Paper Windmill's Rain Horse to show at Chiayi Taiwan Lantern Festival

Taipei, March 1 (CNA) Paper Windmill Theatre's Hakka children's play Rain Horse (雨馬) will be staged six times at the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi County, accompanied by a 10-meter-tall horse-shaped installation of the same name, according to organizers.

During the festival, which will run from March 3-15 outside the Chiayi County Government building, the giant Rain Horse installation -- standing 10 meters tall and 13 meters long -- will also appear in the TEAM TAIWAN parade on March 7, the county's Culture and Tourism Bureau said.

Speaking at a news conference held at the festival venue on Sunday, Chang Min-yi (張敏宜), CEO of the Paper Windmill Arts and Educational Foundation, said the play will be presented in six condensed performances and feature in 34 light shows during the festival.

She said the show is meant to convey to children, in a gentle yet powerful way, that even in difficult times they are never alone.

A collaboration between the Hakka Affairs Council -- a government agency responsible for preserving and promoting Hakka language and culture -- and Paper Windmill Theatre, Rain Horse is adapted from a picture book by Taiwanese writer Hsiao Yeh (小野) and was first launched in 2021, according to Chiayi County's Culture and Tourism Bureau.

Hsiao Yeh is the pen name of Culture Minister Li Yuan (李遠).

Created against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many children were unable to go outside and therefore lost the joys of daily life, the production carries themes of comfort, companionship and growing up in difficult times, the bureau added.

Also at the news conference, Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang (翁章梁) said many children at the venue are excited to see the giant Rain Horse installation and Paper Windmill Theatre's performance, adding that he believes the event will bring visitors a joyful and memorable experience.

Wearing safety gear, he later climbed the installation and called on the public to visit the lantern festival.

Liao Mei-ling (廖美玲), an official with the Hakka Affairs Council, noted that Rain Horse will make its first-ever joint appearance nationwide with The Lantern Monster (燈怪), another Hakka children's play launched last year.