The Fourth Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Conference
13-16 Feb, 2006, Taiwan
　

The Lunar New Year and 2006 Taipei Lantern Festival

        Following on the heels of Chinese New Year, like a mongrel after its master, is the Lantern Festival. The Year of the Dog is coming, and Taipei City Government is putting on a show of lantern light at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.

        Taipei City has announced its new mascot for the 2006 Taipei Lantern Festival—Wang Wang the dog. Wang Wang symbolizes the diverse and modern character of Taipei. With a smile on his face, he'll warm you up on these cold winter nights.

        Providing free small lanterns for residents (especially kids) has been one of the major attractions of Taipei's Lantern Festival. This year's mascot reflects the approaching Year of the Dog. Wang Wang is a gift from Taipei City Government to the people of Taipei. This symbol of luck will bring good fortune to all who attend the 2006 Taipei Lantern Festival.

        This year, the twenty-two-meter-tall Wang Wang will be surrounded by twenty-four minor lanterns. During last year's festival, more than five million people admired the colorful lanterns on the streets of Taipei. This year, with forecasts of mild weather and more room for displays, the festival will be no doubt a popular event.

        In addition to distributing miniature lanterns, the city government will give out ear plugs to people living near CKS Memorial Hall. A hundred thousand free lanterns will be given away. You can get one starting at 2 pm each day, at five distribution points around CKS Memorial Hall.

        There will also be an adventure story that goes along with the Wang Wang Lantern. The title of the story is "Wang and Fu's lucky journey in Taipei City." The story tells about how a small boy and Wang Wang embark on a journey to find Wang Wang's sister, Fu Fu. Many famous buildings in Taipei guide the pair through the city, on their search for the missing dog.

        The 2006 Taipei Lantern Festival will be held at CKS Memorial Hall between February 11 and February 19.