Festivals are becoming an established way in which people in cities and local communities can engage in and celebrate new ways of learning. They are said to have a positive effect on an individual’s well-being and having wider benefits for communities and society.
A festival can offer a chance to have a positive impact in the community or workplace and promote the value of lifelong learning. They can also reinforce existing partnerships in the community and establish new ones.
Traditional Festivals are an important part of our culture and learning In Taiwan. They are enjoyed by many, bringing people of all ages together to enjoy a new as well as relived learning experience. There are many traditional festivals going back as far as the Yin-Shang Dynasty (in 1300 B.C.) to the present day. They are organised according to the changing seasons and have cultural as well as religious significance.
The Lunar New Year Festival ( or Spring Festival), represents the coming of Spring and a new beginning. Another festival is the Dragon Boat Festival, which is one of the three traditional festivals closely related to the origin and the commemoration of the poet "Qu Yuan" (in 343 BC) and is also called the "Poet Festival". This mid-autumn festival is held at the end of the harvest season.
I hope you will enjoy learning about our traditional festivals in Taiwan. A fuller explanation of the role of learning festivals can be found on the official website of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau Traditional Festivals (taiwan.net.tw) [1]
Marten Ma, PASCAL LCN Network, Taipei City Secondary Contact. [2]
with Rob Mark, PASCAL Learning Cities Co-ordinator