By MOOK Travel Life Network, reported and compiled by Zhang Yingying
The 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival’s “Happy Taipei Lantern Sea” began at 7:30 p.m. on January 25, lighting up Sections 1 to 3 of Zhongshan North Road. The second phase, the “2014 Taipei Lantern Festival Main Exhibition Area,” will be exhibited in the Flower Expo Park from February 7 to February 16. As the opening day falls on a Friday evening, visitors should be aware of potential crowds and traffic conditions.
The figure of a horse outlined with LOVE symbolizes the arrival of a Happy Taipei in 2014. (Image source / 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival)
The “Happy Taipei Lantern Sea” stretching along Zhongshan North Road is themed around the four seasons of Taipei. Guided by shimmering lights, visitors can journey through joyful springs, summers, autumns, and winters. Those coming to admire the lanterns and enjoy the light river should pay attention to surrounding traffic controls. During peak times, buses and the MRT may implement “skip-stop” measures, so it’s important to check alternative transit options to ensure smooth arrivals and departures.
During the festival, Lane 31 to Zhongshan North Road on Minzu West Road will have lane adjustments daily from 5 to 11 p.m.; an unnamed alley east of Haibawang Restaurant will be closed to traffic on weekends and February 14 from 5 to 12 a.m.; the section of Minzu West Road from Lane 31 to Chengde Road will have yellow lines changed to red-line controls daily from 5 to 11 p.m.; Flower Expo Yuanshan Park and Fine Arts Park will prohibit bicycle entry all day from January 9 to February 19; east-west roads such as Minzu East-West Road (from Shuangcheng Street to Yumen Street), Minquan East-West Road, and north-south roads such as Zhongshan North Road (from Xinsheng North Road to Minzu East Road) will experience traffic impacts due to the festival—please plan alternate routes accordingly.
For public transport, the bus stop at Datong University (Fine Arts Park) will not stop between 7 and 10 p.m. on weekdays, and from 5 to 12 a.m. on weekends and February 14. Don’t be surprised if your bus skips the stop—check accessible stops before heading out. YouBike rental stations at Yuanshan MRT Station (Exit 2) and Taipei Fine Arts Museum will have rental controls between 7 and 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 5 to 12 a.m. on weekends and February 14.
Taipei’s wildly popular national treasure, the panda “Yuán Zǎi,” also appears in creative lantern designs. (Image source / 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival)
This year’s lantern zones feature not only the main lantern “Soaring Stallion” theater, but also in Yuanshan Park: the “Ancient Melody Lantern Zone,” set against the park’s terrain and themed around filial piety stories; the “Literary Scenery Lantern Zone,” inspired by historical tales and using traditional illuminated lanterns to recreate grand historical scenes such as Confucius traveling the states, Qin Shi Huang unifying China, borrowing arrows with straw boats, and Mulan joining the army—bringing ancient Chinese culture to life; the “Performance Troupe Lantern Zone,” showcasing Taiwan’s folk harvest celebration traditions; and the “Blessing Lantern Zone,” featuring various auspicious lanterns combined with interactive games that let visitors pray for good fortune in the new year. Additionally, there’s the “International Lantern Zone” sponsored by the Macao Tourism Board and Shinnyo-en Buddhist Association, and the “Student Lantern Zone” from the National Lantern Competition.
The main lantern “Soaring Stallion” light show is the highlight of the 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival. (Image source / 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival)
In Fine Arts Park, there are the family-friendly “Fantasy Kingdom Lantern Zone” and “Retro Playthings Lantern Zone,” both starring Taipei’s most beloved cute panda cub, Yuán Zǎi. The “Fantasy Kingdom Lantern Zone” blends elements of “children’s amusement parks” and “cartoon characters,” featuring an 8-meter-tall super-cool robot ridden by Yuán Zǎi at its center, guarding this beautiful fantasy world. The “Retro Playthings Lantern Zone” is filled with old-fashioned toys, with Yuán Zǎi playing with bamboo-copters, spinning tops, diabolos, iron hoops, rocking horses, and hand drums, taking everyone on a nostalgic trip to relive childhood joys and the charm of traditional play. Additionally, the “Time Corridor Lantern Zone” near the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Pavilion showcases early Taiwanese civilian life, with themes such as weddings, one-year-old birthday ceremonies, plowing fields, harvests, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and family gatherings—lifelike figures bringing visitors back to those bygone days. Finally, this year’s zodiac star, the “Stallion’s Trail Lantern Zone,” draws inspiration from the classic Chinese painting “Eight Steeds,” using traditional lantern installations to depict colorful horses soaring through clouds, galloping through the night, and even flying with wings, blending with the park’s landscape to make the horses come alive as if leaping out of traditional ink paintings to stroll through the Flower Expo Park. The “Yuanshan Fine Arts Park Landscape Lantern Zone,” which decorates the park’s existing landscape, features stunning and vibrant lights on trees and grass alike.
The Lantern Sea Corridor is a favorite photo spot for many visitors. (Image source / 2014 Taipei Lantern Festival)
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