2026 Sea of Flowers in Xinshe & Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival | Sanrio Dessert Kingdom

Every year, as autumn gives way to winter, Taichung’s mountain areas come alive with one of the region’s most vibrant annual floral events. In 2026, the Sea of Flowers in Xinshe and Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary and joins forces with Sanrio for the first time, presenting “Dessert Kingdom” — a colorful and dreamlike floral wonderland that brings together floral art, dessert culture, and beloved Sanrio characters.

The festival will take place from October 31 to November 22, 2026, at the No. 2 Nursery of the Seed Improvement and Propagation Station in Xinshe District. Running for 23 days across four weekends and holidays, the festival will be open daily from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. From spectacular flower fields and the festival’s tallest-ever 19-meter main flower carpet to seven Sanrio-themed zones, the 2026 Flower Carpet Festival is set to be one of the year’s most anticipated floral events.

Dessert Kingdom — Sanrio Characters Bloom in the Sea of Flowers

The 2026 Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival takes “Dessert Kingdom” as its central theme, transforming Taichung’s rich pastry and dessert culture into floral art. Donuts, strawberries, ice cream, marshmallows, macarons, and other sweet treats are woven into the floral landscape, while seven Sanrio characters — Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, My Sweet Piano, and Hangyodon — take center stage across seven themed zones.

Rather than simply placing oversized character installations among the flowers, this year’s design gives each character its own dessert-inspired setting, inviting visitors to explore a dreamlike Sanrio world created through flowers.

Seven Themed Zones — Step into the Dessert Kingdom

“Sugar Garden,” featuring Kuromi, creates the gateway to the Dessert Kingdom with donut-inspired elements and a sea of purple flowers.

“Sundae Paradise,” featuring Pompompurin, combines a giant sundae with orange and yellow floral displays to create a playful and photogenic dessert scene.

“Berry Time,” featuring Hello Kitty, incorporates oversized strawberries, cream, and cake-inspired floral displays to create a sweet and colorful berry garden.

“Marshmallow Dreams,” featuring Cinnamoroll, leads visitors into a soft and dreamy world inspired by marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles.

“Summer Melody” combines ice cream with colorful floral displays, with My Sweet Piano appearing from an ice cream cone to create a bright and refreshing scene.

“Tea Party,” featuring My Melody, combines macarons with soft pink floral carpets to create a romantic dessert garden inspired by a French-style afternoon tea.

One of this year’s most distinctive interactive zones is “Choco Wonderland,” featuring Hangyodon and Sayuri. In addition to its floral landscapes, the zone includes a viewing platform and an indoor mirrored flower carpet. Visitors can enjoy panoramic mountain views, overlook the surrounding flower carpet, and step into a kaleidoscopic world created with real flowers, light, and reflections.

The Main Flower Carpet — Dessert Castle

One of the biggest highlights of the 2026 festival is the brand-new main flower carpet.

According to the organizer, this year’s main flower carpet stands 19 meters tall, making it the tallest in the history of the Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival. Inspired by a grand dessert castle, the installation also features the festival’s largest collection of mechanical effects to date, enhanced with smoke, bubbles, and snow effects to create a more immersive floral spectacle.

For photography enthusiasts, this year’s main flower carpet is more than a spectacular installation to admire from a distance. It serves as the visual centerpiece of the entire Dessert Kingdom. Viewed from different angles, it can be framed together with the surrounding flower fields and mountain scenery to create a variety of memorable photographs.

More Than Sanrio — A Mountain-Area Flower Festival

After 15 years of development, the Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival has grown far beyond a simple flower-viewing event. It has become an important annual celebration connecting culture, art, tourism, and local communities. According to the Taichung City Government, the 2025 Flower Carpet Festival attracted nearly four million visitors and generated more than NT$9.2 billion in tourism value, setting a new record for the event. As the festival celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2026, the city government expects the combination of Sanrio characters, dessert culture, and large-scale floral installations to attract more than four million visitors and create another record-breaking year.

Beyond the large themed flower carpet, this year’s festival also continues its commitment to sustainable co-creation. Since 2023, the initiative has brought together children and seniors from Xinshe and Dongshi to create artworks together. Their creations will be showcased in “Choco Wonderland,” allowing the Flower Carpet Festival to serve not only as a tourism attraction, but also as a creative platform for different generations in the local community.

A visit to the Sea of Flowers in Xinshe is also an excellent opportunity to explore Taichung’s mountain areas, combining flower viewing with agriculture, accommodation, local cuisine, and nearby attractions. Instead of a brief stop for photographs, the trip can become part of a more complete Taichung mountain-area getaway.

Start from Fengyuan — Plan Your Trip to the Sea of Flowers in Xinshe

The Sea of Flowers in Xinshe and Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival attract large numbers of visitors every year, making transportation an important part of trip planning. For 2026, the official event organizers have announced several shuttle routes, including the Fengyuan Line, Taiyuan Line, and Songzhu Line on weekdays, as well as the Dongshi Line and Venue Loop Line on weekends and holidays. For visitors staying in Fengyuan before heading to Xinshe, the Fengyuan Line is particularly worth noting. For detailed schedules, boarding locations, and the latest transportation information, visitors are advised to check the official Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival website before setting out.

For those driving to the festival, it is also advisable to avoid peak travel periods and check the latest official information on parking arrangements and traffic controls in advance. Weekends and holidays can be especially busy during the flower season, so advance planning can make the journey considerably more comfortable. For travelers coming from outside Taichung, another option is to arrive a day earlier and combine “staying in Fengyuan + visiting the Sea of Flowers in Xinshe” into a more relaxed mountain-area getaway.

Spend the day exploring the flower fields and Sanrio-themed flower carpets in Xinshe, then head into Taichung’s mountain areas in the afternoon to discover local attractions and cuisine before returning to Fengyuan for a relaxing evening. The following day, continue your journey to Houli, Shigang, Dongshi, or other destinations along Taichung’s mountain route. By spreading the trip over two days and one night or three days and two nights, visitors can enjoy the autumn scenery at a much more leisurely pace.

Located in Fengyuan, Mapleton Motel is also a convenient accommodation option for travelers using Fengyuan as a base for exploring the Taichung’s mountain line area by car. With a private garage for each room and direct vehicle access to the guest room, it provides a comfortable place to return to and unwind after a full day of driving between multiple attractions.

2026 — Step into Sanrio’s Dessert Kingdom

From the spectacular 19-meter-tall dessert castle and familiar Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Kuromi, to the mirrored flower carpet, viewing platform, and interactive installations, the 2026 Sea of Flowers in Xinshe and Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival transforms floral art into a Dessert Kingdom where visitors can walk, explore, and immerse themselves in a world of flowers. With the Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival also celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the 2026 event carries special significance in the history of this annual mountain-area flower festival.

2026 Sea of Flowers in Xinshe & Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival

• Event Dates: October 31 – November 22, 2026

• Opening Hours: Daily, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

• Venue: No. 2 Nursery, Seed Improvement and Propagation

• Station, Xinshe District, Taichung City, Taiwan

• Theme: Dessert Kingdom

• Official Website: Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival

Event information in this article will be updated periodically based on announcements from the Taichung City Government, the official Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival website, and other official sources.