水蜂炮的璀燦亮麗，可媲美巴西聞名世界的「嘉年華會」，元宵夜鹽水各商戶隨著神轎遶街施放蜂炮，使整個鹽水古鎮漫天震響，此起彼落，夜色中天空五光十色，聲光千變萬化，蔚為奇觀。
- On the night of the Lantern Festival, the Guan Yu divinity ordered General Jhoucang to lead the way. The sedan chair of the divinity followed, with disciples behind it, setting off fireworks along the route. They went through the streets and alleys until dawn and drove away all the disease demons. 關聖帝君乃於元宵夜命周倉將軍為前導，帝君神轎殿後，眾善信隨神轎一路燃放鞭炮，遶境大街小巷至天明，將邪魔一掃而除。 On the Lantern Festival night, every business in Yanshuei follows the sedan chair of the divinity and sets off firecrackers. It fills the whole of Yanshuei Town with loud noise, and the night sky is brilliant with colors. The constantly changing sounds and lights are truly an unusual spectacle. 元宵夜鹽水各商戶隨著神轎遶街施放蜂炮，使整個鹽水古鎮漫天震響，此起彼落，夜色中天空五光十色，聲光千變萬化，蔚為奇觀。