Heart-shaped Flags of Allies Showed in the Night Sky at Taiwan Lantern Festival to Thank Vaccine Donations

The 2022 Taiwan Lantern Festival is currently held in the largest harbor city of Taiwan, Kaohsiung. The highlight of the festival is a drone light show first launched on February 9, featuring 1,500 drones flying in formation over the Love River Bay sky, the largest scale of its kind in Taiwan. In the program, the fleet specially formed the national flags of six vaccine donors of Taiwan, including Japan, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland, the United States, and the Czech Republic, and a big “Thank you” to demonstrate friendship, solidarity, and to express deep gratitude of Taiwanese people to their international partners, who have helped Taiwan in times of difficulty when the island was hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Kaohsiung City Government and a world-class drone animation and technical team work together for half a year to deliver this spectacular show that wowed its audience. The 1,500 drones, looking like countless twinkling stars, lit up the night sky of the Love River Bay by forming the flags of the six countries in heart shape respectively, with vivid color and vibrant heartbeat animation. The show aimed to deliver blessings and endless thanks to those countries who have given a helping hand to Taiwan in the fight against the pandemic. “A friend in need is a friend indeed,” Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-Mai wrote on his Facebook page. “We are deeply thankful for the precious friendships, and I believe the beauty of the world can always be found in humanity.”

Mayor Chen Chi-Mai stated that the arrivals of batch after batch of vaccines from Japan, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland, the United States, and the Czech Republic had brought comforts to Taiwan and warmed its people’s hearts in times of turmoil. Mayor Chen continued to say that seeing the national flags of Taiwan’s partners spurred its people’s hearts and carried along their never-ending appreciation.

Mayor Chen Chi-Mai specially noted on his Facebook page, “Taiwan, as part of the global community, is always generous enough to offer. Taiwan can help, and Taiwan is also not shy in openly expressing our appreciation to all of our friends out there: Taiwan thanks you for your help.’”
In 2022, The Taiwan Lantern Festival, the largest celebration in Taiwan, has finally returned to Kaohsiung after two decades. A fleet of 1,500 drones gathered in the sky above the Love River estuary, with the splendid reflections on the surface of the water, to deliver blessings and heartfelt gratitude Taiwanese people to those who have helped the island.

Taiwan is a beautiful island surrounded by ocean and home to a people born with resilience and perseverance. People of Taiwan tend to grow even stronger in hard times and can always fight back and overcome adversity. The spectacular lights displayed at the 2022 Taiwan Lantern Festival represented bright prospects of the New Year. May the lights of Taiwan illuminate Kaohsiung, fire up Taiwan, and bring more warmth to the world.