Chiayi to feature immigrants in dedicated Lantern Festival zone

Chiayi to feature immigrants in dedicated Lantern Festival zone

2026-02-06

The 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival is set to begin this March in Chiayi County. For the event, the county government invited nearly 50 immigrants to help design a special “new resident” themed area. Six main lanterns are to highlight connections between Taiwan and other nations, allowing visitors to experience this cultural melting pot for themselves.

Seven immigrants from Vietnam, Indonesia, and other countries wearing traditional clothing work the catwalk at this event to unveil a special “new resident” lantern zone.

For the Taiwan Lantern Festival opening in March, the Chiayi County Government invited nearly 50 immigrants to help design the zone. It aims to showcase the immigrant experience of moving overseas, setting down roots, integration, and building a life together. Aside from the installations, the zone will also feature performances and light shows.

Chen Chien-cheng
National Immigration Agency deputy director
There are a lot of marriages between Taiwan and Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines... Especially given our low birthrate, these women have done a lot for our country.

There are about 14,000 immigrants living in Chiayi County, forming an indispensable part of the community. County Commissioner Weng Chang-liang strongly encouraged people to visit the festival to see Chiayi’s transformation over the past seven years, while also introducing other festival attractions.

Weng Chang-liang
Chiayi County Commissioner
This Taiwan Lantern Festival will be very international. Of course there will be Taiwan’s very own Paper Windmill Theater, as well as lots of lanterns, Chiayi drones, and Taiwan’s famous fireworks. We’ve prepared all this for people to enjoy.

The “new resident” zone blends cultures from around the world, symbolizing Taiwan’s embrace of multiculturalism. The county commissioner invited everyone to experience the world’s diversity together.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#lanternfestival #TaiwanLanternFestival #Chiayi #immigrant #newresident #SoutheastAsia #lantern #multicultural #diversity

2026台灣燈會嘉義縣登場新住民燈區展現台灣與多國連結

2026-02-06

2026台灣燈會，3月將在嘉義縣登場，縣府這次邀請近50位新住民，共同打造新住民燈區，透過6大主題燈飾，展現台灣與多國之間的連結，讓異國文化交流不只用肉眼可見，還能親身體驗。

7位來自越南、印尼等國的新住民，穿上自己國家的傳統服飾，走秀演出，為新住民燈區，揭開熱鬧序幕。

2026台灣燈會，3月將在嘉義縣登場，縣府今年邀請近50位新住民，打造新住民燈區，主題以跨海、落地、共生到共築，呈現新住民的生命歷程，除了固定燈飾，燈區也安排舞台表演以及光雕秀。

[[移民署副署長陳建成]]
“越南、泰國、印尼、柬埔寨、菲律賓，國人比較會去跟她們結為連理，尤其在我們普遍出生率，比較不高的狀況之下，這些新住民姐妹也對台灣貢獻了很大”

嘉義縣新住民人口約有1.4萬人，是嘉義不可或缺的重要力量，縣長翁章梁除了強力推薦，民眾一定要來燈會，感受嘉義這7年的蛻變，也介紹台灣燈會在嘉義有哪些亮點。

[[嘉義縣長翁章梁]]
“這一次整個台灣燈會非常具有國際化，當然台灣本土的紙風車，包括很多燈飾，包括嘉義的無人機，跟台灣非常有名的煙火，都會在現場跟大家一起見面”

新住民燈區融合各國特色，象徵擁抱多元文化，縣長翁章梁也邀請民眾，屆時一起走進燈區，體驗異國文化的美好。

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Lee Chien-han
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The task force began in April last year, investigating a suspect surnamed Yu, who was involved in online group-buying scams. We traced the lead up to the Chan brothers, who coordinated the funding. We also arrested suspects who were caught cashing out funds at financial institutions. We seized nearly NT$330,000 in illicit proceeds. Ahead of October, we carried out four more sweeps targeting cash-out scams, in which we arrested 10 cash-out supervisors under the leadership of a suspect surnamed Chen, as well as 30 cash-out handlers. That brings a total of 42 suspects to justice. Following court rulings, 11 people were detained in total. That’s Chen plus 10 key figures in the scam operation.

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Changhua Police hold bank robbery drills ahead of LNY

There is an uptick in the risk of bank robbery ahead of the Lunar New Year, when people would go to banks for larger-than-usual amounts of cash. That’s why the Changhua County Police held drills with local banks on Friday. At Hemei Township, the “robbers” used a diversion tactic to distract bank tellers; while at Tianzhong Township, they were quick and vicious. The only differences between these drills and the real deal were the lack of real gunfire and funny costumes for the robbers. The police say the drills allow officers to sharpen their response skills while also teaching bank tellers how to protect themselves should the worse happen.

This character is a woman in a dress. She’s at the farmers’ association, pretending to conduct transactions.

At the same time, her accomplice, “Anpanman” tries to distract bank tellers by handing out treats and wishing everyone a happy new year.

It’s all a cover, because shortly afterwards, the woman seizes a teller and fires a gunshot.

Meanwhile, Anpanman also pulls out his gun, demanding cash.

This is a bank robbery response drill conducted by Hemei Precinct of Changhua County Police for officers. In the end, the two robbers were captured by the police that outnumbered them.

Leading up to the Lunar New Year, the police is strengthening bank robbery response. Over at Tianzhong Township, also in Changhua, another drill is taking place, with the robbers dressed up as Zootopia characters.

Don’t be fooled by their cuddly appearance. They are absolutely ruthless as they rake in the cash. Too bad for them, because Flash Slothmore was restrained and arrested in the bank, while his accomplice, Nick Wilde the fox also got caught while on the run.

Lin Ding-chao
Tianzhong Precinct
This enables financial institutions to raise their self-defense capabilities, as well as strengthens officers’ speed and agility in responding to emergencies.

That said, an actual bank robbery is many times scarier and more unpredictable with real gunfire, and there are no second chances. This is why the police is holding drills before the Lunar New Year, when people would visit banks for larger-than-usual amounts of cash. The drills improve officers’ responsive skills while also familiarize bank tellers in how they can stay safe and report a robbery.

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Car left chipped and dented after pack of dogs chases cat

A resident in Nantou’s Caotun Township recently woke up to a set of mysterious marks on the fender of the family car. The paint was chipped, and there seemed to be dents in the shape of bite marks all over the metal. After checking CCTV footage, the culprits were found. They were not human vandals, but a pack of dogs. It turned out the dogs were after a cat that ran into the engine compartment of the car, prompting the dogs to continue their chase by biting the metal itself. It’s also not the first time that something like this happened in the area. Locals have gotten the police involved, but it seems like compensation is out of the question.

- Will insurance cover this?
- I wouldn’t think so.

The fender is in terrible condition, chipped and dented. The car owner was about to head out in the morning when the damage stopped them in their tracks. They immediately went to check the CCTV cameras to find the culprit.

Three dogs stand near the front of the car. Then, the white one launches an attack, biting down hard on the fender and chewing as if there’s no tomorrow. In a moment, the black dog joins in. But why? It turns out the dogs were trying to get to a cat they had been chasing, which found shelter inside the car’s engine bay. The car got caught in the crossfire.

Voice of victim (voice altered)
Dogs bit car
I watched the footage. You can see a cat hiding under the car. The dogs ruined it. I posted the video online and discovered that there are a lot of people who’ve gotten their cars chewed.

The car was ruined, and to top it off, the dogs marked it with urine. Forget about compensation.

Voice of victim (Voice altered)
Dogs bit car
This was filmed nearby. There are other victims who think the dogs might belong to someone, because nobody’s seen them again after the police got called. Maybe they are strays, or maybe they are dogs that are being let out to roam freely.

The pack of potentially feral dogs has left car owners fearing for their property, and also their personal safety.

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This video posted online shows a technician fixing a cookie shop’s automatic door, saving the shop’s day. Early in the morning, the door couldn’t open no matter what. The shop owner kept peering out, and help finally came when he noticed that a truck parked outside belongs to a security shutter installer, and locked eyes with the technician.

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Aren’t automatic doors supposed to move? So it was like, I saw him standing right here, like he was waiting for his drink order bought next door. I wondered if he could fix my door. And if he could look my way, maybe there’s a chance he’ll fix it.

The award-winning cookie shop in Changhua is quite well-known locally and gets many customers, meaning the shop could incur quite huge losses that day. But what are the odds of running into a security shutter technician? The cookie shop really was quite lucky! But the technician was also pretty observant himself, noticing that something was wrong even from across the street. The cookie shop owner was really grateful of his help, while others on the Internet commented how lucky the technician was to score a project while waiting for his boba.

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He asked me if I could fix automatic doors, and told me that his door wouldn’t move. I agreed to take a look for him.

It turned out the door’s leather belt was compromised. Fortunately, the technician happened to have a replacement on his truck. He fixed the door in just half an hour. It was a lucky day for everyone involved.

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Exclusive: witnesses for marriage between 102-yo and caretaker identified

And here’s the latest development of the shock marriage saga, in which a wealthy 102-year-old man got married to his live-in caregiver without his family knowing. In our exclusive report, Mr. Wang’s children told us they’ve figured out who the witnesses of the marriage are. In addition, they also told us that they already sensed that something was up with dad as early as two years ago, and since then they had found a new team to keep an eye on him. But alas, the marriage still took place to their shock and horror, becoming a total legal nightmare for the family.

- I haven’t seen you in such a long time.

Children of 102-year-old Mr. Wang, who has a net worth of NT$800 million, can’t contain their joy seeing their father again.

They’re happy their father could be with them this Lunar New Year. Mr. Wang’s daughter has put on his favorite music, and dances along.

- A-shou is treating us to a banquet for our Lunar New Year gathering, so I’ve taken you home.

It seems like Mr. Wang is still getting used to his new living environment. His children try to comfort him.

- You’re home now. Don’t worry.

Why are his kids so worried about him? It’s because earlier this year, Mr. Wang got married to his 68-year-old live-in caregiver, Ms. Lai, who had looked after him for 17 years. They doubt Lai’s motive for marrying their elderly father.

- How did she convince you to get married to her?
- [Unintelligible]
- Did you know that she barred you from seeing your own kids and grandkids?
- No.

Voice of Mr. Wang
Family member
We’ve confirmed that one of the witnesses was Ms. Lai’s son. We don’t know the other one personally, but we believe they’re a friend of Ms. Lai.
It appears that Mr. Wang himself doesn’t know why he got married to his caregiver. The family also found out who the witnesses of the marriage are, and neither are their own friends and family. Now it’s up to the court to decide whether this marriage is truly valid. But for now, the Wangs are at least happy that their father could be back with them, after a month, just in time for Lunar New Year.

Voice of Mr. Wang
Family member
We’ve always wondered whether our father was threatened by her at his home. Even if he wanted to reach out for help, she wouldn’t let that happen. Every day, we take turns to visit dad. But two years ago, dad started finding issues to berate us. We were really confused by that. We were worried about him, so apart from taking turns with him, we’ve gotten another group of people to protect him.

It seems that Mr. Wang’s kids already sensed something was off as early as two years ago, but somehow the marriage still happened, much to their shock and horror.

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Other kids crowd onto swings close by, excitedly swinging higher and higher.

Meanwhile in the sandbox, kids dig out something large and green, trying to uncover what it could be.

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What do you think about the equipment here?
It’s really cool.

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This is the first project I planned and completed since taking office. It’s a very important, inclusive park that children love. It used to be a tobacco factory, so one of our main playgrounds was designed by the old factory.

The commissioner enjoyed herself trying one of the new slides, nearly flying off the end.

In addition to playgrounds, the park also has a pond, walking paths, and a roller-skating rink. The whole park is built to be accessible, so seniors and people with disabilities can all enjoy outdoor activities here.

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When people think of Jiuru, they think of lemons. We have an ecological pond with lots of sustainable, environmentally friendly elements that are showcased in this inclusive park.

With the park opening shortly before the Lunar New Year, families will be able to enjoy it during the upcoming vacation.

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