Sanyi Wood Sculpture Festival opens in Miaoli

The 2026 Sanyi Wood Sculpture Festival, themed ‘Wood Art Slow Living Carnival,’ officially opened on October 9 at the Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum and Shuimei Art Street. The opening coincided with the National Day holiday period, drawing significant crowds.

This year’s event featured a religious component, with the Mazu from Sanyi Tianhou Temple presiding over a three-day blessing ceremony. The festival also included the Lu Ban Ceremony to honor the heritage of craftsmanship. Activities range from live wood and ice carving demonstrations and cultural markets to DIY workshops and guided tours through local tea and Hakka culinary routes.

Several prestigious awards were presented during the festival. The Taiwan Wood Carving Heritage Achievement Award was granted to Huang Ma-ching from Lukang. In the Taiwan International Wood Carving Competition, Liu Jin-wen won the Craftsmanship Classic Grand Prize for the work ‘Incense Transmission.’ Other winners included artists from Taiwan, mainland China, and the United Kingdom, highlighting the international scope of the competition.