Radio Taiwan International
Date5: 06 February, 2020
By: Jake Chen

Residents of Taiwan’s offshore Penghu Islands are showing off “prosperity turtles” in local temples in celebration of the upcoming Lantern Festival.

These turtles are made of foods such as rice and fruit, shaped to form a turtle to pray for an auspicious year. Temples and families often make their turtles as big as they can as a way of showing the sincerity of their wishes. The turtles are often split up and eaten afterwards, distributed among the crowds who come to see them.

This year, some of Penghu’s prosperity turtles are being made with unusual materials and reaching tremendous sizes. The most notable ones this year include a turtle made with eight kilograms of gold and a turtle made with rice that weighs over fourteen tons.    [FULL  STORY]