The popularity is palpable at various attractions across Taichung City this Spring Festival! To create even more festival vibes in Taichung, the city government has introduced the Taichung Spring Tour Festival, featuring four major events: the Taichung Mazu International Tourism and Cultural Festival, the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival, the Taichung Dongshi Sindingban Festival, and Emerge Fest. Notably, these events attracted a record-breaking 3.59 million visitors over the 7-day Spring Festival holiday, while the 2024 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival alone drew more than 1.24 million visitors in just four days since its launch on February 16. Given the citizens' enthusiastic feedback, Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen announced during today's (20th) municipal meeting that the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival will be extended by 3 days until February 28, continuing to promote Taichung's unique festival economy.

Mayor Lu stated that as the Spring Festival began, the popularity of major attractions in Taichung City surged. This Spring Festival, the city saw a remarkable increase in visitors, reaching a total of 3.59 million over the 7-day holiday period, averaging 512,000 visitors per day. This not only exceeded previous records, which had seen fewer than 500,000 visitors, but also marked a substantial 17% increase compared to last year's daily average of 438,000 visitors during the same period. Mayor Lu extended appreciation to the city government’s team and citizens across various sectors for providing outstanding services and a wide range of enjoyable cultural events with delicious food and good accommodation, which proved to be enticing to numerous visitors.

Additionally, the 2024 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival, which commenced on February 16, has also received considerable acclaim. According to gathered data, within a brief span of 4 days since its launch, the event has already welcomed over 1.24 million visitors, garnering significant positive feedback. Some even indicated a wish for an extension of the event duration, saying, "It's amazing." “Can't get enough of it.” “I’d like to visit here again.” The mayor acknowledged the extensive scale of the festival grounds at Central Park, jointly organized by five major bureaus with ingenuity. Despite her thorough exploration, she could only cover the lantern displays of two bureaus in one evening. Therefore, in response to the enthusiastic feedback from citizens, she announced a 3-day extension to the Lantern Festival, changing the original 10-day duration to 13 days, now lasting until February 28.

Mayor Lu also noted that this spring, Taichung City has organized a series of events under the Taichung Spring Tour Festival, which includes the Taichung Mazu International Tourism and Cultural Festival, the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival, the Taichung Dongshi Sindingban Festival, and Emerge Fest. Among these, the Taichung Mazu International Tourism and Cultural Festival has been running for 14 years since Taichung’s upgrading to a municipality. It stands as a significant religious and cultural celebration with a recognizable brand. This year, under the theme "Along with Mazu," the festival commenced in alignment with the XinShe Jiu Zhuang Mazu procession on the fourth day of the Spring Festival holidays, followed by performances from over 30 excellent groups at 12 temples in Taichung City, lasting until May 18. Additionally, five performances are scheduled for February 23 and 24 at Taichung Lecheng Temple, Dali Fuxing Temple, Dajia Jenn Lann Temple, Dazhuang Haotian Temple, and Nantun Wanhe Temple, promising an engaging experience. Welcome to join and celebrate the Lantern Festival together.

Additionally, the fourth event of the Spring Tour Festival, known as Emerge Fest, is a well-established local music festival in Taichung, co-organized by the Information Bureau for several years. It is scheduled to take place at the Aofong Mountain Sports Park on February 24 and 25. Featuring an impressive lineup of over 80 performance artists from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, and beyond, the festival invites all to embark on a coastal music adventure and revel in the magnetic allure of Taichung's rock celebration. Mayor Lu highlighted the anticipated excitement of the Taichung Spring Tour Festival, inviting local and international travelers to partake in the city's lively and culturally rich spring festivities.