Taiwan Lantern Festival

A glittering festival of lights! What is the Taiwan Lantern Festival?

From traditional lanterns to lanterns with animal and character motifs, the Taiwan Lantern Festival is a festival where a wide variety of lights fill the field of vision. This annual event, held on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, is widely known in Taiwan as a big winter event. Since ancient times, people in Taiwan have had the custom of gathering with lanterns and torches on the Lantern Festival, celebrating this day, the climax of the Lunar New Year. It is said that this folk event, deeply rooted in daily life, was held all over Taiwan, including at Taipei Beitou Guandu Temple, Songshan Ciyou Temple, Wanhua Qingshan Temple, and Longshan Temple. The Taiwan Lantern Festival began in 1990 with the aim of gathering these festivals in one place and enjoying them more colorfully.

The Taiwan Lantern Festival, which will celebrate its 28th anniversary in 2017, is a big event that changes locations every year. The venue is filled with colorful lanterns, including a huge main lantern with the zodiac sign of the year as its motif, as well as sub-lanterns and observation lanterns, creating a gorgeous and fantastical atmosphere. During the event, there are musical performances, stalls selling Taiwanese cuisine, live performances, and more, and the town where the festival is held is filled with a festive mood. The scale of the festival has grown every year, and it has now become a global event, attracting tourists from all over the world.
Taiwan is one of the closest cultural spheres to Japanese people. The ease of visiting is what makes it so appealing. Why not experience the worldview depicted by this global festival that originated from a Taiwanese folk event this winter?

2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival to be held in Yunlin County, central Taiwan!

The Taiwan Lantern Festival is held in a different location every year, but this year it will be held in Yunlin. It will be held for nine days from February 11th (Sat) to February 19th (Sun) 2017. The main lantern area is the Agricultural Expo Ecological Park from the front of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Yunlin Station, and the area around Zhongshan Road and the Sightseeing Bridge is designated as the Beigang Lantern Area. If you use the Taiwan High Speed Rail, it only takes about an hour and a half from Taipei Station to Yunlin Station. If you leave Japan early in the morning, it is quite possible to arrive at the site in time for the lanterns to be lit up! It is also recommended to take a casual weekend trip to enjoy the twinkling lights.

Well, the highlight of the 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival is the main lantern that will be displayed at the main venue, which is easily accessible from Yunlin Station. At last year's festival held in Taoyuan, a 26m-tall main lantern with a "Son Goku" motif was displayed in honor of the Year of the Monkey. Many spectators were captivated by the colorful main lantern with countless shining LED lights. Since 2017 is the Year of the Rooster, what kind of main lantern will be displayed? You can enjoy the sight by visiting the venue. In addition, the sub-lanterns and mini-lanterns displayed in various places are of course impressive. The sight of thousands of lanterns shining as far as the eye can see is simply spectacular. Every year, there are many fireworks, parades, dance performances, music concerts, and more, so be sure to check out the live events held during the festival!

*The photo is from the 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival.

There's more to Yunlin County than just festivals!

If you are going to visit Yunlin County, you should also enjoy the attractions of the trip other than the festival. Yunlin County, located in central Taiwan, is famous as the "kingdom of agriculture" in Taiwan. Facing the sea on the west side, it is blessed with seafood, and it is an area where you can enjoy Taiwanese cuisine made with fresh ingredients. Yunlin County is also known as a nostalgic area with many buildings from the Japanese colonial era. There are many areas where retro architecture remains, such as "Xiluo Yanping Old Street", located about 20 minutes by car from Yunlin Station, so it is recommended to take a stroll around the town. In addition, in the Beigang area, which will be one of the venues for the "2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival", there is the "Beigang Chaotian Temple", the head temple of Taiwan Mazu Temple. Be sure to experience the solemn atmosphere unique to this place of prayer that has been an object of worship since ancient times!

The 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival, which will be held from February 11th to 19th, is a great opportunity to experience the charms of Taiwan that are different from those in Taipei! If you love Asia, this is a must-see travel destination!