How can Taiwan’s folk festival activities become spaces and scenes for promoting arts and culture? The lantern festival should be an experimental field.

How can art education reach the general public or elevate cultural pursuits within folk celebrations? "Ao Yue Jiang Hai" (Turtle Leaping Over Rivers and Seas)

Enhancing folk art will define the future prospects of lantern festivals – "Rui Feng Xiang Fei" (Auspicious Phoenix Soaring)

What does Taiwan’s annual lantern festival enhance for local communities? Culture, industry, or increased local prosperity?

Today’s local governments act as leisure directors – everything paid for by the public – hence it is called the Taiwan Lantern Festival.

The lantern festival has become Taiwan’s grandest annual folk amusement gathering – seemingly having little to do with culture.

The lantern festival feels like a virtual world immersed in light illusions.

Lively and bustling like a market, the folk garden party known as the lantern festival.

A nationwide amusement lantern festival that transcends time or dances with light illusions.

Auspicious turtles or lucky animals serve as spiritual anchors for the people.

Only when lively dragons accompany vigorous tigers can we truly embrace this year’s dynamic "Tiger Year."

Liveliness and joy seem to be the national sports of the lantern festival.

A Chinese city gate resembling a virtual world.

Features of the Chinese city gate and folk religious figure lantern displays participating from the mainland.

Lotus pedestal works filled with religious sentiment from China.

Contemporary lantern festivals resemble digitalized displays of space and time.

This year’s spectacular and metaphorical main lantern – "Tiger Vigor."

Beside the tiger lantern lies the auspicious symbol of blessing health and peace – the Living Dragon.

The adorable animal-themed lantern district featuring participation from Chiayi’s primary and secondary schools.

Chiayi was formerly known as Zhuoluo Mountain; here, children’s favorite dinosaur lanterns take center stage.

The vibrant atmosphere of the religious lantern district.

The religious lantern district resembles Taiwan’s night markets.

Artworks in the artistic lantern district at Chiayi Park: Wang Wenzhi’s large-scale installation piece rich in祈福 (prayer/blessing) symbolism.

Artworks in the artistic lantern district at Chiayi Park: Ou Zhicheng’s modern outdoor installation lamp.

The annual Taiwan Lantern Festival, held on the Lantern Festival day after the Lunar New Year (the 15th of the first lunar month), falls upon Chiayi City this year. Rarely does one have such a fleeting opportunity while living abroad; yet here I am, at this very moment, witnessing the grandeur firsthand. I had the chance to visit and experience my hometown’s unique evening carnival, and I share these captivating images with friends online.