The 2015 Taipei Lantern Festival

Lunar new year celebrations are still going on here, so I took the subway to Taipei Expo Park on a rainy night to check out the lantern festival. These elaborate set pieces were on display through March 8, 2015.

As far as I can tell, most of these lanterns are made by kids from all over the island, from elementary to university level. The "Leaping Goat" is a college entry.

The one below was made by middle schoolers at Feng Ming Junior High School in Nantou County.

“My home is Nantou, a beautiful and scenic place," they wrote. 

"The mountain is made a better place through the hard work of my aboriginal brothers and sisters. You may say that a mountain is great as long as there are aborigines living within it. Seeing them diligently engaging in fishing and wine-making, it seems that 2015 will be yet another bountiful year.”

The following description sounds like the Taiwanese are issuing an open invitation to their Transformer overlords:

“Comics and gundam were once our childhood playmates, accompanying us as we dreamed of the future. Now, let all our imaginative creativity take flight, transforming Taipei into an even better futuristic city.”

Many of the exhibits are marine-themed. This one is called "Caring for the Ocean Starts With Me."

And, as one comes to expect in Asia, there is a competitive dose of jingoistic underdog-isms:

“The crabs serve to depict and thank our forefathers for their hard work and industriousness, creating an economic miracle. Wealth pours in from all directions to help build a blissful nation."

This is no organic celebration. The event is highly orchestrated, perhaps a little too organized, like kids "trick-or-treating" out of the trunk of a well-meaning neighbor's car.

But food stalls, musical performances and vendors are all over the grounds, the craftsmanship is mind-boggling, and the positive vibe is contagious. I can feel my imaginative creativity taking flight!