2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival unveils Alishan-inspired centerpiece

Taipei, Jan. 10 (CNA) Organizers of the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi on Friday unveiled a towering main lantern design inspired by the Alishan forests and the region's wood heritage.

Titled "Alishan, Veiled in Luminous Mist," the centerpiece lantern draws inspiration from Alishan's centuries-old "sacred trees" and will take the form of a 21-meter-tall cylindrical tower illuminated in blue lights and clad in wooden elements.

Near the top, the structure is crowned by a rotating circular halo symbolizing the sun rising over the mountains.

The design was unveiled through a scale model at a Tourism Administration press conference in Taipei and was jointly created by artists Yao Chung-han (姚仲涵), Lu Yen-cheng (盧彥臣) and Rex Takeshi Chen (陳威志).

Yao told CNA that the lantern's wooden parts will incorporate recycled wood sourced locally from old buildings and wind-felled trees, reflecting sustainability principles while embedding local stories into the work.

At the base of the structure, a 13-meter-diameter circular screen will use videos combined with light and sound effects to narrate Taiwan's story, from its undersea geological formation, to modern technological development and global connections, Yao said.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Administration also unveiled this year's handheld paper lanterns, featuring OhBear, Taiwan's tourism mascot, riding a rocking horse in a playful design inspired by the Year of the Horse that departs from traditional animal-only zodiac motifs.

Chiayi's wood heritage dates back to the Japanese colonial era, when logging in the Alishan forests and the construction of the Alishan Forest Railway turned the region into Taiwan's key timber transport and processing hub, shaping its industries and urban landscape, according to the Chiayi City government.

The 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival will run from Mar. 3 to 15 at the plaza in front of the Chiayi County Hall.