Vancouver — By thevancouverguide on January 30, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Filed under: Announcements, Attractions, culture, culture events, Events, Family Friendly, People, The Arts, top-feature

‘LunarFest’ Lights Up Granville Street

Back in the ’50’s when I was a teenager, Granville Street, Vancouver’s main drag, was the place to hang out, a dazzling avenue lit by neon lights, the heart of the theatre district and restaurants. Then the neon lights came down, and over the years, with the glamour gone, Granville Street became a slightly seedy avenue where it felt uncomfortalbe to stroll much beyond the Robson Street intersection. Then came the traffic diversions, only cabs and buses were allowed until even the buses were diverted. Bar hours were extended, and Granville Street became a rowdy party place til all hours of the morning, causing grief to police and club owners.

Now, in 2010, Granville Street has undergone a rejuvenation. With the completion of the Canada Line train and the tidying up of the sidewalks and shops, opening up one section of the Street as a wide pedestrian mall, Granville Street has come alive again.

Public art decorates the wide pedestrian mall and 2,010 lanterns made by kids from Canada and Taiwan light up the street between Georgia and Robson Sts. Even many of the neon signs have returned giving Granville St. back it’s old pizzazz.

“LunarFest” was created to display Vancouver’s diversity as a contribution to the 2010 Cultural Olympiad. Vancouver is a mulitcultural city and the Lunar New Year will be celebrated during the Winter Olympics, so the concept of lanterns enhanced this celebration.

The 2,010 tiny lanterns, lit with LED bulbs, hang from 40 three-metre-tall steel trees, reflecting the theme of environmental protection and sustainability. Some of the children’s drawing are messages to ‘turn off lights when they’re not in use’, ‘cut down fewer trees’, ‘pick up after yourself!’. In the centre of the display are five ‘totem lanterns’ that blend both nations’ indigenous designs such as killer whales from Canada and flyng fish from Taiwan. There are also professionally designed lanterns by four Canadian and six Taiwanese artists. One of these, by local artist Bruce Voyee, was crafted out of plastic bottles from Taiwan. There’s also a glittering dragon, two woven fish, a colourful sculpture that looks like it’s made out of balloons, and several more.

The LunarFest display is on until February 28. On Feburary 13 there will be a celebration to mark the eve of the Lunar New Year. There will be Korean drummers, Japanese taiko, Vietnamese traditional bamboo music and the lion dance. There will also be a 10-drum group from Taiwan, who have been nominated for a Grammy. The Public Dreams Society will lead a lantern procession through the lantern forest and people will have a chance to create their own lanterns on-site.

So come on down to Granville Street, not just to shop or browse, but take in the avenue of lanterns. They are especially meant to be viewed at night when the whole street is aglow.