Written/Compiled and reported by Chen Guanxin, MOOK Travel Life Network
The annual "New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival," which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, has been recognized by international media as a "must-visit" event, standing alongside the "Brazil Carnival" and the "Munich Oktoberfest" in Germany as a legendary celebration. This year’s Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival will kick off on February 3rd and features three blessing lantern events: "100% Hope, Wealth Overflowing," "Lighting Hope, Touching the World," and "Hand in Hand, Love Soaring." Over 4,000 sky lanterns will be released in total, including Yuanbao (treasure) lanterns on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year and heart-shaped lanterns on Valentine’s Day—which also coincides with the Lantern Festival—creating unforgettable memories for visitors during the New Year and romantic holidays.
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Dubbed a “must-visit” event, the New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival will begin on February 3. (Image provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Lee Chuan-hsien stated that this year marks the 16th edition of the "New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival," which has welcomed over 800,000 visitors in each of the past two years. Last year, aside from being selected by U.S. news network CNN as one of the "52 Most Worthwhile Experiences of the Year," it was also named one of the world’s 14 “must-visit” classic festivals by Fodor’s, the world’s largest travel publisher. According to Fodor’s report, the "New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival," held in the ancient town of Pingxi during the Lunar New Year, releases over 100,000 lanterns during the event period. Visitors can not only purchase and release their own lanterns along the old street but also enjoy local delicacies and vibrant fireworks. “It provides visitors with a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
For this year’s event, three sessions have been planned. The first, titled "100% Hope, Wealth Overflowing," will take place on February 3rd at JingTong Elementary School, coinciding with the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, a traditional day to welcome the God of Wealth. A total of 120 four-foot Yuanbao lanterns will be available for the public to release, with online registration opening at 12:00 noon on the 9th (tomorrow). The second session, "Lighting Hope, Touching the World," is scheduled for February 8th at Pingxi Junior High School and will feature a large 12-foot wish collage sky lantern. This lantern will be created through a mosaic-style compilation of well-wishes from people around the globe, allowing both domestic and international friends who cannot attend in person to “join in the celebration.” As February 14th this year is a day that blends “happiness from both Eastern and Western cultures,” serving as both the Lantern Festival and Valentine’s Day, the third session will be themed "Hand in Hand, Love Soaring." It will offer an additional 200 heart-shaped lanterns for the public to release, with online registration starting at 3:00 PM tomorrow.
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On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Yuanbao lanterns will be released to share good fortune for the entire year. (Image provided by New Taipei City Tourism Bureau)
To enable people from all over the world to “participate beyond time and space” in the New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, the Tourism Bureau has specially organized supplementary activities such as “Blessings from Around the World” and “Gathering a Lifetime of Happiness.” From now until 24:00 on January 23rd, participants can upload text or photos expressing their wishes and blessings on the official event website. The organizers will turn these messages into colorful paper cards and collage them onto a large wish lantern, which will be released during the Pingxi event on February 8th. Photos will also be artistically arranged using a montage technique to create a large heart-shaped display at the event site for the public to enjoy.
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