Next Taiwan Lantern Festival host cities announced: Chiayi takes the baton first, Pingtung to follow

▲2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Yunlin. (Photo / Reporter Lai Wen-hsuan)

Reporter Lai Wen-hsuan / Taipei

The 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival is being held in Yunlin this year and will conclude on February 19. Today, Tourism Bureau Director-General Chou Yung-hui announced the subsequent host cities in one go: the 29th edition will be hosted by Chiayi County Government, and the 30th by Pingtung County Government. The next lantern festival exhibition area will be located opposite the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, with the theme “235 Fall in Love with Me,” combining the international attraction of the Southern Branch with the geographical features of the Tropic of Cancer.

Chou Yung-hui stated that for the 29th “2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival,” two cities—Chiayi County and Pingtung County—competed to host the event. Both Chiayi County Magistrate Chang Hua-kuan and Pingtung County Magistrate Pan Men-an personally led their teams to present at the evaluation meeting. As both counties’ proposals and venue conditions were equally competitive, each with unique strengths, the 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival will first be hosted by Chiayi County, which has complete infrastructure and prior experience organizing lantern festivals. At the same time, the Tourism Bureau also agreed to let Pingtung County host the 30th Taiwan Lantern Festival the following year, giving it ample time to prepare the venue’s infrastructure and allowing the Ministry of Culture to assist in bringing in an international curatorial team.

▲2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Yunlin: the opening night’s main lantern show was accompanied by a 500-second fireworks display lighting up Yunlin. (Photo / Provided by the Tourism Bureau)

Chiayi County Government plans to hold the event in the Chiayi County Government Administrative Zone, the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, and the Suan Tou Sugar Refinery. Aside from having excellent transportation access and level site conditions that are favorable for visitor access, the plan also leverages the cultural appeal of the existing National Palace Museum and anticipates the beautiful lantern displays over the museum’s water features becoming popular photo spots for visitors.

Pingtung County Government’s proposal includes areas such as Liukuaicuo in Pingtung City (Dapeng 7th Village and Lingyun 3rd Village), as well as the Dapeng Bay Qingzhou Coastal Recreation Area and the Sailing Base. In addition to gaining consensus and collaboration from Kaohsiung City, Tainan City, and Penghu County for the planning, and integrating the land and sea characteristics of Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area, the lantern zones will incorporate diverse ethnic cultures, such as Indigenous, Hoklo, Hakka, and new immigrant communities, as well as elements like military dependents' villages and airports. Event content will align with the New Southbound Policy and include new immigrant participation in guided tours as a special feature.

▲Tourism Bureau Director Chou Yung-hui announces the host cities for the 29th and 30th Taiwan Lantern Festivals. (Photo / Reporter Lai Wen-hsuan)

Chou Yung-hui said that as the Taiwan Lantern Festival approaches its 30th milestone, the Tourism Bureau will break away from its traditional format and allow the festival to “transform.” In the future, lantern festivals won’t be limited to zodiac themes, and the use of local subjects and diverse presentation methods will be encouraged.

In addition, previously host cities only had one year to prepare. To give future hosts more time, the host cities for the lantern festival will now be announced two years in advance.