Photos: TaiwanFest features 3-D life-size superheroes on paper on Granville Street

It's not every day that you encounter a towering Batman made mostly out of paper.

But this is one of the works of art on display in the 600 block of Granville Street as part of TaiwanFest.

It's included in an exhibition called The Paper Play by Five Paper Artists. It will continue until the festival concludes on Monday (September 4).

Batman and other comic-book characters were created by 17-year-old Ning Hsieh.

Hsieh is well known in Taiwan for going out in public in his own superhero costumes ready to stand up for all that's good in the world. And his tent also depicts cartoon stars as small cubed figurines, in paper, of course.

In addition, there are elegantly folded paper works of wild animals that Hsieh created.

Of course, he also had to include some paper dinosaurs for any kids who wander by.

Other origami in the block includes Japanese paper fans, as well as a long row of tulips in the middle of Granville Street.

This year's TaiwanFest is paying homage to Japan, which occupied the island nation from 1895 to 1945.

During that time, Japan introduced the ancient art of origami to Taiwan, as well as western classical music, watercolour painting, a railway system, irrigation projects, and electricity.

The two countries have remained on friendly terms in the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century.

Many elderly Taiwanese still speak fluent Japanese, which they learned during the occupation.