The Tourism Administration today unveiled the main lantern and handheld lantern designs for this year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi County, featuring a centerpiece inspired by the ancient forests of Alishan (阿里山).
This year's festival is to open at 7pm on March 3, and is to run through 10pm on March 15, with two major exhibition zones planned: the main exhibition zone and the county government zone.
The main lantern, titled Alishan: Bathed in Light for the World, is to stage a light show every 30 minutes, featuring a circular ring at its top symbolizing the rising sun.
Photo courtesy of the Tourism Administration
Integrating lights and digital screens, the design by artists Yao Chung-han (姚仲涵), Lu Yen-chen (盧彥臣) and Rex Takeshi presents the development of Taiwan’s civilization from the perspective of Alishan.
The Taiwan Lantern Festival is the largest and most important Lunar New Year event in the nation, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-shian (林國顯) said.
Entering its 37th edition this year and returning to Chiayi for the third time, the main lantern design team centered on Alishan, he said.
The main lantern conveys strong cultural symbolism and local characteristics, while incorporating artificial intelligence, culture and recycled materials to highlight environmental sustainability, he added.
Standing 21m tall, the structure resembles a towering forest giant, with its exterior assembled from recycled wood to reflect the spirit of sustainability and regeneration, the Tourism Administration said.
The upper section of the lantern features a circular ring symbolizing the sun rising amid mountain peaks, the agency said.
Using the sun, sacred trees and mist as core imagery, the installation blends sound and light, digital fabrication and new media to produce an immersive audiovisual experience, it said.
A screen at the base of the lantern works in tandem with the lighting visuals above, guiding audiences through a sweeping narrative from the “Alishan of the world” perspective, it said.
The presentation traces Taiwan’s journey from oceanic origins and the evolution of life to the formation of civilization, weaving nature, humanity and technology into a compelling display of light and shadow, it said.
This year’s festival features one main lantern, two secondary lanterns and 22 exhibition zones showcasing more than 600 works, Tourism Administration Director-General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said.
One of the secondary lanterns incorporates horse-related imagery, she said, explaining why the main lantern centers on Alishan rather than the Year of the Horse zodiac symbol.
As this year marks the Year of the Horse, the handheld lantern design combines the zodiac with Taiwan’s tourism mascot, OhBear, for the first time, the Tourism Administration said.
Departing from traditional zodiac-only designs, the lantern depicts OhBear riding a wooden horse, evoking the playful image of a child rocking back and forth on a rocking horse.
The name “OhBear Rides to Chiayi” draws on a homophone of “Chiayi,” inviting visitors to travel to Chiayi with lanterns in hand to enjoy the festival.
In addition to a Mario-themed family zone, the festival would feature Aomori Nebuta, while Taiwan’s pavilion from the Osaka World Expo would also make an appearance, Chiayi County Commissioner Weng Chang-liang (翁章梁) said.
Regarding expected attendance over the 13-day event, he said past Taiwan Lantern Festivals held in different cities have typically attracted tens of millions of visitors.
With only 13 days, crowds would be more concentrated, he said, adding that the county has coordinated with Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railway to manage transportation to the venue.
More than 20,000 parking spaces would be provided near the exhibition areas, along with shuttle services, he added.
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