The 2026 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival will make its grand debut at Taichung Central Park on February 15, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve. Taichung Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu hosted a press conference last week (5th) to officially unveil this year’s cross-industry collaboration with the internationally renowned IP The Moomins, represented by Rights and Brands Asia (RBA). Featuring the hugely popular IP Moomin, the festival will present Taiwan’s largest 60-meter main lantern show, “Moominvalley Under the Aurora,” and will also feature a 21-meter-tall giant Moomin and a limited-time glasses-free 3D animation display. Mayor Lu noted that Finland has again been named the world’s happiest country, which aligns with Taichung’s image as “the happiest city.” As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Moomins and the Lunar New Year ushers in the Year of the Horse, the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival adopts “Happy Mi-Ma, Taichung MOOMIN ON!” as its theme, a homophonic play on “Moving on” combined with the Moomin character imagery, wishing everyone extra happiness in the new year and moving forward together in unity.
Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu said that many of Taichung’s large-scale festival events collaborate with popular IPs, and there are three reasons this year’s lantern festival chose the Finnish IP “The Moomins.” First, according to the United Nations’ World Happiness Report 2025, Finland has been rated the happiest country in the world for eight consecutive years, creating a “happiness” connection with Taichung; second, the Moomins are small creatures that live in the forest, and the story settings closely match the beautiful and diverse landscapes of Taichung Central Park; finally, the Moomin stories were born in the closing stages of World War II, and after captivating the world for 80 years, people’s longing for peace has not changed. Taichung will also join hands with the enduring, classic Moomins to present a happiness-filled lantern festival full of love and inclusiveness!
The Taichung City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau noted that the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival will run for 16 days, from the lighting ceremony on February 15 (the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve) to the closing on March 3 (the Lantern Festival), and will be closed only on Lunar New Year’s Eve. The Taichung City Government team is committed to building Taichung into a “festival city,” organizing the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival to exceptionally high standards comparable to the Taiwan Lantern Festival, with five city government departments setting up seven major exhibition zones at Taichung Central Park. In addition to creating “Moominvalley Under the Aurora,” a 60-meter fairytale scene, as the largest of its kind in Taiwan, this year’s main lantern design will also incorporate Taiwan’s first “IP Mechanical Dynamic Inflatable Membrane,” presenting a dreamlike, immersive aurora main lantern show that feels like being in Northern Europe. There will also be themed zones such as the Construction Bureau’s “Jingzhe Realm,” the Education Bureau’s “Childlike Fun Valley,” the Civil Affairs Bureau’s “Happiness Wish Village,” and the Agriculture Bureau’s “Animal Dream World,” cleverly integrating classic Western IP, Eastern cultural festivities, large-scale inflatable installation technology, and traditional lantern craftsmanship. The city government sincerely invites people across Taiwan to plan a visit to Taichung during the Lunar New Year holiday to enjoy the lantern displays, make a wish under the aurora, find their own “Happy Mi-Ma,” and write the sweetest opening line for the new year.
Tourism and Travel Bureau Director Mei-Hsiu Chen explained that, in addition to the rich and colorful lantern zone designs, the adorable “Moomin” handheld lantern is also a major highlight. As a “cycling capital,” Taichung is home to multiple bike paths, including the Hou-Feng Bike Path, the Tanya Shen Green Bikeway, and the Taichung Overpass. In response to the arrival of the Year of the Horse, this year’s handheld lantern also incorporates bicycle elements, showcasing the city’s image of sunshine, vitality, and sustainable tourism. During the lantern festival, the queue will open daily at 4:00 p.m., and limited quantities will be distributed starting at 4:30 p.m., with one lantern per person. Fans are encouraged to visit Taichung Central Park to enjoy the lantern displays.
The Taichung City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau noted that, to share the cross-generational appeal of The Moomins, a 21-meter-tall “Giant Moomin” has been installed at Civic Square, inviting everyone to lay out a picnic mat and enjoy Taichung’s bright, scenic views, while also looking toward Taiwan’s largest glasses-free 3D screen to watch an immersive, highly realistic interactive promotional video featuring The Moomins drinking coffee, blowing bubbles, and popping out of the frame. The glasses-free 3D Moomins animation will be available for a limited time from today through January 31, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, screening once every 15 minutes. Visitors from around Taiwan are welcome to stop by the cutest photo spot of the 2026 New Year.
The Taichung City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau added that, to create a happy atmosphere of “Taichung Citywide MOOMIN ON!”, from today until the opening of the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival, Moomin will be making an early adorable appearance in many locations. In addition to the Giant Moomin at Civic Square for picnic time, Moomin-themed installations will also be found at THSR Taichung Station, Taichung Railway Station, Taichung Park, the Taichung International Convention and Exhibition Center, Xieyuan Haozhai (East District), the Yangming Municipal Building in Fengyuan, district offices, and cultural venues. Taichung Metro will also feature Moomin-themed painted train cars, and visitors from around Taiwan are welcome to enjoy a sweet trip to Taichung! For the latest news on the 2026 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival and more Taichung travel information, please visit Taichung Tourism (https://travel.taichung.gov.tw) and the Fun in Taichung Facebook fan page (https://www.facebook.com/taichungresort/) for details.
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