Taipei is hosting the Taiwan Lantern Festival, which has returned to the city for the first time in 23 years. The festival kicked off on Sunday and features a robotic jade rabbit among other attractions.
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Happy Year of the Rabbit! Every 15th day of the Lunar New Year, Taiwan celebrates with the Lantern Festival. This year it’s being held in Taipei. The theme lantern is a robotic jade rabbit whose expressions are modeled after Taiwan’s Olympic gold medalist Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳)
Right nearby, the Taipei 101 also displays this year’s Chinese zodiac animal.
The festival kicked off on Sunday. It features a variety of colorful installations throughout the city.
Another major display is a dragon, which symbolizes power and good luck for the new year. There’s also a lantern in the shape of the Formosan blue magpie, a beautiful bird that is endemic to Taiwan. The piece is called Renewal, a great theme for the new year.
There are a variety of elegant and beautiful light installations that people can enjoy throughout the city. You can walk under a ceiling of carrot lanterns and also enjoy cute bunny lanterns throughout the festival. The Lantern Festival runs through February 19 and is a fun and festive way to usher in the Year of the Rabbit.