2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival hand-held lanterns to be handed out March 3-15

Taipei, Jan. 15 (CNA) Hand-held paper lanterns featuring OhBear riding a rocking horse will be handed out during the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi, starting at 3 p.m. daily from March 3-15, the Chiayi County government announced Thursday.

The festival will take place at the plaza in front of the Chiayi County Hall.

The lanterns combine Taiwan's tourism mascot with the Chinese zodiac sign of the horse for 2026 and will be handed out near the main exhibition zone at the intersection of Taizi Boulevard and Xinyi 2nd Road in Taibao City, the county government said in a news release.

Each person will be limited to one lantern, with a limited number available daily.

Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang (翁章梁) said that a total of 280,000 lanterns have been prepared by the Tourism Administration and the county government.

The release added that the lanterns are not only decorative but also functional, as the base of the rocking horse can be used as storage space for items such as candy, stationery or other accessories.