2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival: Highlights from Every Township and Community – Ban Tou Train Station in Xingang Relights the Flame

Thanks to the efforts of Chiayi County’s community planners and the Ding Cai Yuan Development Association in Xingang Township, the Ban Tou community has been revitalized and rebuilt. On the evening of the 17th, the station was lit up once again to kick off the festivities. (Photo courtesy of Lü Yanting)

Thanks to the efforts of Chiayi County’s community planners and the Ding Cai Yuan Development Association in Xingang Township, the Ban Tou community has been revitalized and rebuilt. On the evening of the 17th, with participation from various local sectors, the train station was lit up once more to herald the start of the lantern festival. (Photo courtesy of Lü Yanting)

The 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival is set to grandly open in Chiayi County. The county government has teamed up with local communities to create highlights from every township and community. On the evening of the 17th, Xingang Station took over the torch at Ban Tou Train Station to warm up for the festival. Deputy Magistrate Wu Fangming and others released a large prayer sky lantern on-site, wishing for the success and fulfillment of the lantern event. They also expressed hopes that this would help shine a light on both Xingang and Ban Tou.

Xingang Township used to have a Taiwan Sugar Railway that provided transportation for local residents, making Ban Tou Train Station the heart of the community. However, as the railway fell into disuse and the station was demolished, the memory of the sugar railway remained only in the minds of the older generation. To revive the community's memories of the sugar railway and the station, in 2007 during a course organized by Chiayi County’s community planning team, local planner Chen Minghui and mosaic and Jiaozi master Chen Zhongzheng proposed the dream project “If the Train Comes Back,” centered around Ban Tou Station. They independently restored the station and the surrounding tracks, bringing Ban Tou Station back to life in an effort to reawaken the community’s memories of the sugar railway. That same year, the Taiwan Lantern Festival was also held in Chiayi County’s County Government Special Zone for the first time, marking the county’s inaugural international-level lantern event.

Ten years later, Chiayi County is once again hosting the Taiwan Lantern Festival. The county government and communities have joined forces to create highlights from every township and community. Xingang Township selected the ultra-popular rural tourism check-in spot, Ban Tou Train Station, as the focal point. With the theme “Light It Up, Light It Up – Ban Tou, Xingang,” they updated the displays inside the station and enhanced its role as a tourism information hub. On the evening of the 17th, the station was relit amid great anticipation.

In addition to hoping that Ban Tou Station can continue to accompany the people of Xingang into the next decade, Wu Fangming also invites the public to visit the Ding Cai Yuan Rural Park and Ban Tou Cultural Park in the Nan Benkang Leisure Agriculture Area during the Taiwan Lantern Festival. Visitors can ride in ox carts, roast sweet potatoes, admire large murals, and relive the nostalgic moments of rural life.