2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival Preview: Glass Lantern Cosmic Tower Stuns

The Taiwan Lantern Festival is the country’s largest and most internationally recognized tourism event, hailed by international media as a “Disneyland without roller coasters.” For the first time in 26 years, Taoyuan is hosting the Taiwan Lantern Festival on a 32-hectare site divided into six major lantern zones. The event showcases the charm of Taiwan’s technology industry and the unique diversity of Taoyuan’s culture. Special lantern zones have been set up by Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu, while cities from Japan and other foreign countries have also been invited to install lanterns or perform, aiming to offer both domestic and international visitors a unique experience that highlights the distinctive features of Taiwan and Taoyuan.

In addition, the biggest highlight this year—the “Cosmic Tower”—integrates Taiwan’s local industries, crafts, and culture, marking the first time a glass-designed lantern installation has been showcased since the festival’s inception. The “Cosmic Tower” is the first major creative lantern installation at the Taiwan Lantern Festival to use glass as its primary design material. It was constructed by a hundred artisans using nearly 4,000 square meters of glass. In terms of technique, the structure uses a steel frame, combined with advanced processing technologies such as glass grinding, polishing, strengthening, carving, laser inkjet printing, laminating, and high-altitude construction. It is expected to deliver an unprecedented lantern festival experience for visitors.