On the evening of March 8, as part of “2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi,” the Chiayi County Government specially presents the “Chiayi Good Songs Concert,” weaving together the land’s collective memories and the shared emotions of everyday life across Taiwan. 

   Golden Melody Award–winning Taiwanese-language king Weng Li-You (Only You) sets a warm, down-to-earth tone with his nuanced vocals, singing the sweetness and bitterness of life and the intimacy of street-side stories. Lin Xin-yi, known for her beloved drama themes and pop hits, brings a familiar voice that captures a new generation’s tender take on love and dreams. The Chairman Band and Chiu & LeLe Band channel rock, punk, and Taiwanese-language flair into music driven by social awareness and island identity, igniting Chiayi’s night sky with passion, energy, and attitude. Rising act Ouba Siang-Tshing connects with younger audiences through a fresh Taiwanese pop sound and irresistibly catchy rhythms, delivering “the latest good songs” that every generation can sing along to. 

From heartfelt ballads to full-throttle rock, from beloved classics to new voices, this concert brings Chiayi’s warmth, cityscape, and everyday rhythm to life. In the interplay of lantern light and live sound, these stories are heard and remembered, making the show one of the signature musical chapters of the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi.

Founded in 1929, Ming Hwa Yuan Arts & Cultural Group is one of Taiwan’s most iconic Taiwanese opera (Gezai Opera) troupes, with nearly a century of history and extensive experience in large-scale outdoor festival productions. Renowned for blending traditional opera with modern stage technology, the company is known for its grand, immersive style. Its performances have appeared at lantern festivals, religious celebrations, and international cultural events across Taiwan and abroad, drawing massive audiences and showcasing the enduring vitality and contemporary resonance of Gezai Opera.

Six Centuries of Lantern Light centers on the cultural legacy of Lantern Festival traditions. Through a dramatic narrative that bridges past and present, the production weaves together history, fantasy, and modern urban imagery. Vocal performance, martial choreography, ensemble scenes, and stage technology converge in a rich interplay of light and music, expressing the spirit of “lanterns alight, culture enduring.” The result is an outdoor theatrical spectacle that brings both cultural depth and festive energy to the lantern festival.

The story opens amid the fires of war at the end of the Yuan dynasty. On the battlefield, Zhu Yuanzhang leads his forces into a dire situation. The people suffer, chaos reigns, and smoke fills the sky, reflecting an age of darkness and upheaval. At a turning point of fate, a modern-day elementary school student unexpectedly travels back in time and lands on the battlefield. Clutching a smartphone from the future, a symbol of knowledge, technology, and hope, the child panics and places a call to a history teacher in the present day.

This call across time becomes the play’s pivotal connection. Through the phone, the history teacher remotely guides Zhu Yuanzhang on how to unite the people, calm public unrest, and stabilize his troops, leading him step by step toward the founding of the Ming dynasty. In this context, lanterns are no longer mere festive decorations. They become symbols of illumination in troubled times and a force that steadies the human spirit.

As the story unfolds, the stage transitions from the ancient battlefield to the radiant nightscape of a contemporary Chiayi lantern festival. Seas of light ripple as crowds gather, and images of past and present overlap. The scene reflects how lantern culture has continued to shine for six centuries. Figures from history seem to stand alongside modern audiences beneath the same glow, bearing witness to how culture transcends time and connects generations.

This special program welcomes acclaimed Irish troupe Na Rinceoirí, traveling from Ireland to perform in Taiwan, joining forces with Scoil Rince Taiwan, Taiwan’s long-established Irish dance company. With dance as their language and rhythm as their bridge, they launch a cross-border dialogue in steps and beats. 

As the curtain rises, dancers from the “East” and “West” enter with sharply contrasting rhythmic styles. Lightning-fast, razor-precise footwork interweaves across the stage, pushing Irish step dance to the edge of technique, speed, and control. As the rhythms stack layer by layer, the atmosphere heats up. The face-off feels like a string drawn tight, pulling the audience into a thrilling peak of percussion and pulse. This is more than a competition. It is a dance dialogue between two island nations. When Ireland’s traditional rhythms meet the Taiwanese dancers’ physical language, the stage shifts from rivalry to resonance, and Irish dance becomes a shared tongue that connects cultures across distance. In every beat and strike, the performance reveals a contemporary spirit of Irish step dance. It also marks Taiwan’s first collaboration bringing a homegrown Irish dance company together on the same stage with an internationally renowned troupe from Ireland. For Irish step dance fans in Taiwan, this is one you won’t want to miss.  

Towering 10 meters high, stretching 13 meters long, and weighing 7 tons, the monumental mechanical installation Rain Horse appears at the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi as a fixed-site light show performance. It stands as one of the festival’s most striking large-scale visual landmarks. Rain Horse comes alive through motion and atmosphere. Its eyes open and close, its head turns, and white mist pours from its mouth. As light and shadow ripple across its body, audiences step into an artistic journey that blends sight and sound. 

The design incorporates motifs drawn from Hakka indigo dyeing, floral fabrics, and emblic (Indian gooseberry) patterns. A deep blue body paired with a rainbow mane expresses both cultural richness and contemporary artistry. Blue suggests inclusiveness and calm, while the rainbow evokes the peace and promise that follow the rain. Together, these colors weave a blessing of respect, understanding, and reconciliation across communities. 

At the Taiwan Lantern Festival, lantern light does more than illuminate the night. It becomes a vessel for emotions and wishes. In 2026, the Year of the Horse, Rain Horse returns to Chiayi as a symbol of forward motion, courage, and freedom, echoing the festival spirit of “lighting up the city and gathering hope.” Here, Rain Horse is more than an art installation. It is an emblem of courage and hope. 

With the Year of the Horse arriving, it offers heartfelt New Year blessings to children, wishing them steady steps and brave hearts as they grow and move forward into the future.

From France, Planète Vapeur was founded in 2006 by Pierre Povigna. With a background in architecture, Pierre has been fascinated since childhood by monumental art, intricate machinery, and large-scale structures. He brought together a team of technicians and artists to turn the fantastical visions in his mind into breathtaking reality. Creatures that soar through the sky, roam the earth, or glide through water are reimagined as spectacular works of kinetic sculpture. Building wondrous worlds that make people stop and stare remains the belief that drives the troupe’s creations. 

Pegasus begins as a reflection on the pace of modern city life. When towering buildings and unending traffic leave the spirit worn out, the work invites audiences to lift their eyes to the sky. Legend tells of a white horse with silver wings descending from the stars, like the brightest light of an autumn night, bringing hope and warmth before winter arrives. Through a parade performance woven from giant machines, light, sound, and motion, Pegasus leads viewers to slow down and take it in. To see with their eyes, to listen with their ears, and to rediscover the world’s gentleness and imagination.

Born in the midst of the pandemic, Rain Horse was created for children. 

As COVID-19 swept across the world, it reshaped everyday life. In 2021, the Hakka Affairs Council and Paper Windmill Theatre joined forces to create the family production Rain Horse, adapted from educator-author Hsiao Yeh’s picture book. Told with gentleness and quiet resolve, the story accompanies children as they navigate the challenges of the pandemic. 

On Happy Monkey Island, the Monkey Tribe and the Flower Tribe, led by the Monkey King and Princess Blossoms, live together in cheerful harmony. But it has not rained for a long time, and the monkeys begin to fall ill. Legend speaks of a “Rain Horse.” Wherever it appears, rain will follow. Determined to save the island, Princess Blossoms sets out in search of the Rain Horse. 

With the Taiwan Lantern Festival set in Chiayi, a city rooted in the memory of the land and shaped by a rich cultural lineage, the Rain Horse Highlights performance brings audiences of all generations into the world of Happy Monkey Island through expressive movement, musical rhythm, and striking stage visuals, with fire dance woven into the show. Through the performance, it becomes a shared memory for children and their families. 

Rain Horse is more than a story. It hopes that in the Year of the Horse, it can stand with children and help them face the world with strength and courage.

Towering 10 meters high, stretching 13 meters long, and weighing 7 tons, the monumental mechanical installation Rain Horse appears at the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi as a fixed-site light show performance. It stands as one of the festival’s most striking large-scale visual landmarks. Rain Horse comes alive through motion and atmosphere. Its eyes open and close, its head turns, and white mist pours from its mouth. As light and shadow ripple across its body, audiences step into an artistic journey that blends sight and sound. 

The design incorporates motifs drawn from Hakka indigo dyeing, floral fabrics, and emblic (Indian gooseberry) patterns. A deep blue body paired with a rainbow mane expresses both cultural richness and contemporary artistry. Blue suggests inclusiveness and calm, while the rainbow evokes the peace and promise that follow the rain. Together, these colors weave a blessing of respect, understanding, and reconciliation across communities. 

At the Taiwan Lantern Festival, lantern light does more than illuminate the night. It becomes a vessel for emotions and wishes. In 2026, the Year of the Horse, Rain Horse returns to Chiayi as a symbol of forward motion, courage, and freedom, echoing the festival spirit of “lighting up the city and gathering hope.” Here, Rain Horse is more than an art installation. It is an emblem of courage and hope. 

With the Year of the Horse arriving, it offers heartfelt New Year blessings to children, wishing them steady steps and brave hearts as they grow and move forward into the future.

From France, Planète Vapeur was founded in 2006 by Pierre Povigna. With a background in architecture, Pierre has been fascinated since childhood by monumental art, intricate machinery, and large-scale structures. He brought together a team of technicians and artists to turn the fantastical visions in his mind into breathtaking reality. Creatures that soar through the sky, roam the earth, or glide through water are reimagined as spectacular works of kinetic sculpture. Building wondrous worlds that make people stop and stare remains the belief that drives the troupe’s creations. 

Pegasus begins as a reflection on the pace of modern city life. When towering buildings and unending traffic leave the spirit worn out, the work invites audiences to lift their eyes to the sky. Legend tells of a white horse with silver wings descending from the stars, like the brightest light of an autumn night, bringing hope and warmth before winter arrives. Through a parade performance woven from giant machines, light, sound, and motion, Pegasus leads viewers to slow down and take it in. To see with their eyes, to listen with their ears, and to rediscover the world’s gentleness and imagination.