Next year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival is to feature a two-hectare Super Mario-themed display area created in collaboration with Japanese video game company Nintendo, the Chiayi County Government said yesterday.
The announcement was made at a news conference promoting the annual event, which is to take place in Chiayi from March 3 to 15 next year.
The themed area would enable visitors of all ages to interact with their favorite game characters and take photographs, creating lasting memories, Chiayi County Commissioner Weng Chang-liang (翁章梁) said.
Photo: Lin Yi-chang, Taipei Times
Nintendo participates in major events in Taiwan to engage local fans, and recently held its first “Super Mario: Run to the Goal” race in the country, said Hiroyuki Matsumoto, head of Nintendo Taiwan Co.
Super Mario has been around for 40 years since its 1985 launch, Matsumoto said, adding that he is delighted that next year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival would include a special zone inspired by the character and Nintendo’s latest games.
During yesterday’s event, the county government also unveiled a limited-edition handheld lantern modeled after the mystery block featured in the Super Mario series.
Visitors who stay at designated hotels or join related tour packages during the festival period would be eligible to receive the lantern, the Chiayi County Cultural and Tourism Bureau said.
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