2025 HL Pacific Ocean Lantern Festival Shines on the Int'l Stage! Wins Gold Prize @U.S. Titan Innovation Awards

(中央社訊息服務20250411 15:13:10)The 2025 Hualien Pacific Ocean Lantern Festival, held from January 17 to February 16 under the theme “Hualien Blooms with Bliss”, not only attracted 670,000 visitors but also earned national recognition as one of DailyView’s Top 10 Lantern Festivals in Taiwan, ranking 8th nationwide and 3rd among non-municipal cities. Now, the festival has achieved global acclaim, winning the Gold Prize in the "Event Innovation" category at the 2025 Titan Innovation Awards in the U.S., standing out among thousands of international entries and cementing its place on the global stage for creativity and innovation.

The Titan Innovation Awards, hosted by the International Awards Associate (IAA), honor organizations and individuals who exhibit outstanding creativity and communication that leaves a lasting impact globally, especially in marketing and promotional efforts. The 2025 Hualien Pacific Lantern Festival impressed the judges with its originality, execution, industry impact, and memorable experience, leading to its well-deserved Gold Winner title. This recognition helps promote Hualien’s creative festivals worldwide—and in turn, brings global travelers to Hualien.

Hualien County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei expressed pride in the award, highlighting the county government’s continuous innovation and tireless dedication. She emphasized that the festival’s relocation this year to Sunrise Boulevard in Hualien City and its theme of "Hualien Blooms with Bliss" symbolizes bidding farewell to the challenges of 2024 and embracing a hopeful, vibrant future. The event drew a record-breaking number of visitors and climbed to 8th place in national popularity rankings for lantern festivals based on big data from DailyView. Among non-metropolitan cities, it ranked 3rd, reflecting strong public support and appeal.

Looking ahead, Hualien will continue to merge innovative curation with multicultural fusion, ensuring that the Hualien Pacific Lantern Festival blossoms brilliantly year after year on the world stage.

Director of the Hualien County Tourism Department, Joshua Yu, noted that the "flower" in Hualien represents every vendor, shop, village, and community, all blooming together to create a colorful sea of blossoms across the land. As seasons change, these "flowers" continue to flourish, bringing renewed hope and vitality.

He added that this prestigious Titan Award win coincides with another major recognition—British luxury lifestyle magazine Tatler recently named Hualien as one of Asia’s 8 Most Underrated Food Cities. These accolades showcase Hualien’s strength as a leading tourism destination and signal its blossoming rise into a new era of international prominence.

Yu also highlighted Hualien's growing portfolio of creative events—from the lantern festival branded as “Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Lantern Festival,” to the currently ongoing Mambo Sincheng: Pacific Ocean Int'l Rock Balancing Festival & ART at Qixingtan Beach. Hualien boasts not only rich mountain-and-sea resources, but also direct domestic flights from Taipei and four weekly direct international flights from Hong Kong. Global travelers are warmly invited to discover Hualien through sustainable, in-depth tourism, and immerse themselves in the region’s vibrant culture, cuisine, and natural beauty.

For more Info:
Hualien Tourism Website: http://tour-hualien.hl.gov.tw/