Taichung Tourism

• Event Date：2023/2/4～2023/2/12
• Lantern Lighting Time：Weekdays 17:00-21:30／Holidays 17:00-22:00
• Event Location：Taichung Central Park

The most healing, warmest and must stunning 2023 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival “Happy Taichung” will be grandly held at Taichung Central Park from February 4 to 12!

Themed on “Happy Taichung”, the 2023 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival is designed with 6 themed lantern areas decorated with over 30 lantern sets. Integrated with eco-friendly issues and characteristics of the field, the festival this year turns Taichung Central Park from a large-size art installation park in daytime into a splendid lantern amusement park that is exclusively for it at night. This year’s festival not only shows the irresistible charm of Taichung’s nature, humanity and culture, but also signifies the rebirth and economic recovery of a post-pandemic city. All people around Taiwan are invited to enjoy the colorful and resplendent banquet of lanterns and to experience the charm of this “happy and livable city”.


Main Lantern    Happy Taichung, HAPPY Rabbit


Themed on “Happy Taichung, HAPPY Rabbit”, this year’s festival has integrated traditional lantern art and technological art exhibition to bring audience Taiwan’s biggest dynamic main water lantern.
The main lantern is formed by a group of lanterns circled around the water ball. The buildings surrounded it are high and low; and renowned buildings such as Central Taiwan Film Center and National Taichung Theater are faintly seen thereamong. Through the layering of light colors, the image of “Happy Taichung” is presented.
When the main lantern show begins, “HAPPY Rabbit” with ears bobbing up and down will raise from the planet . When the pitch goes up, “HAPPY Rabbit” will jump up from the planet and, with head up, lead everyone to a low-carbon emission, livable and beautiful city.

Main lantern show：
The 18-minute main lantern show, including a three-minute dynamic main lantern show and a 15-minute laser light show, begins every hour on the hour .
February 4 (Saturday) Opening Ceremony – The first show begins at 18:58.


The “Cute Bunny Burrow” Lantern Area


The 8-m-tall “Rabbit mother” with a carrot in her mouth pops up above the overpass bridge of Taichung Central Park and guards wholeheartedly the bunnies below the courtyard, which has been transformed into a burrow of bunnies playing or sleeping therein. The roman columns on the other end have been turned into a carrot farm with big and small carrots, creating a healing and happy atmosphere in the burrow.


The “Dream Tree” Lantern Area

Through the integration of the natural landscape of Taichung Central Park and projection technology, an endless tree hole has been extended from an old tree to create a magic scene. Just like an anywhere door, the tree hole enables visitors to snoop around the mysterious world that leads to the dreamland of the HAPPY Rabbit behind the door.

Show Time：
2023/2/4, 2023/2/5, 2023/2/11, 2023/2/12  18:40-21:40
Every hour on the hour; 90 seconds each time.
2023/2/6～2023/2/10  18:40-20:40
Every hour on the hour; 90 seconds each time.


The “Cute Bugs” Lantern Area

The lantern area is decorated with lantern sets of commonly seen bugs, such as unicorn, ladybug and dragonfly; exotic flowers and plants big-and-small mushrooms; and butterflies and bees flying on the trees. The colorful colors of the bugs and plants have created a magical world in the park.


The “Cute Rabbit Kaleidoscope” Lantern Area

The 10-m-high huge rabbit-shaped structure is presented with kaleidoscope-like changing colors. Together with the gobo light that projects the paper-cut silhouettes of rabbit, the lantern creates a busting atmosphere as if the rabbits are playing around. The small cute rabbits on the opposite side of the rabbit-shaped structure are, on the other hand, made with traditional lantern techniques. The big rabbit and small cute rabbits that look at each other also symbolize the cooperation between innovation and tradition.


The “Ice Friends: Find a Friend” Lantern Area

The organizer of this year’s festival cooperates with the considerate male illustrator “Milla” to bring his original creation “Ice Friends” to this lantern area. “Ice Friends: Find a Friend” lantern area is presented in a illustration story: After the climate warming and ecological change begin, a southern pole penguin and a northern pole polar bear, which are not meant to meet each other, become friends. And stories of their love and helping each other therefore begin. It is Ice Friends’ aspiration to summon partners to pay attention to environmental sustainability and ecological issues and to cherish this land together with them.


The “River of Light” Lantern Area

The six sets of 3-m-high rabbits that successively glow on appear to run forward continuously to lead the audience to move towards. The laser rabbits on two sides of the grass slopes on the front also light up on time at night and jump into the river of the main lantern in the north. Together with the rendering of the water mist and lighting, the banks of Taichung Central Park’s river appear to be exceptionally romantic.

Show Time：
2023/2/4, 2023/2/5, 2023/2/11, 2023/2/12  18:20~21:50
Performances are held every 15 minutes; 90 seconds each time.
2023/2/6～2023/2/10  18:20~21:20
Performances are held every 15 minutes; 90 seconds each time.


The “HAPPY Rabbit” Hand Lantern

The hand lantern is designed in the shape of a pet rabbit that has long ears, cute eyes and big foot in a lazy sitting posture, providing a sense of healing. The hand lantern is designed with paper to show the puff and round curve of rabbit; and the three-dimensional shape of its foot also makes it even cuter. To increase the children’s intimacy with the rabbit, the handle has been transformed into a strap, enabling children to carry the hand lantern on their chest as if the rabbit is their pet. The long ears are also designed with a simple joint structure. When the children pull the thin traps on the back of the rabbit’s head, the rabbit’s ears will wiggle, making the lantern cute and fun.
Every day during the 2023 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival, queues will open at 4 p.m. and hand lanterns will be distributed starting from 4:30 p.m. Due to limited quantity, each person is limited to receive only one hand lantern and the hand lantern will be distributed while supplies last.
Everyone is welcome to visit Central Taiwan Lantern Festival with your “HAPPY Rabbit” hand lantern!