Parasols at the old sugar warehouses

Masked neighbourhood women carry coloured parasols in one hand and feather fans in the other, stepping smartly through their formation. At 2:50 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, the Twelve Po-jie troupe from Zhaizigang Cide Temple takes on Soulangh Cultural Park's outdoor plaza. Before them, at 2 p.m., children from Qigu's Zhuqiao Elementary School perform the Ox-Ploughing Song formation. Those two alone make a pretty convincing case for the extra bus ride from central Tainan to Jiali.

The 2026 《藝同來出陣》 procession-arts festival fills the weekend of September 12–13. On Sunday, Jiali's Daitian Huguo Temple Dragon-Phoenix Lion troupe opens the performances at 2 p.m. Each group has its own slot and history. Save the park's complete two-sided programme on your phone before you set off.

If watching gives you itchy hands, the 《開陣！龍鳳獅》 board game runs at 4 p.m. on both days. On Sunday at 1:30 and 3 p.m., the 清華閣周祐名掌中劇團 glove-puppet troupe brings its puppets along for guided walks. Talks, games and walks are free, with advance registration; free places, alas, do not reserve themselves. The market, open from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. both days, looks after the stomach that has so patiently accompanied you on your weekend outing.

Soulangh occupies fourteen former Jiali Sugar Factory warehouses. Reopened as a cultural park in 2005, its old sugar railway and long corridors now connect a succession of arts spaces. For the festival, a golden lion, fighting ox and white crane become enormous inflatable characters. The crane is called 「武告鶴」, a Taiwanese-sounding “really good” pun. You suspect the people in that naming meeting had a very good afternoon.

Miss the weekend and there is still the Procession Arts Expo exhibition in the A4 and A11 corridors, September 12–30. Park entry is free. Regular galleries open Wednesday–Sunday, 09:00–17:00, and close Mondays and Tuesdays; the festival market gets an extra half-hour on September 12 and 13.

The address is 130 Liu'an, Liu'an Village, Jiali, Tainan. From Tainan railway station, take the Blue Main Line to Jiali and change to the Brown Main Line for Soulangh Cultural Park. Walking from Jiali bus station is about 1.24 kilometres on Google Maps; allow twenty minutes. The park's programme and registration link are below. The group photograph with character placards, published by the park on September 4, comes from the press launch—the festival hasn't already happened. Check the registration page for available sessions before planning around an activity.

Images and programme: Soulangh Cultural Park, 2026.