小時候，當我還是小學生時，每當快到了元宵節時，總有手工藝課的回家作業，要學生們做一個花燈，對於花燈，我並沒有太多的想法，只想做一個不要太差的花燈就行了，而同學們的花燈作品，不論是創意，或是手工，總是讓我自嘆不如，從那時候起，我就知道我不能走藝術創作這條路。
不過，長大之後，小時候花燈作業的挫敗經驗，並沒有奪去我欣賞美麗花燈的眼光，人，從小培養起來的審美觀念，還是有些作用的，而欣賞美麗的事物，好像是人的天性之一，看到美麗的事物，會不由自主地發出讚嘆聲，也是理所當然，而每年的燈節，隨著科技的進步，不但越來越盛大了，也兼具各式各樣的聲光效果。
這幾年台北的燈會，好像都移到西門町了，西門町本來就是年輕人聚集的地方，而台北燈會大致分為主燈區、北門展區、西門展區、中華路展區及周邊商圈等，其實逛下來，我認為，至少一個半天跑不掉，我和朋友就隨逛隨拍，傍晚時從北門開始逛今年的燈節，途中經過一些廊道，可惜時間未到，還未點燈，效果就差強人意，主燈「福蛇豆豆」以七彩馬賽克為設計概念，蛇身結合西門町的街頭塗鴉、北門、西門紅樓等城市意象，但是，我個人覺得沒有很驚豔。
其實我們最想去的是西門天橋那邊，天橋上掛滿了七彩繽紛的燈籠，它是藝術家與小學學童共同創作彩繪燈籠廊道，晚上在天橋拍起來，意境特別美，可惜我們花了太多時間在主燈逗留，在前往天橋時，天空已經下起了傾盆大雨，只好留下一個不完美的結尾。
When I was in elementary school, every year around the Lantern Festival, we always had a craft assignment to make a lantern. I didn’t have many ideas about lanterns—I just wanted to make one that wasn’t too bad. But my classmates' lanterns were always so creative and well-made that I couldn’t help but feel inferior. That’s when I realized that I wasn’t meant for artistic creation.
However, as I grew up, the frustration from those childhood lantern-making assignments didn’t take away my ability to appreciate beautiful lanterns. The sense of aesthetics that we develop as kids still plays a role, after all. And appreciating beauty seems to be a natural instinct—when we see something beautiful, it’s only natural to let out a little “wow” Over the years, lantern festivals have become bigger and more spectacular, incorporating all kinds of impressive light and sound effects thanks to advancements in technology.
In recent years, Taipei’s Lantern Festival has been held in Ximending, which is already a popular spot for young people. The festival is generally divided into different sections, including the main lantern area, Beimen exhibition area, Ximen exhibition area, Zhonghua Road exhibition area, and surrounding business districts. Honestly, if you really want to explore everything, it takes at least half a day. My friend and I strolled around, casually taking pictures, starting from Beimen in the evening. Along the way, we passed through some corridors, but since the lights hadn’t been turned on yet, the effect wasn’t that impressive. The main lantern, “Lucky Snake Doudou” was designed with a colorful mosaic concept, incorporating elements of Ximending’s street art, Beimen, and the Red House. But to be honest, I wasn’t really amazed by it.
What we were most excited about was the Ximen pedestrian bridge, which was covered with colorful lanterns painted by artists and elementary school students. At night, the scene looks especially beautiful in photos. Unfortunately, we spent too much time at the main lantern, and by the time we headed to the bridge, heavy rain started pouring down. In the end, we had to leave with an unfinished experience.
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