Experience the taste of "victory"！ The Nantou Guoxing Seizing Success Festival kicks off with 7 days of excitement

▲ The Seizing Success series of events is an annual highlight in Guoxing Township, Nantou County. (Photo / Provided by Guoxing Township Office)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

As one of the 12 major Hakka festivals, the Guoxing Seizing Success series of events will be held from the 7th to the 10th at the Seizing Success Cultural Square in Guoxing Township, Nantou. In addition to the always exciting Seizing Success competition, this year’s event features a creative twist — flower lantern palanquins replacing traditional flower palanquins in the competition, in line with the upcoming Taiwan Lantern Festival in Nantou next year, making it a new highlight of the festival.

The Guoxing Seizing Success series of events began after the 921 earthquake and is now in its 14th year. The Seizing Success competition is an annual highlight in Guoxing Township, Nantou County, where the victors earn the honor symbolizing "success."

The so-called “Seizing Success” involves a competition where nine people operate a tricycle carrying a statue of Koxinga — one as the driver and the other eight pushing from behind. Teams must push a 1,000 Taiwan catty (approximately 600 kg) warship replica and race 100 meters to climb the wall and capture the flag to complete the challenge. It tests not only the participants’ physical strength but also their teamwork.

To align with the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Nantou next year, the flower lantern palanquin competition combines elements of both traditional palanquins and lanterns, encouraging participants to showcase creativity and design unique palanquins. In addition to the Seizing Success event and the creative lantern palanquin competition, there will also be other related activities such as blessing dice games and fun three-legged tea-picking.


▲ Promotional poster for the Guoxing Seizing Success series of events. (Photo / Provided by Guoxing Township Office)