The Taiwan Lantern Festival in Tainan has drawn massive crowds to view its main centerpiece, which has sparked discussions about its striking resemblance to its predecessor and other pop culture icons.
The "Dragon Comes to Taiwan" main lantern for the 2024 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Tainan shines brilliantly at night, adorned with colorful lights, and even dazzles during the day with its golden hue. However, its shape has prompted some whimsical observations from the public.
A spectator likened it to a scene from the basketball anime Slam Dunk, with the dragon resembling either Rukawa Kaede or Sakuragi Hanamichi going for a dunk. Another observer says that it looks like it's about to shoot a basketball.
Others joined in the fun, suggesting various comparisons. One netizen remarked that it looks like the movie star Godzilla! Some even saw resemblances to a beckoning cat or a gecko when viewed from behind. The outpouring of creativity from netizens has brought smiles and laughter to many.
However, amidst the playful discussions, some people couldn't help but notice the uncanny resemblance to the dragon main lantern from 12 years ago at the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Changhua.
The project director for this year’s main lantern Peng Li-chen (彭力真), addressed the similarities, stating that twelve years ago, it was a floating cloud, so it was above the clouds. In the 'Dragon Comes to Taiwan' lantern for 2024, they incorporated the waves because Tainan represents the Age of Exploration 400 years ago that is connected to voyage.
As the Taiwan Lantern Festival draws massive crowds of visitors during its return to Tainan after 16 years, the discussion around the main lantern continues to heat up, both at the festival grounds and online.