TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Lantern Festival will begin in Taoyuan at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Lantern Festival night, and run until Feb. 23.

With the theme “Light Connect All,” the Lantern Festival is returning to Taoyuan for the first time in nine years, per Taiwan Lantern Festival. This year's event marks the 36th year of the festival, which started in 1989. 

This year's 18-meter-tall main lantern, “Infinite Paradise,” is designed by artist Akibo Lee (李明道). The festival is divided into two areas: the Main Lantern Exhibition Area at the A18 Taoyuan High Speed Rail Station and the Lights Playground at the A19 Taoyuan Sports Park Station.

The main exhibition area is themed around a baseball diamond to mark Team Taiwan's victory in the Premier12 championship, with the main lantern, two auxiliary lanterns, and six major exhibition zones. The main stage and Infinite Paradise are located on the home plate, while the auxiliary lanterns “Guardian of Navigation” and “Fuyao Dragon” are at the first base and second base.

Chintan Park in Lights Playground will feature Japanese Pokemon characters for the first time, including a 12-meter-long Snorlax and a 6-meter-tall Pikachu. Also, a 9-meter-high and 10-meter-wide lantern depicting a giant from the Japanese anime series “Attack on Titan” is featured in the City Spotlight area of the Lights Playground. 

Professional baseball cheerleaders will utilize AI and motion-capture technology to add a new visual element to the main lantern display. In addition, more than 80 performance groups from Taiwan and abroad will present over 100 shows.

Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) projected that this year’s exhibition could attract between 10 and 15 million visitors, potentially setting a record for the highest attendance at the Taiwan Lantern Festival since the pandemic, per CNA.