You won’t be charged on the way back. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. A lantern costs between 150-250 TWD (approx. Want to follow our travels?

What you need to know about the sky lanterns. It’s best to come early! Every year, at the start of the planting season, farmers would write messages on a sky lantern asking for a plentiful harvest an… You definitely want to see the round of releases, as this is the most magical part of the festival. You definitely want to be on time. Yet one of the best spectacles is still the most traditional: the release of the tiāndēng (天燈), or sky lanterns, which occurs en masse at regular intervals throughout the festivities. It’s a beautiful waterfall and well worth the visit. So, it’s a must-see! Long ago, the remote mountainous villages were prone to attacks from bandits and marauders. For 50 TWD ($1,60/€1,40) you buy a round ticket at the Taipei Zoo. A tiāndēng is a large paper lantern with a combustible element attached to the underside, that when lit causes the lantern to float into the sky like a hot-air balloon. As this date varies yearly, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is held on a different date every year. Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival takes place once a year, usually in February or March, during the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. Below we will provide some recommendations on where to stay: Enjoy this magical lantern festival!. Of all the ancient Chinese festivals, Pingxi's Lantern Festival has best been re-imagined for the modern age, with spectacular light shows, live concerts and giant glowing mechanical lanterns. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. The village is famous for its cats. If you wish to take part in one of the official lantern releases, you'll need to queue up and register on the day of the event – aim to seek out the registration desk on site by 10am (some people queue up from much earlier). The Taiwan Lantern Festival (Chinese: 臺灣燈會; pinyin: Táiwān dēnghuì) is an annual event hosted by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taiwan to celebrate the Lantern Festival. The walk itself is beautiful too, as you pass two bridges and you are surrounded by water and green. The festival shows beautiful lanterns featuring Taiwaenes icons, Chinese Zodiac signs and so much more. The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is totally FREE! Where to stay during the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival 2020? Pingxi Lantern Festival takes place in the Pingxi district, in New Taipei City. There are eight rounds of sky lantern releases. Besides the Pingxi Sky Lantern, Shifen is famous for its waterfall. At least during the Lantern Festival there are clean-up crews, fire trucks are on hand to deal with any incidents, and it is also a very wet time of the year (making the risk of a forest fire negligible). Therefore it might be best to sleep in Taipei and travel from and to Shifen. The Taiwan Lantern Festival usually takes place over a couple of weeks, while the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is only 1 night. It’s truly magical! IN THIS ARTICLE Taiwan Map Why should you go to Pingxi Lantern Festival? The festival takes place on two or three weekends in February, one of which is likely to coincide with the Spring Lantern Festival (元宵節), which occurs on the 15th day of the first lunar month. named one of the 15 Festivals To Attend Before You Die and one of the Best Winter Trips

Sky lanterns are magical, though they can be bad for the environment. Of all the ancient Chinese festivals, Pingxi's Lantern Festival has best been re-imagined for the modern age, with spectacular light shows, live concerts and giant glowing mechanical lanterns. It’s a good spot to buy your lantern and grab some food. Here’s where it gets tricky and where we went wrong. The lanterns weres used by the people living in the villages to let others know they were safe. The festival usually takes place in March or February, celebrating the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. This Taiwan lantern festival is one of the most spectacular happenings in Taiwan. After signing up, will I be able to explore the city or do I have to stay in the location?

All rights reserved. I forwarded this to my partner in hopes of going on year. It’s difficult to find accommodation in the small towns of the Pingxi District. NOTE: buses and trains are really crowded during the Pingxi Lantern Festival, especially on the way back. Lantern releases are held in the towns Jingtong, Pingxi and Shifen. In 2020, it will take place in the Southern city Taichung (which is an amazing city to visit). If you want to go by public transportation, there are two options: by train or bus. Not everywhere in Taiwan people are allowed to release lanterns, it’s only allowed in the Pingxi District. If you want a good spot to set up your tripod, arrive before noon (the earlier the better). Hi! For more information about the Taiwan Lantern Festival, make sure to head to the website of the Tourism Board of Taiwan, they organize the festival. So if you are looking for magic, you should go to a sky lantern festival.

If you just want to see the lantern releases and don’t need to save the best photo spot, make sure to be on the Shifen square around 4 PM.

Ooh tough choice!

We decide to take the train to Shifen, as it’s cheaper and easier from where we are located in Taipei.

The location alternates between Shifen and Pingxi town, so check ahead. If you liked this article don’t forget to share!

We can’t get enough of them, so after experiencing Yi Peng in Chiang Mai Thailand, we travel to Taiwan to experience the magic of the Pingxi Lantern Festival. There are often multiple areas with different subjects. We depart from Taipei main station to Ruifang and transfer to the train in the direction of Pingxi. The town of Pingxi (平溪) played a large role in 20th-century coal boom in Taiwan. Once you arrive in Shifen, you’ll pass Shifen Old Street on your way to the square of the main event, where people are releasing their lanterns on the train tracks throughout the entire year. Make sure to write your hopes and wishes on the lantern before releasing it into the sky. Shifen Sky Lantern A historic coal-mining town in the countryside of New Taipei City. The festival attracts 80.000 people yearly.

I would definitely take part in this! How to get to Shifen and the Pingxi Lantern Festival? What you need to know about the sky lanterns What else to do in Shifen Where to stay during the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival 2020? At night, thousands of lanterns float up into the night sky, and with them, so do many dreams and wishes for the new year. How’s Taiwan for LGBT travelers? Sky lanterns were used to signal to others, often women and children, to get packing and head into the high hills at the first sign of trouble. Travel to Thailand for the Chiang Mai Lantern Festival! Hopefully, your ancestors will make those wishes come true! Many people come to Shifen village to write their wishes on paper lanterns and release them to the sky in the hope that their wishes can be granted. This is amazing and so beautiful. In de mid 19th century the little mountain villages were often under attack by bandits. It’s free to participate in the group lantern release and registration opens at 10 AM near the entrance of the main stage. But it is not the reason why tourists are being attracted here: it has something to do with a more ancient tradition – sky lantern flying. While the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is all about the lanterns in the sky, the Taiwan Lantern Festival is about lanterns on the ground. Sky lantern festivals are one of the most magical things on earth. Another way to reach Shifen is by taxi.

We're Maartje (L) and Roxanne (R): two girls in love with each other, the world, writing and photographing! Pingxi was definitely more organized – the massive lantern releases are gorgeous but we loved the ‘authentic’ feel of Yi Peng! During the rest of the year, there’s a recycling program to clean the mountains. Check out our Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The flame heats the air inside the lantern and it will fly. I also love that they have a clean up crew and fire trucks ready and waiting, as well as having used environmentally friendly materials. But today it's all about the sublime thrill of watching glowing orbs rising up against a dark sky. The festival itself is completely free! The lanterns are made of rice paper and have a bamboo frame, therefore most of the lantern is biodegradable. Want to experience more magic? The street has everything you need, from cute cafes to street art, to souvenir shops that also sell lanterns and so much more. © 2020 Once Upon A Journey | | All Rights Reserved. Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is the happiest and most heartwarming event in Taiwan. So where to go for the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival?