Eternal Radiance of Yongtian

The Civil Affairs Lantern Zone of the 2026 Central Taiwan Lantern Festival is located within the “Happiness Wish Village” of Taichung Central Park. Taking the spirit of “inclusivity” symbolized by the MOOMIN world as its conceptual core, the design transforms this idea into a luminous narrative that transcends ethnicities and beliefs.
Structured around the geographical framework of “mountain, sea, plateau, and city,” the lantern zone weaves Taichung’s landscape into a walkable map of faith. By incorporating the dynamic imagery of the Year of the Horse, traditional belief is no longer presented as a static symbol, but rather as a flowing energy moving toward the future.
The most memorable focal point of the lantern zone centers on Yongtian Temple in Wuqi (Yamuliao Yongtian Temple), presented through the main installation titled “Eternal Radiance of Yongtian,” offering blessings for safe voyages at sea.
Mazu, revered as the guardian deity of the sea, stands at the spiritual core of the composition. A yellow duck transforms into a symbolic vessel carrying blessings, gently gliding forward with rippling light patterns. This creates a scene that is both solemn and approachable.
The contrast between Mazu’s dignified presence and the rounded, playful form of the duck reinterprets religious symbolism into a more relatable and everyday visual language. As bands of light simulate the movement of waves, the vessel appears to drift through the night, transforming the installation from a static display into a narrative of a protected maritime journey.
Behind it, red lanterns filled with blessing characters glow increasingly brighter as night deepens, amplifying the atmosphere of collective prayer.