Taipei Lantern Festival's nine days of lively events come to a close, writing a new page in the West District

The 2017 Taipei Lantern Festival, held for the first time in Taipei's West District, came to an end after nine days of activities, following the final main lantern show at 10 PM on the 12th and the lights going out across all lantern zones at 11 PM.

This year's Taipei Lantern Festival was held in Ximending for the first time, setting quite a few records. The grandeur of the opening was on par with a New Year's Eve party, and over the nine days of the lantern festival it drew attention and considerable praise from all quarters, with crowds of visitors continuously pouring into Taipei's West District. The main performance area, presented for the first time in the form of a "street theater," featured the "Little Miracle Chicken Family" created by artist Bu Er Liang (Better Man), breaking the previous concept of having only one main lantern. In addition, main visual performance producer Feng Jianzhang, using a production standard on par with the highest-spec concert performances in Taiwan, created one visual feast after another in the main performance area; finally, the "West District Carnival Parade" on the night of the Lantern Festival was the first large-scale parade ever seen in the West District.

Taipei Deputy Mayor Chen Ching-chun, who presided over the lantern festival's closing ceremony, said that this year the Taipei Lantern Festival was brought to Ximending, with efforts made to overcome all kinds of obstacles in traffic, cleaning, and security maintenance, giving the North Gate and Zhongshan Hall a magnificent transformation. It is hoped that by holding the Taipei Lantern Festival, people can draw closer to one another.

This year's overall presentation of the Taipei Lantern Festival broke through the previous model of the lantern festival and also attracted international attention. All of this is worth savoring again, though it still must come to a close after the nine-day exhibition period ends. We also look forward to seeing everyone again at next year's Taipei Lantern Festival!