Release sky lanterns to make romantic wishes  The 2015 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City kicks off on February 22

▲Over 2,000 sky lanterns released together at the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. (Photo / Provided by New Taipei City Tourism Bureau, 2014 archival image)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

The “2015 New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival” is set to take place in February. The New Taipei City Government’s Department of Tourism today (12th) announced the schedule for three festival events: February 22 (Sunday) at Jing Tong Elementary School, February 27 (Friday) at Pingxi Junior High School, and March 5 (Thursday), the Yuanxiao Festival, with a blessing lantern event at Shifen Square. Friends from around the world are welcome to plan your trip ahead of time and join us in Pingxi for this year’s most romantic sky lantern celebration.

The “New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival” is an important annual event during the Yuanxiao Festival in Taiwan and has been listed by international media as one of the “bucket list” international festivals, attracting attention from travelers both at home and abroad. The Tourism Bureau stated that this year’s events, following past practice, will be held in three locations across the Pingxi District—Jing Tong, Pingxi, and Shifen—with a total of three blessing lantern ceremonies. Each event is expected to release eight waves of lanterns, and the three events combined will offer over 3,500 lanterns for the public to release for free.

In addition to releasing sky lanterns, visitors to the Pingxi Lantern Festival can also take the opportunity to see the Shifen Waterfall, known as the “Niagara Falls of Taiwan,” as well as the scenic old street rich in local cultural character. Detailed event information is expected to be officially released by the end of January, so please stay tuned for updates.