It was Chinese Newyear’s week 2005 I think. I was at Dihua street (迪化街), at the temple there nearby Nanjing W. Rd. There was an enormous crowd on the street because a procession was going on. Some people on a cart driving thru the street were playing an instrument. It was kinda special; I’d like to see that again. Does someone know the day and also time that this kind of procession is planned this year, at Dihua street?
Or are there other traditional events like this going on in Taipei, something ‘must see’?
(p.s. is this thread -the Events thread - the right place to ask about an event, i.e. not organising one? Please move if not… thanks)
The Lantern Festival carnival. Not sure where or when this year. Think it is 2 weeks after the first day of Chinese New Year, but not sure when the carnival starts. It is a bunch of elaborate floats or lights with some with mechnical Chinese figurines. Usually occurs around the Dictator’s Memorial Park, aka Chiang Kai Shek park, aka Democracy hall and whatever they are changing the name to this month.
Actually the kind of procession you speak of goes every week somewhere in Taiwan. They are linked to local buddha’s birthday processions. I think the Tourism bureau needs to publish a temple festival schedule in English for foreigners because I agree this is the coolest thing I see in Taiwan and I only come across them by accident.
Yes, there are processions going on somewhere every week. But this particular one at Dihua street was different. It was so crowded… I think many people came there specially for this … “celebration”. I forgot what kind of instrument it was they were playing, but it was not the usual. I am quite sure it was exactly the week of Chinese new year holidays…
I got some friends coming over to Taiwan, and want to show them some of these special traditional processions. Not just the usual ones with blue trucks and those flutes sounding like bagpipes and a couple of drums.