President Tsai Ing-wen inaugurated the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival in the central city of Taichung yesterday. A 15-meter-high multicolored main lantern known as the "Tree of Light," was lit. The event is held at the Taichung Houli Flora Expo Site and will continue until February 23. Most of the crowd were wearing face maskS and bundled up warmly, owing to the coronavirus epidemic. The 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival kicked off in Taichung on Saturday night, and on this first day of the festival, the main lantern was lit. Amid majestic music, with lights radiating in all directions, the main lantern was a dazzling colorful spectacle. Lin Chia-lungTransportation ministerUnder the threat of an epidemic, this kind of lamp is particularly meaningful. It can light the way for each of us and transmit warmth. This year, the main installation “Tree of Light” was created by local artist Lin Shuen-long. It is composed of 22 structures representing each of Taiwan’s counties and cities. Its outstretched glowing lanterns in the design of flower buds represent the nation’s 368 towns and counties. Tsai Ing-wenPresidentThe main lamp at this event is a continuation of the design concept embodied in the Taichung World Flora Expo. Its original seeds have already grown into a huge tree of light. To organize this year’s lantern festival, we had to put in even more effort in response to the novel coronavirus epidemic. However, we were able to launch the event successfully. That’s something we need to affirm. As she lit the main lantern, President Tsai also prayed for Taiwan. Meanwhile, the spectacle of many people in the audience wearing facemasks was probably a first for the annual event.
