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The 2026 Nantou Lantern Festival opened in grand style on the evening of February 14 at the Nantou County Expo Center, dazzling visitors with brilliant lights and bustling crowds. Nantou County Mayor Hsu Shu-Hua presided over the opening ceremony, leading distinguished guests in lighting this year’s newly introduced “twin main lanterns,” symbolizing vitality, prosperity, and Nantou’s radiant spirit.

    The ceremony featured a special performance by Japan’s popular character “Intense Cat”, delighting the audience with a lively K-pop dance show. The Japanese creator also made a surprise appearance, sharing insights into the character’s design and expressing their joy at this cross-cultural collaboration.

County Mayor Hsu was joined by legislators Ma Wen-Chun and Yu Hao; county councilors Lin Ru-Yang, Chang Hsiu-Chih, Tang Xiao-Fen, Tsai Meng-Eo, Chien Chien-Hsiang, Song Huai-Lin, Lin Yi-Ru, Chang Wan-Tzu, and Tsai Tsung-Chih; as well as JiJi Township Mayor Wu Da-Cun, Guoxing Township Mayor Chiu Mei-Ling, and Ren'ai Township Mayor Chiang Tzu-Hsin. Together, they unveiled the lantern festival and officially lit the twin main lanterns to thunderous applause.

Mayor Hsu noted that since Nantou first hosted the Taiwan Lantern Festival twelve years ago, during the Year of the Horse, the event has grown under successive county leaders into one of Taiwan’s most renowned and large-scale lantern festivals.

This year’s festival runs from February 14 to March 8 (closed on Lunar New Year’s Eve), spanning 22 days. Hsu emphasized that the county government is committed to perfecting every detail to enhance the visitor experience and attract more tourists. The festival features 11 themed display areas, including “Intense Cat’s Tour of Nantou’s 13 Townships“ and the whimsical “Fantasy Circus”. Highlights also include a water dance theater, romantic flower fields, special Lunar New Year performances, and even a pet activity area. Visitors can enjoy flower viewing and paddleboarding during the day, then admire rotating evening performances by different singers, immersing themselves in a festive atmosphere throughout the Spring Festival.

On opening night, popular singers including Princess Ai (戴愛玲), Amber An (安心亞), and Kumu Basaw (姑慕巴紹) performed back-to-back, accompanied by a spectacular water dance show and dazzling fireworks that thrilled the crowd. Attendees eagerly lined up to receive the “Flying Horse” mini lanterns and red envelopes distributed by County Mayor Hsu. Their interaction added warmth, joy, and a strong New Year spirit to the celebration.