A 450 NT$ Pingxi Mini-Trip: Ride the Railway, Release Round Panda Sky Lanterns & Savor Miner’s Lunchboxes

By MOOK Travel & Lifestyle’s Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

 

The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City has been hailed by international media as a once-in-a-lifetime event. To allow visitors to deeply experience the railway scenery along the Pingxi Line, the charm of its old streets, and the history of coal mining, the New Taipei City Tourism Bureau and Lion Travel have collaborated to launch a Pingxi Mini-Trip itinerary. This journey takes you through three Pingxi settlements—Shiding, Pingxi, and Jing Tong—and includes a visit to Jing Tong’s new landmark—the Sky Lantern Police Station. You can also exclusively release the super-cute “Round Panda Sky Lanterns.” For just 450 NT$, you can enjoy an in-depth exploration of Pingxi.

Pingxi offers more than just beautiful sky lanterns; its railway scenery, old street charm, and coal mining history are all worth savoring in detail. To provide a deeper experience, the Pingxi Mini-Trip itinerary visits three major Pingxi settlements. At the Shiding Coal Mine Museum, step back in time to learn about the region’s coal mining history, and even try out simulated mining work and environments. On Shiding Old Street, see how modern creative elements blend with traditional sky lanterns to produce a variety of innovative goods. Then head to Pingxi Old Street, which retains its quaint style. Along the sloping paths and beside the railway tracks sit rows of traditional houses, with fabric shops and ice stores retaining their Japanese colonial-era aesthetics. In every alley, trains pass overhead—the “trains flying through the sky” spectacle is unique to Pingxi Old Street. Participants on this trip can also exclusively release the officially licensed, ultra-cute “Round Panda Sky Lanterns,” the only ones of their kind in Taiwan. As your wish-carrying Round Panda ascends, the fatigue and worries of daily life seem to melt away. At the final stop of the Pingxi branch line—Jing Tong—you’ll walk through memories woven by railways and coal mines intertwined with history, while a new highlight awaits: Jing Tong’s new landmark—the Sky Lantern Police Station. Enjoy a 3-minute LED light show at the top of the hour, then watch your own wishes take flight within the nine-meter-high sky lantern glass curtain wall, bringing this memorable journey to a perfect close.

 

The “Pingxi Mini-Trip,” which offers a full taste of railways, old street settlements, and sky lanterns, has a market price of 1,260 NT$, but is now available at a 65% discount for just 450 NT$. The package includes experiences at the Coal Mining Museum, a miner’s lunchbox, and a 100 NT$ shopping voucher redeemable in the commercial districts of Pingxi, Jing Tong, Shiding, and Shenkeng Old Street. Online registration opens at 9 AM on February 26 and runs all day, with the first departure on March 17. Trips are limited to weekdays (Monday to Friday), with one group of 40 people per trip, and 1 to 2 groups per week. There are a total of 2,000 spots available. For details, visit the New Taipei City Tourism Bureau website or check the Lion Travel website and designated retail locations.

 

 

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