Taichung to host Central Taiwan Lantern Festival with Finland’s Moomins

台中將舉辦中台灣燈會，巨型嚕嚕米（Moomin）將亮相。

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung will host the annual Central Taiwan Lantern Festival on Feb. 15, featuring a large-scale collaboration with the Finnish cartoon characters the Moomins.

The city government said Monday it teamed up with the Moomins because Finland is ranked the world’s happiest country, which jibes well with Taichung. Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) noted the event also marks the Moomins’ 80th anniversary.

The city’s Tourism and Travel Bureau said the festival will run for 16 days at Taichung Central Park and will close on March 3, with a break only on Lunar New Year’s Eve. Highlights include a 60-meter Moomin Valley light show, a 21-meter inflatable Moomin, and 3D naked-eye animations.

CNA reported Monday that seven themed zones will be set up by different city departments to turn Taichung into a festival city. The bureau said the goal is to match the scale of the festival and draw visitors from across the country.

The bureau said limited-edition Moomin lanterns will be handed out daily during the festival, starting in the late afternoon. It noted that each person can pick up one lantern while supplies last.