TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In an ambitious bid to elevate its cultural profile, Miaoli County (苗栗縣), a rural region in northwestern Taiwan known for its agricultural heritage and scenic landscapes, has secured hosting rights for the prestigious Taiwan Lantern Festival in 2027. County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin (鍾東錦) declared on Friday (June 20) that preparations for this nationally significant event represent the county government's foremost priority. Speaking at a press briefing, Chung outlined his vision for transforming the traditional celebration into an immersive sensory experience that would spotlight Miaoli's distinctive cultural and natural attractions for both domestic and international visitors.
The announcement follows a fact-finding mission by county officials who recently returned from a nine-day study tour to Australia, where they immersed themselves in Sydney's internationally acclaimed light festival. The delegation, which returned to Taiwan on Monday, focused on gathering expertise in urban artistic installations, tourism promotion strategies, crowd management techniques, and emergency protocols. Chan Cai-pin (詹彩蘋), who heads the Economic Development Department (工商發展處), a key county-level agency overseeing commercial development, emphasized that the team had acquired valuable knowledge regarding Australia's renewable energy implementation and large-scale illumination event management. In a related initiative, county authorities have submitted a request for NT$35 million (approximately US$1.18 million) in solar energy subsidies from Taiwan's central government to facilitate community involvement in the festival.
Officials from the Culture and Tourism Bureau (文化觀光局), the county department responsible for promoting local heritage and visitor experiences, expressed particular interest in how Vivid Sydney transforms iconic structures like the Opera House and Harbour Bridge into canvas-like projection surfaces. The Australian festival's successful integration of artificial intelligence interactive installations with indigenous artistic expressions has provided a conceptual blueprint for Miaoli's approach to the 2027 lantern celebration. County planners have already formulated a guiding framework centered around what they term the "3Cs" — creativity, connection, and culture — which will inform all aspects of festival development. The initiative envisions extensive partnerships with local enterprises, neighborhood associations, and artistic communities to create an event that meets international festival standards while retaining distinctly Taiwanese characteristics. ◼
