To celebrate “Tainan 400,” the first large-scale national event of the 2024 Taiwan Lantern Festival will take place in Tainan. The lantern displays will begin in the Anping area on February 3, 2024, with the main light display in the High-Speed Rail Lantern Area at the Greater Tainan Convention and Exhibition Center and surrounding venues set to open on February 24.

 

After the 2022 National Games concluded in Tainan on October 26, the city government immediately began preparations for the Taiwan Lantern Festival, marking the first major national event to celebrate Tainan’s 400th anniversary. Today, the Tourism Bureau and the Public Works Bureau presented updates on the event’s planning progress, including site preparation and electrical infrastructure.

 

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che noted that the preparation time for the Taiwan Lantern Festival was tight, and the event would span both the High-Speed Rail Lantern Area and the Anping City Lantern Area. Additionally, the Longqi Light Festival, Yanshuei Fireworks Festival, and Puji Lantern Festival will coincide with the main event. The city is focusing on optimizing transportation, industry promotion, and urban marketing. After the event, the large lantern exhibits will remain as part of the cityscape.

 

According to the city government’s press release, the Taiwan Lantern Festival is a nationwide event organized in collaboration between the central and local governments. The city government has set up 20 working groups, and the planning for the lantern areas, infrastructure, resource recruitment, transportation, performances, and publicity began in March of this year and is still ongoing.

 

The 2024 Taiwan Lantern Festival will feature two main exhibition areas. The High-Speed Rail Lantern Area will be open from February 24 to March 10, 2024, for 16 days, while the Anping City Lantern Area will be open from February 3 to March 10, 2024. As the Anping lantern area spans the Lunar New Year, it will be closed on February 9, the eve of the Chinese New Year.

 

The two lantern areas will cover over 70 hectares each, with a total area of 152 hectares. Groundwork for the High-Speed Rail Lantern Area started in September, and the central lantern area and surrounding activity zones are under construction, scheduled to be completed by the end of November. Groundwork for the 26-hectare parking area will also be completed by the end of the year, and pedestrian path improvements around the Tainan High-Speed Rail Station are underway.

 

In addition to the main lantern and city lantern zones, the High-Speed Rail Lantern Area will feature five street parades and nearly 100 performances on the main and secondary stages. The Anping City Lantern Area will have the “Tainan 400” lantern zone, as well as the “River Lights” lantern zone, along with stage performances and street artist shows.

 

Furthermore, the city government has invited three major temples along the Nanguan Line near the High-Speed Rail Lantern Area and temples in the old town area leading to the Anping City Lantern Area to decorate their temples for the festival. Three lantern viewing routes will be set up in the Chengnan Lantern Area.

 

The High-Speed Rail Lantern Area will be located at the Greater Tainan Convention and Exhibition Center and its surrounding venues, while the Anping Lantern Area will include Lin Mo-niang Park, the original 1661 Taiwan Shipyard, the Anping Canal, and the Anping Recreation Pier.

 

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