An enormous sky lantern, measuring 20 feet in height and carrying messages of peace and goodwill, was released Feb. 12 at the 13th Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City.
On the lantern was a message by ROC President Ma Ying-jeou. “May the nation prosper, may its citizens love one another. God bless Taiwan,” he wrote.
New Taipei Mayor Eric Li-luan Chu also wrote his wishes on the lantern, hoping the residents of New Taipei City will be safe and prosperous, and that the city will thrive.
As the three-story high lantern took off, 200 smaller lanterns were released at the same time, the soft radiance of the lanterns lifting up the spirits of spectators.
“It is incredibly beautiful to see so many lanterns floating up gently into the sky. It fills one with a sense of wholeness,” said Katakura Yoshifumi, a Japanese travel writer who introduces Taiwan’s tourism and delicacies to the Japanese audience.
“I’ve been to the Pingxi festival three or four times and every time I’ve enjoyed myself tremendously,” he added. “Many of my readers are very interested in the event whenever they read about it in my book and will ask me what it is.”
According to Lin Guo-he, a master lantern craftsman, Pingxi and Shifen, both former coal-mining towns, used to be rife with bandits, and floating lanterns were used by their residents to convey messages.
“Originally, sky lanterns had five colors, each of which represented something different. Orange, pink, red, white and yellow stood respectively for good luck, happiness, good fortune, good health and prosperity,” Lin explained.
“Most lanterns nowadays use fewer than five colors, but I insist on making traditional ones as a way to preserve our culture,” he said.
According to the New Taipei City government, 2,000 free lanterns will be handed out Feb. 17, the final day of the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. (HZW)
Write to Grace Kuo at morningk@mail.gio.gov.tw