A Sea of Lights: Must-Visit Spots for Spring Lantern Festivals Across Taiwan

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

Every Lunar New Year, the highlight is the Taiwan Lantern Festival, with the Taiwan Lantern Festival being the grandest of them all. In 2018, the festival took place on March 2, the Yuanxiao Festival, in front of the Chiayi County Government in Taibao. The main lantern area in the Chiayi County Government Special Zone was officially illuminated. The main lantern stood at a total height of 21 meters, and its lighting design featured an all-new 4D refraction method to showcase light grating visual effects, using recyclable optical refraction sheets to enhance light penetration by over 70%. The highly anticipated mini lanterns for children this year were named “Dali Dog.”

1. Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi
The 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival took place on March 2, the Yuanxiao Festival, in front of the Chiayi County Government in Taibao, where the main lantern in the County Government Special Zone was officially lit. The main lantern reached a total height of 21 meters. Its lighting design employed a brand-new 4D refraction technique to create a grating light effect, and used recyclable optical refraction sheets to increase light penetration to over 70%. The mini lanterns that children look forward to every year were named “Dali Dog” this year.
 
Date: March 2 – March 11, 2018
Lantern Display Zones
Northern Zone: National Palace Museum Southern Branch
Central Axis: Prince Avenue
Southern Zone: County Government Lantern Area
 
2. Taiwan Lantern Festival – Chiayi Mountain Railway Culture Lantern Area
The mountain railway culture lantern area of the Taiwan Lantern Festival has been unveiled early, featuring a large-scale installation art piece called “Forest Spring,” created by internationally renowned artists using cutting-edge technology. The mountain railway lantern area will redefine the traditional lantern viewing experience, leaving visitors amazed. Through AR (Augmented Reality) on LED walls, scenic views of the forest train journey come to life. By simply moving your body, you can trigger special effects on the screen, transforming participants into passengers who explore the unique railway scenery of Alishan through motion-sensing technology.

3. New Taipei Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
This year, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival collaborated for the first time with the ultra-popular Sanrio family, featuring not only the globally adored Hello Kitty but also four adorable star characters celebrating the Year of the Dog — Pompompurin, Jewelpet, and Cinnamoroll. These characters made appearances in Pingxi for a series of sky lantern events. Visiting Pingxi isn’t just about releasing sky lanterns and making wishes; it’s also a chance to capture photos with the Sanrio characters, check in on social media, and enjoy more festive options during the holiday season.
 
Event Dates: March 2, 2018 (Yuanxiao Festival), and September 24, 2018 (Mid-Autumn Festival)
Event Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Venue: 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 of the event at Shifen Square.

4. Taoyuan Lantern Festival Egg Surprise
The “2018 Taoyuan Lantern Festival” moved to the southern area along the Xindian River and expanded this year, kicking off at the end of February. To celebrate the Year of the Dog, the city government applied for authorization from the U.S. to feature Snoopy as the highlight of the main lanterns in the four major lantern zones. Each of the four zones—Taoyuan Main Zone, Guishan Zone, Shuibentou Zone, and Luzhu Zone—has its own distinct features. Trial lighting took place on February 12.
 
Location: Along the Xindian River in Taoyuan, Banqiao, Guishan, and Luzhu districts
Dates: February 21 – March 4, 2018
※ Trial lighting on February 12, 2018

5. Nantou Lantern Festival

The Nantou Lantern Festival features five major themes, including a dual-format lantern display illuminating both land and water, sand sculptures displayed day and night, popular flower seas, a water dance show combining lights and water reflections, and a popular anime Detective Conan exhibition. In addition to the main lantern area at the Agricultural, Industrial, Commercial, and Exhibition Center and the water lantern zone at Puli, there are also lantern displays in Zhongshan Park in Nantou City, Shoutian Temple in Mingjian Township, and the Holiday Plaza in Jiji Town.
 
Venue: No. 26, Zuxi 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 tourist attractions for Taiwanese during the Spring Festival. This year marks the first time a nighttime lantern festival is being held at Xizhou Park. 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 come and celebrate the Spring Festival in Changhua — 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)
Dates: February 16 – March 3, 2018