WELLINGTON, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The headline event for this year's Festival of Transitional Architecture (FESTA) was held on Saturday in the center of Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island.

Starting in 2012, FESTA involves architecture students from throughout Australasia creating a reimagined CBD, or "a spectacular temporary city," for a part of the city that was seriously damaged in the 2011 earthquake.

In previous years, temporary structures have been made out of recyclable materials and lit up at night and parades held with giant puppets. The biennial event had traditionally attracted large crowds to a part of the city that was often empty at night, encouraging more people to get involved in the remaking of their city, according to the Christchurch Transitional Architecture Trust (CTAT).

FESTA, the celebration of urban creativity and regeneration, comprises 54 events this year. It is an opportunity for the public to experience a reimagined Christchurch, comprising imaginative architectural installations, workshops, talks, pop-up projects, artworks and more, according to the event's website.

The festival creates a platform for city-makers and citizens to imagine and experience Christchurch differently, celebrating the culture of creativity, active citizenship and hope that has emerged in Christchurch since the earthquakes, organizers said.

The 2018 program builds on the main event's theme of feasting and gathering in public spaces, exploring the interconnections between food and urbanism. More than 150 architecture students are involved in this year's FESTA held from Friday to next Monday, according to the CTAT.