With only 7 days left until the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival, on February 24 the Chiayi County Government held the “Illuminating Taiwan, Lighting Up Chiayi—Daily Highlights Press Conference,” fully unveiling the festival’s exciting content. This included 16 local lantern zones, 12 must-see highlights, and transportation shuttle information, announcing to the nation that Chiayi is ready and welcoming everyone to enjoy the lanterns.

This year’s festival centers on the theme “Illuminating Taiwan, Lighting Up Chiayi.” Through 16 themed lantern zones curated by the county government, it showcases Chiayi’s transformation in agriculture, community building, environmental sustainability, youth creativity, industrial development, and smart city initiatives. Designers of each lantern zone were invited to share their creative process, highlighting the charm of local culture.

To ensure smooth communications during the festival, Chunghwa Telecom, Far EasTone Telecom, and Taiwan Mobile assisted in setting up temporary mobile base stations, providing technical support and manpower. County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang presented certificates of appreciation to the representatives of these companies.

The 12 must-see highlights include the 21-meter-high main lantern “Alishan, Veiled in Luminous Mist” sound-and-light show, street carnivals and grand lantern parades, fireworks and drone light shows on the opening day; performances by Paper Windmill Theatre, Ming Hwa Yuan Opera Troupe, France’s Flying White Horse Show, Irish tap dance, Osaka Expo TECH WORLD Pavilion, and the Super Mario Sparkling Carnival lantern zone. Every day during the festival, different programs will take turns on stage.

The county government has planned 7 free parking lots, offering over 10,000 spaces, and connected Chiayi High-Speed Rail Station, Chiayi Railway Station, and major transfer points with free shuttle services. Crowd and traffic control will be implemented according to weekdays, holidays, and peak event times.

To enhance the lantern-viewing experience, visitors can access the official “2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival” website for lantern zone introductions, program schedules, and the latest announcements. The website also features a real-time traffic information platform, allowing users to check available parking spaces, shuttle bus queues, shuttle routes, and traffic control updates.

Weng Chang-liang noted that on February 28, the “Chiayi Dream Lantern Zone” lighting ceremony will debut, inviting the public to take advantage of the holiday to experience the festival atmosphere early.

Weng also emphasized that this year’s lantern festival differs greatly from past ones in Chiayi. Chiayi has transformed, and its “Golden Decade” begins in 2025. Many major developments will emerge in the next ten years, with agriculture, industry, technology, and consumer sectors achieving balance. Chiayi will undergo a complete renewal.

He added that this decade is a rare opportunity in Chiayi’s century-long history. “We must seize this chance to change the nation’s perception of Chiayi County. This lantern festival is of an unprecedented scale. Thanks to everyone who made this possible. We hope all of Taiwan will see that Chiayi is truly different now.”