The 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival wrapped up with a bang Feb. 23 in the central city of Taichung after dazzling over 11 million visitors during its 16-day run.
An array of performances capping the event concluded with an eight-minute, 800-drone finale, the largest display of its kind ever held in Taiwan. Among other acts awing audiences was U.K. contemporary circus troupe Cirque Bijou, which featured renowned high-wire walker Jade Kindar-Martin and drew more than 10,000 spectators per day.
Organized by Taichung City Government, the event broke previous records for highest number of attendees in a single day, reaching a maximum of 850,000 people at its peak.
At the closing ceremony Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen thanked government staffers, participating vendors, safety personnel and volunteers for making the event possible. According to Lu, orchestrating this year’s celebrations was especially challenging due to the short preparation time and long exhibition schedule combined with carrying out preventative measures to combat any potential spread of COVID-19.
Lu closed by handing over the reins to Shen Hui-hong, deputy mayor of Hsinchu City in northern Taiwan, which will host the lantern festival next year.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung praised Taichung City Government for a successful event and setting an excellent example of cooperation between central and local governments, adding that he was impressed with this year’s festivities. (TYT-E)
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