The weeks after the Lunar New Year are usually filled with bright, colorful nights, as people celebrate the Lantern Festival. In Tainan, tourists who come for the festival will not only be able to admire other artists’ work, but also create beautiful pieces of their own.
Welcome to the tenth annual Yuejin Lantern Festival! Almost one hundred different art installations light up the Yanshuei District of Tainan, and they are spread across five exhibition areas.
This year marks the largest festival yet, with lanterns stretching all the way from the main bus station to the small streets and alleys down by the Yuejin port. At nighttime, the lights reflect off the river, and crowds gather around to admire these beautiful sights.
The festival also includes an interactive art installation called Sketch Aquarium, which was designed by a Japanese artist collective. Visitors can draw their own sea creatures, and then marvel as their imaginations come to life in the virtual “aquarium”.
Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che visited the Sketch Aquarium and said it really seemed like his fish illustration came to life. After drawing and scanning their sea creatures, visitors can make their animals move through the water or even feed them.
Besides the Yuejin Lantern Festival, there's another event brightening up Tainan. Longci District is hosting its fourth annual light festival in Huxingshan Park. Twelve artists have come together to display fourteen light installations, creating a mystical-looking forest.
Both festivals are only running until February 28, making the upcoming holiday weekend the last chance to check them out before it's time for lights out.