The 2018 Lantern Festival takes place from 2/24 to 3/11 at Taichung Park and Taichung City Seaport Art Center simultaneously. Each with a 12 m and 11 m high main lantern respectively from the male dog looking far from Taichung Park, and the female dog guarding at City Seaport Art Center. The 19:00-23:00 main lantern show “Welcoming the Year of Fortune Dog” every night is a multi-sensational experiences to enjoy, featuring spectacle lighting effect accompanying floral scent mist. The first time special guest appearance in Taichung from Hirakawa, Aomori of Japan will be showcasing a five meter tall fan-shaped “Nebuta” lantern, which is to be lighted up during the lighting ceremony in Taichung Park. Make sure to join us for the event.

Today (9) the Deputy Mayor Lin Ling-san, accompanied by Tourism Bureau Director Chen Sheng-shan, and City Council member Liu Shi-zhou, Yang Dian-zhong, was present at the lantern festival press conference. As per Deputy Mayor Lin, the central Taiwan Lantern Festival of the year will be starting from 2/24 throughout 3/11-a 16-consecutive-day event at Taichung Park and Taichung City Seaport Art Center, each with a main lantern. The special feature will be the “Nebuta Lantern” from Aomori, Japan, to celebrate this festival with Taiwan.

In addition, to bring good hopes to the Hualian Earthquake, this year the lantern show prays with all temples by co-hosting a series of lantern event, allowing everyone to walk towards a safer and better Taiwan.

Deputy Mayor Lin indicated that with the theme of the lantern festival “Welcoming the Year of Fortune Dog”, this year the male dog of 12 meter height main lantern “Lucky Prosper Central Taiwan” in Taichung Park valiantly looks far and high, together with the female dog of 11 meter high main lantern “Blessed Prosper Floral City” guarding 2 puppies in Taichung City Seaport Art Center, are both named after the sound of dog barks, as it is the year of dog, and also hoping for the coming year will be prosper like the sound dog barks. The main lantern show every evening from 19:00 to 22:00 welcomes everyone to celebrate the festival and pray for the safety of Taiwan.

Tourism Bureau Director Chen indicated that this year the first time special guest “Nebuta” lantern of 5 meter tall from Hirakawa, Aomori of Japan will invite people with 3,000 free small Nebuta lanterns to come join the Nebuta Festival in Hirakawa. The lantern giveaway begins at 19:15, February 25, at Taichung Park. In addition to the lantern sets and lighting effects, on the opening ceremony night of 2/24 and 3/2, traditional performance groups from Aomori, Komagane and Tottori of Japan will bring their performance as an exchange of traditional local culture with Taichung.

Director Chen also mentioned that as oppose to the previous years where temples had their own events during the Lantern Festival, this year the city government and all the temples will be joining together to celebrate the event around the festival. From Wuqiyuan Temple the “thousand people walk on the street” parade and evening musical concert, to the evening events at Dajia Zhenlang Temple and Qingshui Ziyun Temple as well as the lion dance at East District Lecheng Temple, Taichung will be celebrating the festival everywhere.

According to Tourism Bureau that celebrities including William Wei, Cosmos People, Mixer, Nicky Lee, Weng Li-you, Chuan-Ying Chuang, Maggie Chiang, Ailing Tai, and Fang Wu will be joining the evening event on 2/24 and 3/2. Lucky draws to win e-Scooter, cellphone and sports camera. Make sure to come see the lanterns, the performances, and win a big prize. Shuttle bus for disabilities are available for pickups. Online information please visit http://www.2018taichunglantern.com