The 2012 Taiwan Lantern Festival kicks off in Changhua during the Yuanxiao Festival.

By Wei Ruyu / Compiled and reported

The 2012 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Lukang, Changhua, will run from February 6th (Yuanxiao Festival) to February 19th. Visitors can enjoy the displays starting from the North Lantern Area (Lukang Sports Park), where the main lantern is located, all the way to the charming lanterns along Lukang Zhongshan Road (Tianhou Temple, Guild Hall, Folk Museum, Longshan Temple), and then on to the South Lantern Area (Wenwu Temple, Hugan Temple, Ksitigarbha Temple).

This year’s main lantern show “Soaring Dragon Amidst Glorious Clouds” at Lukang Sports Park stands 20 meters tall, soaring above dynamic waves of clouds. Thousands of illuminated sailboats surround the stadium, while the lantern-lighting platform directly facing the main lantern is a giant hundred-meter-long ancient ship, recreating the past prosperity of the historic saying “One prefecture, two Lukangs, three Manka.”

The Zhongshan Road Charm Lantern Area will recreate the legend of Lukang’s Covered Street with dragons coiling through the sky. In front of Tianhou Temple, a sub-lantern themed around Mazu will be set up. Additionally, near Lukang Guild Hall and Osmanthus Lane Art Village, a traditional toy lantern area will be created, featuring iconic Lukang toys such as spinning tops, bamboo dragonflies, Lu Ban locks, and tangram puzzles, enhanced with LED technology to offer magical, fairytale-like light shows for both adults and children. The South Lantern Area will focus on calligraphy art, integrating the existing landscape and inviting 12 artists to transform their expert brushwork into illuminated displays.

For this lantern festival, seven additional parking lots have been set up around Lukang for visitors, including: Changbin Xixi, Changbin Lukang, Ludong, Jiaxing, Bin 4, Outer Ring North, and Outer Ring South. There will also be frequent shuttle buses (running every 5–10 minutes during peak hours) to transport visitors to and from the lantern displays.

Additionally, shuttle buses will directly take visitors from the High-Speed Rail Wuri Station, Changhua Railway Station, and Yuanlin Railway Station to the Lukang Lantern Area. Shuttle service hours are weekdays 2pm–8pm and weekends 12pm–8pm. Dismissal service hours are weekdays 3pm–10:30pm and weekends 1pm–10:30pm. Visitors are advised to make use of these services.

For more information about the lantern festival, please visit the official website at 2012taiwanlantern.net