The annual Lantern Festival celebrations kick off with dazzling lantern displays, bee-hornet cannon fireworks, and the thrilling "Han Dan" bombing festivities across Taiwan.

Written/Compiled and Reported by Li Xinyi, MOOK Travel Life Network

 

This year’s "Taiwan Lantern Festival" will take place from February 24 to March 10 in the Hsinchu HSR Station Special Zone, the first time it is integrated with a high-speed rail station. The theme, "Gale, Speed, Future, Taiwan – Lantern Festival," emphasizes speed through dynamic light and shadow changes and rhythmic lighting, incorporating design elements such as gales, bamboo clusters, clouds, and urban motifs to offer visitors a fresh experience. A significant feature is the use of bamboo structures to shape various lantern zones. The much-anticipated main lantern features nearly 200,000 LED lights, delivering a spectacular light show synchronized with ambient effects, aligning with recent sustainability and environmental goals.

The "Taipei Lantern Festival," held in the Taipei metropolitan area, showcases the most urban-style celebration. This year’s main events run from now until March 3 in the Flower Expo Yuanshan and Fine Arts Park. All exhibits revolve around the themes of "Happy Taipei" and "Environmental Sustainability," with the design concept centered on "The Spiritual Snake Dazzles in Eco-Friendly Action, Blending Reality and Illusion to Transform the World." In addition to extensive use of eco-friendly materials, the festival incorporates projection mapping effects for dynamic transitions, breaking away from traditional lantern festival formats.

 

The "Miaoli (Fire) Dragon" Festival follows ancient Hakka rituals from the dragon’s eye-dotting ceremony, the nine-grid dragon dance troupe performing to thank the gods, to the dragon’s ascension into the heavens. It stands as the most traditional Hakka-style Lantern Festival celebration. This year’s event runs from February 18 to 26, with the Miaoli City Government also setting up a (Fire) Dragon Cultural Museum exhibition and hosting DIY workshops on bamboo-woven dragons, floral cloth lanterns, and painted lanterns. This year’s bee-hornet cannon festivities will take place on February 23 and 24. Parades and performances kick off on the 23rd, heralding the Yanshui Bee-Hornet Cannon event. The cannon-laden palanquin procession will begin at 6 PM on Lantern Festival Day, following tradition. Additional activities include the Yanshui Bee-Hornet Cannon Experience Camp, centralized firing displays for visitors, a three-story-tall cannon tower, and nearly 400 smaller cannons set off at different times throughout the town’s alleys.

Organized by the Kaohsiung City Government, the "Kaohsiung Lantern Festival Art Festival" takes place from February 16 to 24. In addition to inviting Japan, Thailand, India, the United States, Nepal, Hong Kong, and Harbin to set up special lantern display zones, the event also features many talented local Taiwanese street performers, offering visitors a taste of both international and local artistry. The mini lanterns given out have kaleidoscopic backs that project ever-changing translucent patterns onto walls. The "Taitung Lantern Folk Festival – Golden Snake Brings Joy and Fortune Series" runs from February 23 to 28. Its folk parade is the 64-year-old "Han Dan Bombing Event," known as the most daring Lantern Festival activity, with dozens of temple palanquins, folk performance troupes, and floats from across Taitung County joining in each year.

 

Additionally, the "Taoyuan Lantern Festival in Luzhu," organized by Luzhu Township Office in Taoyuan County, runs from February 14 to 24. Coinciding with the Year of the Snake, the lantern team blends concepts of technology, ecological preservation, and local traditions into a breathtaking display. The "Central Taiwan Lantern Festival," hosted by the Taichung City Government from February 18 to March 3, features the "Spiritual Snake Protecting the Pearl" main lantern show—a modern, tech-infused snake crafted with LEDs, merging cutting-edge technology with traditional zodiac culture for a uniquely refreshing experience. The "Snake Welcomes Spring – Jiji Lanterns 2013 Jiji Spring Tour Season," organized by Jiji Township Office from February 10 to 27, includes not only lantern displays and pastoral flower sea scenery but also street performance art, local cultural exhibitions, a festive market, and food streets, allowing visitors to enjoy both sights and local snacks.

 

 

● Extended Reading: Green Taitung – A Rich Three-Day, Two-Night Wellness Getaway

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