TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung is gearing up to host the “Shining Taichung” Central Taiwan Lantern Festival from Feb. 8 to Feb. 23, celebrating the Year of the Snake.

The centerpiece of the festival is a striking half-woman, half-snake lantern representing the mythological goddess Nuwa. This year’s event will feature augmented reality (AR) technology, allowing visitors to enjoy interactive storytelling in real-time, reported LTN.

Held in Taichung’s Central Park, the festival adopts the theme “Realizing Happiness” (蛇現幸福), a pun combining the Mandarin words for “snake” and “realize.” This marks the 25th year the city has hosted the spring lantern festival and its longest duration, running for 16 days.

Chen Mei-Hsiu (陳美秀), Director of Taichung’s Tourism Bureau, invited attendees to download the festival’s app, launching on Feb. 6. The app enhances the viewing experience by adding AR elements to the displays when viewed through a smartphone.

The scale of this year’s event has expanded, featuring collaboration with 60 business sponsors and numerous private vendors. The festival boasts nine major exhibition areas, over 100 lantern displays, a craft and food market, and live musical performances on the opening (Feb. 8) and closing (Feb. 23) nights.