TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The “Rainbow Sightseeing Bus Tour” will be launched on Oct. 5, introducing participants to Taipei's vibrant Pride culture.
A part of the “2024 Color Taipei” event, it coincides with Taiwan's annual Pride Parade on Oct. 26. It begins at the Rainbow Starting Line and offers three themed routes: Culture, Music, and Film.
The tour will be held on 36 days between Oct. 5 and 25 on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The first 12 passengers to book tickets for each tour will receive a limited-edition rainbow heart travel bag.
Three package options are available at NT$520, NT$600, and NT$680. For booking and more information, please visit Klook.

Fifteen celebrities, including Quarterback vocalist Ashan (Spark Chen), P!sco guitarist Rachel, and drag queen Queen, will serve as tour guides for the bus tour. The tour will visit Pride-friendly destinations and introduce participants to Taipei's rainbow Pride history.
The bus will visit Taipei 228 Peace Park, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Gin Gin Store. Participants can also explore the cinematic atmosphere of Treasure Hill Artist Village and Manka Qingshan Temple.


Taiwan's Pride Parade originated from a parade of the fourth Taipei Fun Festival: Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights Movement held on Nov. 1, 2003. This marked the first-ever Pride parade in the Chinese community, according to Social Enterprise Insights.
Since then, Taiwan's Pride Parade has been held annually on the last Saturday of October, which is now recognized as Pride Month in the country.
Starting with 2,000 participants, the event has grown to attract over 100,000 people in 2020. This makes it the largest Pride parade in East Asia.
At a press conference on Thursday (Sept. 26), Ashan shared a personal anecdote about receiving a love letter from a boy in high school and expressed hope that the boy would attend the event. Rachel revealed that her band always raises a rainbow flag at their concerts.
Queen, a tour guide for the fourth time this year, expressed her honor at being invited again. She expressed her deep admiration for Taiwan's progress in legalizing same-sex marriage, and pride in the public's acceptance of gender equality and LGBTQ rights.
