The colorful and romantic Yuejin Harbor — a myriad of enchanting lights and water reflections at night

Text and photos byA-Kuai’s Home

After the Spring Festival holiday comes the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the lunar month, which also happens to be Valentine’s Day in the Western calendar. Every year during the Lantern Festival, colorful lanterns are displayed in dazzling brilliance across the country. But how about seeing something truly unique?

We recommend visiting the Yuejin Harbor Lantern Festival in Tainan’s YanShui. The festival runs from the lunar New Year period until March 2nd in early spring. Leveraging the geographical advantages of Yuejin Harbor and integrating with the local landscape, it features a variety of romantic lantern displays on land and water, with the lights on from 17:30 to 23:00.

These large nighttime light installation artworks are not only innovative and eye-catching, especially since some are placed in the river, creating stunning reflections with the colorful lights at night.

The best time to view the lanterns is before 5 PM — parking is easier, and you can enjoy both the daytime and evening views. Once you arrive at Yuejin Harbor Park, the main exhibition area, while it’s still light out, take a stroll through YanShui Old Street to sample local snacks or visit the historic Wumiao Temple and Octagonal Tower.


We entered Yuejin Harbor around 5 PM to check out the daytime scenery and scout the area. This year’s Qiaonan Old Street is even more vibrant than last year, with plenty of authentic local snacks available for a quick bite. (Tree-dwelling skink)


As dusk falls, the daytime scene transforms into something completely different at night.


During the day, “Lotus of Memory” floats on Yuejin Harbor. Though not “unstained by the mud,” it drifts gracefully like a beautiful flower in the wind.

The “Yuejin Harbor Lantern Festival” begins lighting up before the lunar New Year and draws large crowds. Unlike traditional Lantern Festivals featuring classic lantern designs, this one uniquely adorns the river with various lantern artworks. The reflections created by the colorful nighttime lights are well worth a leisurely half-day exploration.


Walk slowly and observe carefully. After crossing the small bridge over the gently flowing water, the nighttime ambiance of Yuejin Harbor will transport you to a completely different time and space. (Light Curve Path)


When day turns into night, the river’s surface becomes a breathtaking canvas of colors.

A piercing beam of light acts as the overture to the night, illuminating the river and touching the hearts of everyone present.


In the quiet night, the bustling riverbanks are filled with people taking photos. Time seems to stand still.


When dusk falls and the colorful lights illuminate the area, Yuejin Harbor Waterfront Park becomes a dazzling spectacle, resembling a night-time art gallery shining upon the river. Visitors stroll along the banks, immersed in a dreamy, romantic atmosphere.


This year’s Lantern Festival coincides with Valentine’s Day in the Western calendar. Want to create a romantic vibe without breaking the bank? The colorful and romantic Yuejin Harbor, with its nighttime lights and water reflections, is the perfect spot for a Valentine’s evening.


On the first Valentine’s Day of 2014, if you want to create everlasting memories with your loved one, Yuejin Harbor offers an unprecedented vibrancy. In this magical and romantic night, walk hand-in-hand with your partner towards the most beautiful moment.

The more beautiful it gets as night falls. Yuejin Harbor opens its water features, lights, and music to offer a unique romantic experience. Each night, the illuminated displays make the harbor even more spectacular. Visitors can wander along the shores and soak in the diverse romantic moods of the night.


One of the most eye-catching attractions at the Yuejin Harbor Lantern Festival is the bamboo jellyfish — artistic lanterns shaped like jellyfish, floating on the water’s surface. They emit sounds as the wind blows and, when the water is still, display a dazzling array of spherical jellyfish-shaped lamps reflected on the Moon River.




This year’s Lantern Festival also falls on Valentine’s Day. In the past, couples loved candlelit dinners, but in recent years, many have sought a more poetic, colorful, and whimsical Valentine’s night — a growing trend.

Every corner of Yuejin Harbor’s Moonlit Garden attracts families to come and search for the moon, basking under its serene glow and enjoying a beautiful, romantic light spectacle together.


Reflections in the Water: Alternately illusory river surfaces and real streams captivate the eyes.






The 2014 YanShui Yuejin Harbor Lantern Festival combines the beauty of the Moon River with the reflections of lights on the water. It crafts a fantastical, poetic, and ethereal space using the river, terrain, and architecture. This large-scale nighttime light installation is incredibly innovative, with artworks situated right in the river.


Sky Flow on Water: Using LED meteor lights to create a winding stream. The visual of flowing upstream, paired with reflections in the water, is a truly captivating experience.


Bamboo Fire Path: “Racing Pigeons” is a unique folk activity in Tainan’s YanShui and Chiayi’s Yizhu. Artists transformed the bamboo pigeon cages used in the event into poetic lanterns, infusing them with meanings of harvest and peace, adding a lively touch to the tranquil Yuejin Harbor. (Source: Tainan Cultural Affairs Bureau, Yuejin Harbor Lantern Festival event page)



The fantastical, poetic, and ethereal ambiance transforms Yuejin Harbor into a dreamlike Moonlit Garden scene, offering your loved one a one-of-a-kind beauty — or bring the whole family to enjoy the serene and romantic light show under the moonlit night.


“Moon River” takes inspiration from Yuejin Harbor, arranging spherical moon lamps to resemble clusters of orange-yellow fishing lights. These form a softly glowing curve on the calm lake surface. Stroll along the lakeside at night and imagine the historical beauty of fishing boats dotting the harbor in days gone by.


Three laser-like chairs are placed by the waterside at Shuiyue Bridge, illuminated by projected lights, as if inviting you to a feast on the water.

A traditional three-section courtyard in front of a small bridge over flowing water.


Each night at Moon Harbor combines famous landmarks of Tainan as creative elements, aiming to offer visitors from all directions an unprecedented visual feast!




"Joy Bucket": This artwork uses common white buckets to create a floating platform, transforming into a dazzling container of light—like a transparent city that never sleeps. The individual buckets form large lanterns, resembling gift boxes. Make a wish—you might just get a pleasant surprise. (Source: Tainan Cultural Affairs Bureau, Moon Harbor Lantern Festival event page)







[2014 Moon Harbor Lantern Festival]

Event Period:January 25 to March 2, 2014
Lighting Hours:5:30 PM to 11:00 PM
Event Location:Areas around Moon Harbor in Yanshuei District, Tainan City, including Qiaonan Old Street, Wangye Temple Alley, Yiyin Alley, and Yongcheng Theater.

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