TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei’s Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival gets underway on consecutive Saturdays, (Feb. 17, Feb. 24) with activities ranging from dance and musical performances to an outdoor market, and nighttime release of sky lanterns.
Since its inception in 1999, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival has become an internationally renowned festival, attracting coverage by international press such as National Geographic (2016), Huffpost (2017), and the Daily Telegraph (2019). The event was also billed as a "must-see destination” by the Ministry of Transportation and Communication in 2022.
Pingxi Junior High School will serve as the main location for Saturday (Feb. 17). Due to high demand for sky lanterns, the New Taipei City Tourism Bureau will take over the distribution and release of sky lanterns, per the festival website.
To release a sky lantern, one must receive a "sky lantern ticket" distributed at the Pingxi Junior HIgh School Information Desk beginning at 10:30 a.m. The first of nine waves of sky lantern releases is scheduled for 6:15 p.m., with 100 sky lanterns in each wave. Successive waves of sky lantern releases are spaced 15 minutes apart.
Shuttle bus routes for Sky Lantern Festival. (New Taipei City Government image)
Live entertainment will be provided between sky lantern releases, including a 10-drum performance, a guqin ensemble, and an Indigenous dance performance. Visitors are also invited to visit scenic spots around Pingxi and enjoy snacks sold by local businesses.
In addition to individual sky lanterns, four large-sized sky lanterns have been created in shapes such as Taiwan, Earth, dragon, and tiger. Each of these large-sized sky lanterns will be released into the night sky.
Due to the large crowds expected at the event, traffic control measures will be implemented throughout the day of the event. People traveling to Pingxi are encouraged to take a shuttle bus from the Taipei Zoo, Shiding Interchange, and Ruifang Railway Station.
Traffic control measures for Sky Lantern Festival. (New Taipei City Government image)
