Top 10 Must-Visit Lantern Festival Spots in Taiwan for Capturing Stunning Light Displays During Spring Festivities

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

The highlight of every Lunar New Year celebration is undoubtedly the nationwide lantern festivals, with the Taiwan Lantern Festival being the most grandiose. The 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival kicked off on March 2, the Yuanxiao Festival, at the Chiayi County Government Building in Taibao, with various lantern zones across Taiwan also making their appearances one after another. Visitors can take advantage of the Lunar New Year or Yuanxiao Festival holidays to admire the lanterns and enjoy festive strolls.

1. Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi
The 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival officially illuminated its main lantern area at the Chiayi County Government Special Zone on March 2, Yuanxiao Festival. The main lantern stands an impressive 21 meters tall. Its overall lighting design will feature a brand-new 4D refraction technique to showcase light grating visual effects, along with the use of recyclable optical refraction sheets that enhance light penetration by over 70%. This year’s much-anticipated mini lantern for children is named “Dali Dog.”
 
Date: 2018/03/02 - 03/11
Lantern Zones Distribution
Northern Lantern Zone: National Palace Museum Southern Branch
Central Axis: Prince Avenue
Southern Lantern Zone: County Government Lantern Zone
 
2. Taiwan Lantern Festival – Chiayi Mountain Railway & Cultural Lantern Zone
The Mountain Railway & Cultural Lantern Zone of the Taiwan Lantern Festival has been unveiled ahead of time, featuring a large-scale installation art piece called “Forest Spring” created by internationally renowned artists using cutting-edge technology. This mountain railway lantern zone aims to transform the traditional lantern-viewing experience, leaving visitors amazed. Through AR (augmented reality) LED walls, scenic views of a small forest train journey are displayed, and by simply moving your body, you can create special effects on the screen—transforming participants into passengers who explore Alishan’s unique railway scenery through motion-sensing technology.

3. New Taipei Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
For the first time, this year’s Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival has collaborated with the wildly popular Sanrio characters. Not only is the globally adored Hello Kitty making an appearance, but also four adorable star characters celebrating the Year of the Dog—Pudding Dog, Domo-kun, and Pochacco—will join the festivities in the Pingxi area. Visiting Pingxi isn’t just about releasing sky lanterns and making wishes; you can also capture photos with these wild Sanrio characters for social sharing, adding more fun options to your festive travels.
 
Event Dates: 107/03/02 (Yuanxiao Festival), 107/09/24 (Mid-Autumn Festival)
Event Time: 17:30-20:30
Event Location: Shifen Square, Pingxi District, New Taipei City (No. 136, Nanshanping, Pingxi District, New Taipei City)
Free sky lantern release vouchers will be distributed starting at 10:00 AM on the day at Shifen Square.

4. Taoyuan Lantern Festival Egg Surprise
The “2018 Taoyuan Lantern Festival” has moved to the southern]
River area this year and expanded in scale, kicking off at the end of February. To celebrate the Year of the Dog, the city government specially applied for authorization from the United States to feature Snoopy as the highlight of the four main lantern zones. Each of the four lantern zones this year has its own unique features: the Taoyuan Main Lantern Zone, Guishan Lantern Zone, Shuibiantou Lantern Zone, and Luzhu Lantern Zone, with a test lighting event scheduled for February 12.
 
Location: Along the southern]
River in Taoyuan, Bianzhou, Guishan, and Luzhu districts
Duration: 2018/02/21 – 03/04
※ Test lighting on 2018/02/12

5. Nantou Lantern Festival

The Nantou Lantern Festival features five major themes, including dual-lighting zones on land and water, sand sculptures displayed both day and night, popular flower seas at scenic spots, a light-and-water dance performance, and a highly anticipated Conan exhibition. In addition to the main lantern area at the Agricultural, Industrial, Commercial, and Trade Exhibition Center and the Puli Water Lantern Festival area, lantern zones are also set up at Zhongshan Park in Nantou City, Shoutian Temple in Mianjian Township, and the Holiday Plaza in Jiji Town.
 
Location: No. 26, Zuci East Road, Nantou City, Nantou County
Event Period: February 10, 2018 ~ March 4, 2018

6. Flowers in Changhua

The "Flowers in Changhua" series of events is one of the top ten holiday destinations for domestic travelers during the Spring Festival. This year, it is being held for the first time at Xizhou Park with a nighttime light festival. Spanning 123 hectares, the vast park showcases magnificent flower seas and the beauty of illuminated displays, while also promoting tourism in Changhua. Visitors are invited to explore Changhua during the spring season—enjoy the flower seas during the day and admire the beautiful lanterns at night.
 
Venue: No. 138, Section 3, Zhongyang Road, Xizhou Township, Changhua County (Xizhou Park)
Duration: February 16 - March 3, 2018