One Hundred Teddy Bears Part Ways; 35 Teddy Bears Embark on a “Taichung Mini Adventure” for the New Year

▲ The “Teddy Bears Enjoy Life in Taichung Festival” concluded on the 5th, leaving many fans reluctant to say goodbye. Now, 35 teddy bears will stay on in Taichung to continue their mini adventure. The image above shows a scene from the teddy bear festival during its run. (Photo /Reg Xiao Sun)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

After sparking the “Pandas in the North, Teddy Bears in Central Taiwan” trend, the Taichung Teddy Bear Festival — following discussions between the Taichung City Government and sponsoring companies — will see 35 teddy bears continue their story in a special spin-off titled “Taichung Mini Adventure.” Eleven of them will first take up residence at Taichung Park on Tuesday, the 7th, to keep people company during the Lunar New Year.

The teddy bears that took over various spots in Taichung such as Zhongqiu Valley, Caotidao, City Hall Plaza, and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi at the end of last year attracted over 3 million visitors, drawing popularity comparable to Taiwan’s two most beloved healing mascots — “Rubber Duck” and “Panda Yuan Zai.” After the exhibition ended on the 5th, many people expressed their disappointment, exclaiming “What a pity!” and hoping to see the adorable teddy bears again.

% and Jiu Hui Wei Tou Zhuo Yao De Nai Cai Xian Zai Qiao You 5 Zhi Reng Hui Jixu Zai Taizhong Duo Dai Yi Duan Shi Jian. (Photo /Reg Xiao Sun)

After discussions between the Taichung City Government and the sponsors of the hundred teddy bears, although the hundred teddy bears will soon part ways, 35 of them have been confirmed to stay in Taichung a little longer. The first to appear will be eleven teddy bears exhibited at Taichung Park on the 7th. Then, from January 8th to the 25th, other teddy bears will “visit” Jiguang Street; after the 25th and leading up to Valentine’s Day, the teddy bears will also make appearances at the Fengyuan Lantern Festival and Fengyuan Fuxing Commercial District to meet the public, before taking a temporary break.

As for whether the event will be held again next year, Lin Minqi, head of the Industrial Development Division at Taichung City Government’s Economic Development Bureau, stated that further discussions with the organizer, the “Taiwan Teddy Bear Association of the Republic of China,” are needed. However, for now, after completing all their journeys, the teddy bears will be temporarily collected in for health checks. If there’s an opportunity to hold the event next year, these adorable teddy bears will reappear and delight the public once more.