TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan unveiled the main lantern for the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival on Friday (Jan. 9), revealing a 21-meter tower inspired by the sacred trees of Alishan (阿里山). The Ministry of Transportation and Communications Tourism Bureau presented "Light of Alishan to the World" (光沐－世界的阿里山) at the Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店) in Taipei. The lantern emphasizes sustainability, using recycled wood from fallen trees and abandoned houses to create its structure.
Artists Yao Chung-han (姚仲涵), Lu Yen-chen (盧彥臣), and Rex Takeshi (陳威志) collaborated on the design, incorporating fallen trees from Chiayi (嘉義) County to narrate Taiwan's origins. The tower-like structure features blue light strips and a rotating circular halo symbolizing the sun among mountains. A 13-meter-diameter circular screen at the lantern's base will showcase Taiwan's story through sound and visuals.
Yao highlighted the use of recycled materials, crediting the Chiayi County Government for sourcing wood from abandoned houses and fallen trees. "The entire tower's system and structure are designed for full recyclability, addressing sustainability issues," Yao said. The presentation will depict Taiwan's tectonic shifts, ice age, and technological advancements through imagery created by Yao and Rex Takeshi.
Lu Yen-chen described this lantern as the first "inhabitable" form of Yao's "Photon Beast" series, which he began in 2017. Rex Takeshi emphasized that the key task is helping the public grasp the lantern's narrative, using AI to train diverse styles and showcase tech art and new media. The visual presentation will begin from space above Taiwan's waters, according to Yao.