Kunshan – September 20, 2026 -- The 2026 Cross-Strait (Kunshan) Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival opened on the evening of Sept. 16 in Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, drawing visitors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together.
This year's festival spans two main lantern display areas, Huiju Square and Zhouzhuang, alongside a cross-Strait art exhibition, a traditional performing arts fair, and a forest-based "Moonlit Cultural Gathering."
Winners of a youth lantern design contest received their awards at the opening.
At the opening ceremony, organizers presented commemorative certificates to winners of the seventh "Kunshan Mazu Cup" Youth Lantern Design Competition. The evening also marked the premiere of "Crossing the Sea," an episode in the micro-drama series "Wait for Me to Come Home," based on a true story about returning a veteran's ashes to his hometown.
A two-month youth culture initiative wrapped up alongside the lantern festival.
The closing ceremony of the sixth Cross-Strait Youth Culture Month coincided with the festival's launch. Running since July, the initiative held more than 70 activities covering culture and the arts, technological innovation, sports, intangible cultural heritage, and entrepreneurship, drawing nearly 3,500 young people from Taiwan.
Traditional crafts get a tech-driven makeover at this year's displays.
Organizers combined intangible cultural heritage techniques with Taiwan-inspired elements, turning traditional crafts into illuminated patterns and visual motifs. Visitors can explore AI-powered visual experiences and interactive installations built around light, sound and multimedia.
Kunshan hosts a large concentration of Taiwan-invested companies and functions as a key hub for cross-Strait economic, trade and cultural exchange. First held in 2013, the lantern festival has become one of Kunshan's signature cultural events.