The trademark festival lanterns of Nanjing, the ancient capital in the south, will be displayed in Taipei during the moon festival, or mid-August Festival on Chinese lunar calendar.

Traditionally lit to celebrate big Chinese festivals, lanterns in the Confucius Temple area, Nanjing's famous business district, are known for being the best quality in the country.

Those selected to be exhibited in Taipei include 18 different groups featuring legendary stories. More sophisticated than those with just a candle inside, the computer integrated lanterns are animated with sound and light effects.

According to Gu Yeliang, head of the exhibition, the two golden- dragon lanterns are 30 meters long each and cost one ton of steel and four bolts of silk.

All of the exhibits were made by local folk handicraftsmen, he added.

(People's Daily 07/03/2001)