Written/Compiled & Reported by Chen Guanxin, MOOK Travel & Lifestyle Network
The "New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival," which draws hundreds of thousands of domestic and international visitors annually, has been recognized by overseas media as a "must-visit" classic festival, standing alongside the "Brazilian Carnival" and the "Munich Oktoberfest." This year’s Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival will kick off on February 3, featuring three blessing events: "100% Hope, Prosperity Galore," "Lighting Hope, Touching the World," and "Hand in Hand, Love Soaring Together." A total of over 4,000 sky lanterns will be released, including special-shaped lanterns such as Yuanbao lanterns on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year and heart-shaped lanterns on Valentine’s Day—which also coincides with the Lantern Festival—offering visitors unforgettable memories for the New Year and romantic holidays.
Dubbed a "must-visit" experience, the New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival will begin on February 3. (Photo provided by MoKo Editorial Department)
New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Lee Chuan-hsiang stated that this year marks the 16th edition of the "New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival," which has welcomed over 800,000 visitors in each of the past two years. Last year, in addition to being selected by U.S. news network CNN as one of "52 Things to Do in 2023," it was also chosen by the world’s largest travel publisher, Fodor’s, as one of the 14 "must-visit" classic festivals globally. According to Fodor’s report, the "New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival," held in the small town of Pingxi during the Lunar New Year, releases over 100,000 lanterns throughout the event. Visitors can not only purchase and release their own lanterns along the old street but also enjoy local delicacies and vibrant fireworks, offering “a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
New Taipei City Government announced that this year’s event is divided into three sessions. The first, themed "100% Hope, Prosperity Galore," will take place on February 3 at Jing Tong Elementary School, coinciding with the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, a day for welcoming the God of Wealth. A total of 120 four-ton Yuanbao lanterns will be released for the public, with online registration opening at 12:00 noon on the 9th (tomorrow). The second session, "Lighting Hope, Touching the World," will be held on February 8 at Pingxi Junior High School, featuring a large 12-ton wish collage sky lantern. This lantern will be created through a mosaic-style collage of well-wishes from around the globe, allowing friends and visitors who cannot attend in person to still “take part in the celebration.” As for February 14, a day that blends happiness both Eastern and Western style—coinciding with both the Lantern Festival and Valentine’s Day—the third session will adopt the theme "Hand in Hand, Love Soaring Together," with an additional 200 heart-shaped lanterns available for release. Online registration for this session will start at 15:00 tomorrow.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Yuanbao lanterns will be released to share good fortune for the entire year. (Photo provided by New Taipei City Tourism Bureau)
To enable people around the world to participate in the New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival "regardless of time or place," the Tourism Bureau has specially planned supporting activities such as "Blessings from Around the World" and "A Lifetime of Happiness Collected Here." From now until 24:00 on January 23, visitors can upload text or photos expressing their wishes and blessings on the event’s official website. The organizers will turn these messages into colorful paper cards and collage them onto a large wishing sky lantern, which will be released during the Pingxi event on February 8. Photos will also be creatively arranged using a montage technique to create a large heart-shaped installation, displayed at the event site for public enjoyment.
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