Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Qimai lit the main lamp "Captain Cute Rabbit-ㄇㄚˊ几".

(Photo by reporter Li Huizhou)

[Reporters Huang Xulei, Li Huizhou/Kaohsiung Report] The 2023 Kaohsiung Lotus Lantern Festival opened tonight at the Lianchi Lake in Zuoying. Mayor Chen Qimai lit the main water and land lantern "Captain Cute Rabbit-ㄇㄚˊ几", attracting more than 130,000 tourists on the first day Crowds, the dynamic main light "Light Dance in the Lotus Pond" will be on display until February 5th during the Lantern Festival, and the activities of offering incense in temples and selling iPhone14 at businesses will continue until February 28th.

Lianchitan is the gathering place of temples in Kaohsiung City. The lighting around the pond will start at 6:30 tonight. The surrounding Dragon and Tiger Pagoda, Wuli Pavilion and Xuantian God will be lit up in sequence. Fireworks will emerge from the back of the Confucian Temple. The high hanging made the tourists on the scene exclaim again and again.

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"Everyone comes to see the lights, not mine." Chen Qimai put on his cute hands and compared his hands to rabbit ears. He met with legislator Liu Shifang, Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Kang Yucheng, Kaohsiung City Tourist Association Chairman Liu Kunfu, and dozens of local chiefs. Take a group photo in front of "Captain Cute Rabbit-ㄇㄚˊ few", and call on the public to come to Lianchitan to feel the joy of rabbits.

Chongde Road, Cuihua Road, Zuoying Road, and Shengli Road in Zuoying District were congested in the afternoon. The police force and volunteers in the area directed the traffic, and the "meet rabbit" small lantern queue was more than 100 meters long; Liu Shifang said that some people spent nearly 9 hours queuing up to receive lanterns.

Gao Minlin, director of the Tourism Bureau, said that during the Lantern Festival, the "Light Dance Lotus Pond" will be performed every 15 minutes around the pool from 6:00 to 10:00 every night.

Jinwuzhou Palm Theater Troupe, Tianhongyuan Palm Theater Troupe, Golden Eagle Pavilion TV Puppet Theater Troupe, Jin Feifeng Puppet Theater Troupe, Kaohsiung Shadow Puppet Theater Troupe, Donghua Shadow Puppet Troupe and Yongxingle Shadow Puppet Theater Troupe will take turns to perform in surrounding temples. Huayuan Tianzi Drama Troupe performed at Zuoying Confucius Temple.

There are 7 temples around Lianchitan, including Yuandi Temple, Tzu Chi Palace, Qimingtang, Zhouzai Qingshui Temple, Pizitou Zhenfu Temple, Tianfu Palace, and Fengyi Old Town God's Temple. Visitors who pray for blessings will have the chance to win iPhone14 and 65 TV and other awards, and from now until February 28, people who have spent more than 200 yuan in shops in Zuoying District, take photos of physical invoices or receipts and upload them to the designated area of ​​the Tourism Bureau (https://khh.travel/invoice/), You can draw iPhone14.

7 major temples around the pool "Light Dance Lotus Pond" performance.

(Photo by reporter Huang Xulei)

Chen Qimai (middle) pretends to be cute with rabbit ears, calling on the public to come to Lianchitan to feel the joy of rabbits.

(Photo by reporter Huang Xulei)

Dragon and Tiger Pagoda light show "Light Dance in Lotus Pond".

(Photo by reporter Li Huizhou)

Fireworks by the lotus pool.

(Photo by reporter Li Huizhou)

The first day of the Lantern Festival attracted 130,000 people.

(Photo by reporter Li Huizhou)

The queue for the "meet rabbit" small lantern is more than 100 meters long.

(Photo by reporter Huang Xulei)