Taoyuan City takes over the main lantern of the "2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival" at the high-speed rail station and the international baseball stadium

▲ The 2015 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced on the 10th that next year's "2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival" has been officially approved by the Executive Yuan to be hosted by Taoyuan City. It is expected to be held at the square in front of Taoyuan High-Speed Rail Station, Qingshuitang Park, and the surrounding areas of the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium. A total of three city and county governments — Taoyuan City, Pingtung County, and Hualien County — competed to host the "2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival."

The Tourism Bureau stated that Taoyuan City’s proposal was favored by the selection committee for several reasons: apart from the city government’s years of experience organizing the Taoyuan Lantern Festival, having a complete organizing team, and advantages in budget planning and fundraising, Taoyuan City is also the central hub of Northern Taiwan, with a resident population of over 10 million people within a one-hour drive. Moreover, the diversity and attractiveness of its packaged tourism products and tour itinerary planning are strong.

Additionally, the event venue is close to the international airport, highways, the high-speed rail station, as well as the Airport MRT Line, which is expected to open by the end of this year, making it convenient for both domestic and international visitors to attend. The site is also of moderate size, with an intact and flat terrain, which is superior to other bidding cities and counties.