2008 Taiwan Lantern Festival

In 1990, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau began holding the Taipei Lantern Festival to foster local culture and to bring the traditions of Taiwan onto the international stage and into the modern age. Over the years, the festival has steadily grown to become one of Taiwan's biggest and internationally best-known tourism events.

December 05th, at Minsyong Restaurant in Sinying City, Tainan County, Su Huan-Jhih, Mayor of Tainan County, invited influential people from the medical field in the county for a luncheon. In addition to explaining the to participants county government's progress in preparing for the 2008 Taiwan Lantern Festival, Mayor Su also asked everyone to contribute monetarily in order to help making the event successful.

Special features Mayor Su talked about the process of lobbying for the rights to host the festival in Tainan County. He said that because Pingtung County and Yunlin County were lobbying hard for the right to host, the Central Government couldn't decide which county should get the right until July. That didn't leave much time for the government of Tainan County to prepare. However, the county government had already made preparations. Mayor Su also mentioned that in order to foster the development of Southern Taiwan Science Park Special Area, once the location for the festival changed from being held inside the Southern Taiwan Science Park, he urged the location be changed to Solar City, inside Southern Taiwan Science Park Special Area. Cerberus is the developer for Southern Taiwan Science Park Special Area. The county government only had to budget for the public construction before getting back the rebate and did not have to pay for anything else. The 3 roads connecting to the outside have been gradually built, and Siraya Boulevard, which is the last road to be built, will be finished before December 30th. With all 3 roads completed it'll be easier to travel to and from the townships and towns around the Special Area, thereby helping to develop these towns and townships.

Mayor Su said that by holding the Festival at Solar City, the County Government of Tainan is determined to show its growth and development not only to the entire island nation, but also to the world, in order to attract businesses to come and to help out with the economic struggles of the county government. Mayor Su also mentioned that for the sake of this festival, the country government has strongly urged for the testing of the Taiwan Railways Southern Science Park Commuter Stop [台鐵南科通勤站]. Events such as the opening of the Siraya Boulevard and the organization of New Year's Party at the end of the year, and the "Sea of Flower Construction Exhibition" that will debut during the Chinese New Year's Holiday Period will help to demonstrate the specialties of the Southern Taiwan Science Park Special Area and promote the Special Area and in term, Tainan County. Mayor Su talked about how biotechnology and Solar Power Industry are upcoming industries for the future and he will invite a Japanese Construction Firm to construct a futuristic digital green building that's earthquake-ready to promote the development concept to the people and to attract businesses.

For today's luncheon, in addition of inviting the chairman of the 7 medical associations, representatives from companies such as HAW-DI-I FOODS CO., LTD, Asenka Frozen and Chilled Food Inc, DaChan Greatwall, DONG MAO INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., Prescient Co. (Hong Kong) [港商香港弘景], and others came. Under the Mayor appeal, many have pledged to contribute monetarily for the preparation of 2008 Taiwan Lantern Festival and be part of this great event.