Heavy Fog Make Fireworks of Taiwan Lantern Festival Closing Ceremony Invisible

Taiwan Lantern Festival Closing Ceremony was held tonight successfully. The Ceremony broadcast the film extending appreciation to the off-stage heroes of the Festival, set off the fireworks show and lantern lights show for 8 minutes and invited the off-stage heroes and their family members onto the stage. The scene touched people. However, the effect of fireworks show was not as good as expected, because of the heavy fog.

At the Closing Ceremony tonight, National Taiwan College of Performing Arts performed the first show, and then the Ceremony opened officially. The organizer invited the “Lantern Festival Heroes” who devoted themselves privately during the Festival to participate in the Ceremony, including volunteer groups, police and national defense, firemen, security guards, health care workers, repairmen, cleaning staff, drivers, tour guiders, performers and lantern craftsmen. Their family members were also invited onto the man stage to accept the applause, encouragement and appreciation from all audience. Meanwhile, the monitors on the main stage, Yi Guang and Chintan Park also broadcast the film “Lantern Heroes” at the same time to thank for their contribution and showed the words “Thank You” with laser.

Among the other things, the representative of some off-stage group, a Japanese volunteer named 澤木直美, came from Nagoya, Japan. Now, she is a sophomore student of CYCU Department of Chemical Engineering. She served as a volunteer during the Festival. She said that she came to watch the Festival, but unexpectedly found that the Festival was recruiting volunteers; therefore, she joined the volunteer service and felt so glad to provide the service, as Taiwan’s lantern festival was really beautiful.

Cheng Wen-Tsan said that it was the first time for Taiwan Lantern Festival to take place in Taoyuan. This should be an unforgettable and very successful lantern festival carnival; this lantern festival would be closed today and I believed that all of you had received abundant memories and felt unbearable.

He indicated that this lantern festival integrated technology and culture, traditional and modern styles, and local and international trends, and showed surprising effects, creative ideas and inspiration all the times.

Meanwhile, he concluded that this Lantern Festival enabled all people to see the convenient and rapid traffic in Qingpu, Taoyuan and the well-founded facilities at the Lantern Festival, in addition to the considerate services provided at the Festival and the kindness, consideration and passion from all workers and volunteers. He wanted all of people to encourage and recognize these lantern festival heroes. He believed that the lantern festival would not be a simple lantern festival, as it expressed Taiwan’s technological dream, local characteristics of Taoyuan and diversified cultures, and even the assets on the land of Taiwan.

He mentioned that the Lantern Festival this year would make Taiwan Lantern Festival hit the history. He had to complete mission impossible all the times in the past, and this time, he would like to thank the group and all volunteers for their teamwork to complete the mission impossible.

He indicated the Lantern Festival generated the economic effect amounting to NT$15 billion, and also demonstrated Taiwan’s charisma and Taoyuan’s urban characteristics; the Lantern Festival should be identified as the work completed by all people of Taoyuan, the government and private sector, and also the memory and pride of Taoyuan. He hoped that after this Taiwan Lantern Festival, a new Taoyuan may stand at the starting point of history to work with each other.

Then, Mayor Cheng Wen-Tsan and Director-General of Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Hsieh Wei-Chun, and 澤木直美 signed on the yoga balls. The yoga balls are the most important elements forming the “New Technology World” lantern area. The tech clouds in the Technology World lantern area are formed by more than 2000 yoga balls, no matter illumination, projection or style, symbolizing the Taiwan Lantern Festival’s technology dream and vision, and the dream once shining here.

After the last lantern lights show, the closing ceremony fireworks show started. Based on the theme oriented toward “Passing the Torch”, the Ceremony specially designed the colorful fireworks in the form of the Olympic Rings to symbolize the unification of different ethnic groups. A total of 2100 shots of sky fireworks and 2568 shots of special-effect fireworks were launched. The fireworks show persisting for 8 minutes drew Taiwan Lantern Festival to a perfect end this year.

Source: http://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/201603060298-1.aspx