The Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival will get under way July 8 with a special 3-D movie projected onto the surface of the Dongshan River, according to Yilan County Government July 7.
“The film will give festivalgoers the opportunity to relax after enjoying a fun-filled day packed with activities and performances,” Yilan County Magistrate Lin Tsung-hsien said.
The 25-minute film, which depicts a day in the life of a local girl living in Yilan, highlights the county’s culture and environment. It will be shown nightly from 8:10 p.m. during the festival, along with a water show.
“We hope this screening will give the event an added dimension and attract more visitors to what is fast becoming one of Taiwan’s most popular festivals,” Lin said.
Other highlights of this year’s sports-themed festival include providing visitors with the chance to use specially designed aqua bikes made of recycled polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, bottles.
According to county government officials, the festival is also a first-class platform for exchanges between children’s theater and dance groups from around the world. “More than 20 performances by groups from Burkina Faso, the Czech Republic, Indonesia and Russia will take place during the 45-day event,” they said.
First staged in 1996, the festival has grown in status and is now promoted by the Tourism Bureau as one of the top 12 of its kind in Taiwan. County officials expect to exceed last year’s attendance figure of 580,000, and look forward to even healthier numbers as the event grows in stature.
The festival was accredited in November 2010 by the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts. The nongovernmental organization, which is affiliated with UNESCO, works to protect and promote traditional culture and folklore around the world.