The NIGHTSEE TAIWAN – 2026 Taiwan Moon Festival Night Market, hosted by the Colac Taiwanese Emergency Assistance Association, was held on 13 September at the Colac Showgrounds.
Representing the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Melbourne, Division Director Dai Tung-jung and Deputy Division Director Yang joined Colac Mayor Jason Schram, Victorian MP Richard Riordan, China Airlines Melbourne Branch General Manager Liang Chung-jen, local residents, members of the Taiwanese community and Taiwanese working holiday makers for the Mid-Autumn celebration.
Located around 150 kilometres and nearly a two-hour drive from central Melbourne, Colac is an important regional agricultural centre and a key hub for Taiwanese working holiday makers in Victoria. The Colac Taiwanese Emergency Assistance Association was established last year with support from TECO Melbourne to strengthen local emergency assistance and community networks. This year’s Moon Festival marked a further step in that development, extending those networks into cultural exchange and wider community engagement.
Crowds arrived steadily from midday and continued into the evening, with attendance on the day estimated at close to 4,000. Many local families joined the festivities, enjoying Taiwanese night-market food, cultural activities and stage performances.
The program opened with Rise Dance Academy, followed by the “Light up NightSee Taiwan” ceremony. Techno Prince Nezha, the Taiwan black bear mascot, lion dancing and traditional cultural performances brought Taiwanese festival culture to life for the wider Colac community.
Chia-Chia Liu, President of the Colac Taiwanese Emergency Assistance Association, thanked the Colac Otway Shire Council, local representatives, volunteers and Taiwanese youth for their support. She said the event offered an opportunity for Australians to experience Taiwan through food and festival traditions, while also giving Taiwanese living abroad a familiar sense of home.
Mayor Jason Schram welcomed the Taiwanese community’s longstanding contribution to Colac and the vitality that cultural diversity brings to the region. Victorian MP Richard Riordan also joined local residents and members of the Taiwanese community at the event.
Given Colac’s significant Taiwanese working holiday population, TECO Melbourne also brought **on-site consular outreach** to the event. Secretary Lin and colleagues provided advice on passport renewals, document authentication and other consular matters, making services more accessible to Taiwanese living and working outside metropolitan Melbourne.
China Airlines, Potato Mart and other Taiwanese businesses in Australia also took part. China Airlines provided information on Taiwan tourism and direct Melbourne–Taipei services, while Potato Mart shared Taiwanese food and snacks with local visitors.
Potato Mart said its aim is not only to introduce quality Taiwanese flavours to Australian consumers, but also to make familiar Taiwanese food more accessible to Taiwanese living across Australia, helping maintain an everyday connection with home.
China Airlines Melbourne Branch General Manager Liang Chung-jen said the Melbourne–Taipei service remains an important part of the airline’s Australian network. Currently operated by A350 aircraft, the route marked its tenth anniversary last year. China Airlines continues to promote Taiwan tourism and strengthen direct air links between Melbourne and Taipei through local partnerships.
Speaking on behalf of TECO Melbourne, Division Director Dai conveyed Mid-Autumn greetings and thanked Ms Liu and her team, the Colac community, volunteers and all participating partners.
“When people think of Taiwan, they may first think of semiconductors, mountains or bubble tea. But for many Taiwanese living overseas, what they miss most is often the night market,” he said.
“A night market is not simply about food. It is about the laughter and memories of family and friends coming together — very much the spirit of reunion at the heart of the Moon Festival. Culture brings people closer, and food can turn strangers into friends.”
Mr Dai said the event brought together community support, consular outreach, cultural exchange, tourism promotion, Taiwanese businesses and engagement with local government in one shared space.
“Through culture, services, tourism, business and people-to-people connections, Taiwan is becoming part of everyday community life across regional Victoria,” he said.
“These long-term local connections are a practical expression of Taiwan’s cultural soft power and an important foundation for the continuing development of Taiwan–Australia people-to-people ties.”
Mr Dai also encouraged more Australians to visit Taiwan and experience its food, culture and everyday life firsthand.
