Pingxi Mini Trip Essay Contest / Sky Lanterns – A Beautiful Hope for Taiwanese and a Source of Pride for Travelers

Text & Photos / Backpacking Kid

For a backpacker, the “most important celebration in the world” is none other than the sky lantern moment in Taiwan’s Pingxi. Hundreds or even thousands of lanterns, each inscribed with wishes, take to the skies. Watching them ascend feels as if your own hopes are also being sent to the heavens. The entire night sky glows brilliantly, impossible to look away from.



To me, the Pingxi sky lanterns are not just an important celebration but also a source of pride for Taiwan. Whenever I travel around the world and talk about Taiwan, the sky lanterns are definitely a must-introduce highlight. Moreover, there’s now the world’s only “Sky Lantern Police Station,” where officers handle cases sitting inside a sky lantern – it’s as if the wish to protect Taiwan is being passed on to those who serve as guardians of the people.



Do you recall the ripples left in your heart during each of your Pingxi mini trips? Do you still remember the wishes you wrote on the sky lanterns?
Turn your thoughts into words. Write your own story.

Pingxi Mini Trip Essay Contest