Here comes a unique 2024 Christmas in Taichung! The Christmas in Taichung carnival, launching on December 13, features the slogan “'Sweet Taichung 2024, Christmas Calling” under the theme Monsters, Inc., a classic Disney Pixar animated film. The 16-meter-tall Christmas tree designed as Sulley is set to be a nationwide sensation. According to the Information Bureau of the Taichung City Government, this year’s event has integrated Taichung’s local desserts with unique themed light displays, allowing visitors to capture memorable moments with Monsters, Inc.-themed decorations from the Taichung Old Station to Lyuchuan Canal and Liuchuan Canal. The event also includes a Christmas market at the Taichung Old Station, featuring stalls offering cultural and creative items, floral art, desserts, and baked goods, along with exciting artistic and cultural performances. This Christmas event promises to be the quirkiest and sweetest experience of the year, and it's definitely worth a visit.

According to the Information Bureau, this year’s Christmas in Taichung features installations themed around Monsters, Inc., beloved by both adults and children. At the plaza in front of the Taichung Old Station, a 16-meter-tall plush Christmas tree takes center stage, along with light-up figures of Mike Wazowski with antlers and Boo in her monster costume. There are also themed light displays along Liuchuan Canal, including the “Christmas Monster Fun” featuring popular characters like Sulley, Mike, and Boo, as well as other monsters from the film. The “Dancing Monsters” feature scenes of the film's main characters greeting visitors, while Randall, the monster that can go invisible, is hidden in the “Invisible Trail” installation, inviting visitors to spot him.

The Lyuchuan Canal display area features the magical, glorious “Christmas Symphony” and “Fantasy Forest.” A golden and shimmering reindeer seems to dance across the canal, set amidst twinkling notes and star-shaped lights, evoking the feel of a mystical woodland. A pink-themed culvert leads visitors through the “Cherry Blossom Light Corridor” that radiates sweetness. Additionally, “Moonlight Romance” and “Starlight Serenade,” where moonlight glows slowly like a starlit sky, creates a romantic and serene atmosphere. At the Taichung Old Station plaza, Taichung’s beloved desserts are transformed into luminous installations, adding a playful touch to the themed Christmas tree.

Taichung’s Liuchuan Canal display area features the “Happiness Power Plant” as its main stage, hosting an extraordinary light show. The show integrates dazzling lights with the river's water, creating a vivid and imaginative performance that immerses visitors in a cinematic experience of light and shadow. The show runs from December 13 to January 1, with performances every 30 minutes between 5:30 PM and 9:30 PM. It’s one of the top attractions of this year’s Taichung Christmas festivities that you won’t want to miss.

Director Luan Chih-i of the Information Bureau noted that the plaza in front of the Taichung Old Station features a Christmas market, hosting 41 stalls daily during the event. Over 123 vendors specializing in handmade crafts, floral arrangements, culinary treats, and baked goods will take turn to offer visitors a fun shopping experience. The market runs from December 13 to January 1, operating from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM on weekdays and 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM on weekends and holidays. Furthermore, live performances will take place every Friday through Sunday evening. The lineup includes bubble shows, ventriloquism and magic, clown juggling and interactive magic acts, and diabolo performances, promising an exciting experience through and through. All are warmly invited to see the lights, explore the market, and watch the shows!

The Information Bureau advises the public to make use of public transportation for this year’s events, as the display areas are conveniently situated along the city's improved bus lanes. Visitors can take buses 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 307, or 308 and alight at Taichung Station (Station Plaza and Lyuchuan Canal display areas) or Taiwan Boulevard and Zhonghua Road Intersection (Liuchuan Canal display area) to access the venues. For more bus route information, please check Taichung Bus Information System. For event details, please stay tuned to the Taichung City Government's official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GLAT.Taichung/).