台中市政府新聞局/文．圖提供 楊翰雯/譯
Article and photos courtesy of Taichung City Government Information Bureau
Translated by Anna Yang
2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival
Celebrating the Lantern Festival together
The 15th day of the first lunar month is also known as the “little new year” and was a Chinese holiday traditionally celebrated with firecrackers and hand-held lanterns or torches to create a joyful, festive atmosphere. The Taiwan Lantern Festival is held every year as a way to preserve and pass on Taiwan’s traditional culture, as well as bring families and friends together for a memorable, happy holiday.
Taiwan Lantern Festival has been highlighted on
America’s Discovery Channel as one of the best
festivals in the world.
Among the world’s best festival events
The Taiwan Lantern Festival, organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, is now coming to its 31st year. Starting in 2001, this national event has rotated among Taiwan’s cities and counties, which each have the opportunity to host it, and has become so popular that it has been highlighted on the American Discovery Channel as one of the best festivals in the world.
‘Countdown from 100 Begins from the Heart: The Light and Shadow Paradise’ is an exhibition event between Oct. 31 and Nov. 10, designed to create a joyful, early pre-festival ambiance.
2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung
The upcoming Taiwan Lantern Festival will be hosted by Taichung City for the third time, following events in 2003 and 2015. For the 2020 event, the city government will do its utmost to promote Taichung businesses, industries, tourism and culture to the world, boosting the local economy while doing so.
Taiwan Lantern Festival in a dazzling Taichung
For the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival, Taichung is being touted as the “Dazzling City” and there are three main themed sites planned to highlight its top rural and urban characteristics: “Fantastical Forest of Lanterns” at the Houli Forest Park Area; “Art Wonderland” at the Houli Horse Ranch; and “Kids’ Paradise” at Wenxin Forest Park.
Main Lantern Site (Feb. 8-23, 2020)
Fantastical Forest of Lanterns at Houli Forest Park Area:
This site introduces the inseparable relationship between light installation art, nature and people, with a respect for nature portrayed in various ways with background music and storytelling.
Art Wonderland at Houli Horse Ranch:
This site combines traditional lanterns with mechanical movements to create a lantern extravaganza utilizing technology and multimedia effects. The venue will also offer a zoo-like atmosphere with animal lantern figures, as well as a colorful “entrepreneur zone” generated by Taichung industries. A European-style carnival and circus show will also take place in this fantasyland.
Secondary Site (Dec. 21, 2019 to Feb. 23, 2020)
Kids’ Paradise at Wenxin Forest Park:
This venue is designed for family visits and children’s entertainment. Various themed lantern areas and performances will transform this downtown location into a forest paradise for kids. Lanterns in the secondary lantern site will be illuminated during the Christmas and New Year periods, making this fairytale-like location perfect going for residents and visitors alike.
Transportation:
Those taking trains to Houli Railway Station can ride public buses or shuttle buses to the main lantern sites (Houli Forest Park Area and Horse Ranch). To get to the downtown secondary site, take the train to Daqing Railway Station (or Taichung HSR Station) and take No. 800 buses to your destination. Traffic controls will be enforced around the festival sites, so taking public transportation is recommended.
Introduction to attractions
Rainbow Village located on Nantun District’s Lane 56, ChunAn Road near Ling Tung University. This colorful community is covered with child-like drawings done by artist Huang Yong-fu, also known as “Rainbow Grandpa”, whose vivid illustrations of people and animals have rejuvenated this once drab, lonely village.
Rainbow Village
National Taichung Theater is ranked among the world’s top nine architectural landmarks. This beautiful, artistic building is the brainchild of world-famous architect Toyo Ito, whose interior design embraces a “sound cave” concept.
National Taichung Theater
Shengji New Village is a culture and creative industry venue sited in a renovated former government housing community. Today it attracts large crowds of visitors, who enjoy shopping and photo-taking here.
Houfeng Bikeway, stretching 4.5 kilometers, begins right beneath National Freeway No.4 and ends at Houli Horse Ranch, traveling through the former Old Mountain Rail Line’s No. 9 Tunnel and across the Hualiang Steel Bridge.
Dongfeng Bikeway was the first Taiwan bike route to be built over an old rail line. It offers 12 greenery-lined kilometers of scenery, starting in Fengyuan District and ending at Dongshi District’s Hakka Cultural Park. Popular in Taichung as a recreational destination, this bikeway is connected to Houfeng Bikeway.
Ma An Ba Ecology Park (Dajia River Power Plant) is located in Heping District and is home to an abundance of wildlife, including fish, birds, butterflies, monkeys, wild boars, and Reeve’s muntjacs. Besides enjoying the transformed power plant, you may also observe fish swimming upstream at this new eco-friendly Taichung site.
Basianshan Forest Recreation Area, located in Heping District, is situated at an elevation of 700 to 2,500 meters above sea level and encompasses both Basian Mountain and Malun Mountain. The area is also above Shiwen Creek, whose rushing clear waters combine with the forest greenery to make this a pure paradise.
台中市政府新聞局/文．圖提供 楊翰雯/譯 Article and photos courtesy of Taichung City Government Information Bureau Translated by Anna Yang
2020 台灣燈會
元宵燈會慶團圓 農曆正月十五日元宵節，有「小過年」之稱，傳統上以燃放鞭炮、手提燈籠或火把，於喧鬧中呈現喜慶吉祥氛圍。每年於元宵節期間舉辦的燈會，旨為傳承及發揚台灣傳統文化，讓民眾維繫親友凝聚的歡樂，是國人在春節期間共同的期待與回憶。
台灣燈會被國際媒體Discovery評為「全球最佳節慶活動」之一
全球最佳節慶活動 由交通部觀光局籌辦的「台灣燈會」自第一屆舉辦至今，已走過30個年頭，2001年起，始由台北轉至各縣市輪流辦理，活動規模與名聲逐年成長，2007年被國際媒體Discovery評為「全球最佳節慶活動」之一。
2019/10/31-11/10展出的【倒數100，從心啟動-光影遊樂園】提前讓 市民感受節慶氛圍
2020台灣燈會在台中 2020台灣燈會經本市爭取，繼2003年及2015年後，第三度成功取得台灣燈會主辦權。台中會全力以赴，期藉此機會推廣城市產業、觀光與文化，活絡地方經濟。
台灣燈會 璀璨台中 2020台灣燈會在台中，主題命名為「璀璨台中」，利用場域特性，以城市特色為核心，規劃三大主題展區：森林園區「森林秘境」、馬場園區「藝想世界」以及文心森林公園「童趣樂園」。
主展區(2020年2月8日至2月23日)
森林園區「森林秘境」： 以燈光藝術裝置呈現森林和民眾生活間緊密的關係，喚起眾人對自然環境的重視，並探討地球森林多樣性，伴隨影像聲音、故事敘述，呈現地球環境教育。
馬場園區「藝想世界」： 傳統花燈結合機械動態，科技與多媒體應用，再造燈藝經典。場域規劃有動物園歡樂氛圍的「動物狂歡燈區」、展現台中產業能量的「企業燈區」，以及歐洲當代高空馬戲等展演活動，內容豐富，彷若置身藝想世界。
副展區(2019年12月21日至2020年2月23日)
文心森林公園「童趣樂園」： 以親子同樂為主軸，規劃各種節慶場景、童話故事燈區，產出期間串聯耶誕節和農曆新年兩大重要節慶，打造市中心的兒童森林樂園，提供市民休閒好去處。
交通攻略 主展區位於后里森林園區及馬場園區，后里火車站一出站直達主展區，搭乘「搭火車、公車、接駁車」逛燈會最便利；副展區位於文心森林公園，可搭乘火車至大慶火車站、或在高鐵台中站下車，再搭乘800路公車至活動展區。燈會期間展區周邊道路將進行交通管制，建議民眾搭乘大眾運輸工具前往。
景點簡介
彩虹眷村：位於台中市南屯區春安路56巷，鄰近嶺東科技大學，是條色彩繽紛、充滿童趣彩繪的巷道；出於彩虹爺爺黃永阜之手的彩虹村，充滿鮮豔人像和動物，讓許多遊客特地前往觀賞，也讓這個孤寂的眷村熱鬧起來。
彩虹眷村
台中國家歌劇院：被譽為世界九大新地標的台中國家歌劇院，由國際建築師伊東豊雄以「美聲涵洞」概念打造內部空間，是藝文、建築賞析的好去處。
台中國家歌劇院
審計新村文創園區：是個新興的文創聚落。由老宿舍改建，有不少店家進駐，每到假日總是吸引許多朋友前來，已經成為台中的熱門旅遊打卡景點。
后豐鐵馬道：起點位於豐原區國道4號線高架橋下，終點至后里馬場，貫穿原舊山線「9號隧道」，再經花樑鋼橋，全長4.5公里。
馬鞍壩生態園區：位在和平區，集結電力科技與生態廊道，不僅是中部水力發電重心，還蘊藏魚類、鳥類、蝶類、獼猴、山豬、山羌等豐富生態。在這，不僅可以看到電廠的轉型，更可以從魚道觀察魚兒逆流而上的自然生態，共同體驗這座台中全新的生態景點。
八仙山森林遊樂區：位於台中市和平區境內，海拔介於700至2,500公尺間，八仙山、馬崙山皆位於境內。而八仙山國家森林遊樂區地處佳保溪匯入十文溪處的沖積台地（佳保台）上，二溪的水質清澈潔淨，水量充沛。碧藍的溪水流經巨岩，激起白色浪花，夾岸翠綠的森林，質樸純淨，令人有遺世獨立之感。