TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The 2025 Kaohsiung Wonderland festival will feature Japanese manga characters from “Chiikawa,” the Kaohsiung City Government announced Thursday.

The event will take place at Love River Bay from Jan. 25 to Feb. 16. After the success of the "Rubber Duck" theme at the 2024 Kaohsiung Lantern Festival, anticipation is high for the 2025 festival, the city government said.

A main exhibition area will showcase Chiikawa and a winter carnival with a variety of related activities. Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) expressed gratitude to the city’s residents for their role in the city’s transformation and expressed confidence that the 2025 event will surpass the success of this year's festival, per CNA.

In January, the “Rubber Duck” returned to Kaohsiung’s Love River Bay after 10 years as the centerpiece of the 2024 Kaohsiung Wonderland festival. The event drew over nine million visitors and generated an estimated NT$14 billion (US$430 million) in tourism revenue, according to futurecity.

The “Chiikawa” characters symbolize resilience in the face of life’s challenges, offering warmth and hope as they inspire a sense of accomplishment, the city government noted. The city seeks to emphasize an “embracing the small joys in life” theme, aligning with Kaohsiung's ongoing efforts in urban transformation.

Kaohsiung has earned two top city awards this year. Mayor Chen credits this achievement to the collaborative work of the city's residents and government officials.