International
2021 Taiwan Lantern Festival
This activity has been temporarily suspended in 2021.
To promote Taiwan's tourism in the global community, so as to attract more foreign visitors to the country and increase tourism revenues, Tourism Bureau, MOTC has held the Taiwan Lantern Festival in recent years with the idea of "spreading the roots of folk culture while holding traditional fests at an international level."
Lantern parades are traditionally held on the Lantern Day. By combining traditional culture with top-notch technology, Taiwan Lantern Festival presents itself as a shining fest compatible with its international counterparts. The main lantern area is so beautiful that it is merely impossible to appreciate everything at once. Local and overseas folk troupes dedicate their remarkable performances to the festival's goers. Many other performance groups also bring their impressive shows to the audience. The festival has therefore been hailed by local participants and foreign guests alike.
In 2007, a Discovery Channel producer and his team came to Taiwan to join the festival, and concluded that this international event is worth some recognition. In fact, Taiwan Lantern Festival has since been chosen by the Discovery Channel to be one of the best festivals in the world. Discovery has made an hour-long documentary that has been shown globally to introduce the dazzling, charming Taiwan Lantern Festival.
Taking the theme of "Riding Dreams and Chasing Light along Winds of the Future," the 32nd Taiwan Lantern Festival will integrate design and craft art as well as tradition and innovation, and will speak to the world through art with "lantern festival 2.1." It aims to instill new creativity into Taiwan's traditional festivals, create a place where people can enjoy life together, and increase the country's global presence.
This year, the festival brings together images of "traditional lanterns," "the innocence of children," and a "flight on lanterns" to suggest enjoyable family times on the lantern day. The children's joyful ride on the flying lanterns while gazing into the far distance symbolizes a hopeful look at the limitless future with a pure and innocent heart.
Having hosted the festival in 2003 and 2015, this is the third time Taichung is hosting the festival. Taking "Splendid Taichung under rays of the rising sun" as a theme, the Taichung City Government will hold the festival in Houli Forest Park, a "fantastical forest land." It not only hopes that traditional lantern art can make the forest look anew, but that the lights of the lanterns can light up Taiwan like rays of the rising sun. In fact, "rays of the rising Sun" is pronounced as "Shu Guang," and in Mandarin, mice are pronounced as "Shu." To welcome the Year of the Mouse on the Chinese zodiac calendar, the rays of the rising sun / or mice indicates the government's high hope for a better future. The lantern festival will show Taichung's five policy focuses - ecological conservation, creative lifestyle, cultural assets, economy and industry, and diversity and inclusion. All members of the public are encouraged to explore the unique and beautiful city through this festive event. -->