The Taipei Lantern Festival is infused with folk charm as the renowned “Beijing Ditan Temple Fair” comes to Taiwan and debuts at the Taipei Expo Park.

▲The Taipei Lantern Festival kicks off on the 7th! Walk along Zhongshan North Road amid beautiful lanterns, then head to the Taipei Expo Park to admire stunning lantern displays! This year, the renowned Beijing Ditan Temple Fair joins in the festivities! (Photo by reporter Chen Rui-zhong)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The Taipei Lantern Festival takes place from the 7th to the 16th at the Taipei Expo Park. To make the festival more diverse, the Taipei City Bureau of Economic Development has invited the well-known “Beijing Ditan Temple Fair” to Taiwan for the first time this year. With 60 booths set up, visitors can not only enjoy the lantern sea along Zhongshan North Road and the variety of special lanterns in the Taipei Expo Park, but also savor authentic Beijing snacks and watch captivating traditional performances.

The Beijing Ditan Temple Fair boasts a 28-year history and is one of China’s most prestigious and largest temple fairs. Originally an ancient ritual where emperors prayed to deities for blessings and a prosperous new year, it has evolved into a lively New Year market.

During the Taipei Lantern Festival, the Beijing Ditan Temple Fair at the Taipei Expo Park will mobilize over 200 staff and operate 60 booths. In addition to selling internationally recognized Beijing specialties such as donkey rolling cake, ai wo wo, and pea yellow, there will also be many historic time-honored brands, such as the famous “Bianyifang” roast duck from Beijing—no need to go to Beijing, you can enjoy these treats right here at the Taipei Lantern Festival in the Taipei Expo Park.

Beyond food, a variety of intangible cultural heritage crafts such as dough figurines, Beijing embroidery, and inside-painted snuff bottles, along with traditional street acrobatics, Beijing lion dances, hutong hawking calls, and storytelling with the Beijing-style drum—will be performed regularly at scheduled times and locations throughout the Taipei Expo Park.

▲The Taipei Expo Park offers a free shuttle service called the “Lantern Festival Bus” this year, which is larger in scale and more comfortable than last year's. (Photo from the Taipei City Government official website)

During the lantern festival, the Taipei Expo Park also provides a free Lantern Festival Bus shuttle service to help visitors explore the park and nearby commercial areas. Compared to last year’s standard buses, this year’s service features larger buses for greater comfort and convenience. The “Lantern Festival Bus” operates from 12:30 PM to 8:30 PM, with a bus every 15 minutes. Stops include Yuanshan MRT Station, Tatung University (Art Park) Station, Zhongshan Elementary School Station, and Lin An-Tai Ancient House Station, though the service is not available on Mondays.