The 21-meter-tall main lantern of the 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival makes its debut; the Year of the Dog mascot, Dali Dog, is here

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled and reported

The main lantern is sponsored by Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. As the zodiac animal for the year is the dog, it was named "Loyalty and Righteousness Innate" by Academician Tseng Yung-yi of Academia Sinica. The design features the smiling face of an indigenous child and a loyal Taiwan dog standing atop the sea of clouds on Mount Ali, symbolizing looking back at the past, standing firm in the present, and gazing toward the future—letting the world see Taiwan and welcoming international tourists to visit.

This year’s main lantern was undertaken by Zhi Fang Art Co., Ltd., with the main lantern standing a total of 21 meters tall. In terms of overall lighting design, a brand-new 4D refraction method will be used to showcase the grating sheet visual effects, along with recyclable optical refraction sheets to increase light penetration by over 70%. Additionally, with more than 20,000 sets of lighting circuit systems, the full-color LED lights inside the main lantern will display over 12 million pixel colors. No matter from which angle the public views the main lantern, they can enjoy the ever-changing optical fantasy spectacle. To further innovate the main lantern’s characteristics, this year also introduces, for the first time, the motion of an indigenous child waving hello. When the main lantern performs, the public can feel the child waving and saying hello, spreading love and blessings with laughter, bringing even more delightful surprises to visitors during the 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival.

The small lantern, most anticipated by children every year, is named “Dali Dog” this year. With the theme “Prosperous Year, Go Happiness,” it brings a lively and festive vibe. Using a patchwork picture-book style, the scenic mountains and seas of Chiayi, the Alishan Forest Railway, indigenous totems, and the blue-and-white porcelain of the National Palace Museum Southern Branch are all transformed into vibrant patterns on the dog’s body. The small lantern is made to look as adorable and endearing as a stuffed toy, with a handle designed like a cute doghouse that makes it appear to joyfully run when gently shaken. Its charming and playful appearance also includes paw-print cutouts on the dog’s belly. When children carry the lantern at night, dog footprints appear on the ground, as if walking and playing together with the dog.

The 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival incorporates Chiayi’s famous 23.5°N concept, using, for the first time, a full-area projection lighting method to weave latitude and longitude beams across the sky, giving the light show a 3D stereoscopic feel. In coordination with the main lantern performance, the spectacular show extends across the entire lantern area. The lighting platform also employs dynamic displays to present the moving sunrise and sea of clouds over Alishan, integrating elements from Chiayi—from mountains to sea—allowing the public to take in the most beautiful scenery of Chiayi. To innovate the lantern-viewing experience, interactive projection devices have been introduced, transforming into large-scale tech orbs that can be freely enjoyed in 360 degrees, creating a visual spectacle as if one is in the midst of the galaxy. Additionally, to give the Taiwan Lantern Festival more depth, cross-disciplinary collaboration with renowned artist Hung I has been carried out, blending the festival with culture in the most beautiful harmony.