By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin
If the sight of thousands of lanterns lighting up the sky during the Lunar New Year each year showcases the warm and joyful glow of sky lanterns, this year’s Qixi Festival will offer a different perspective on their romantic charm as heart-shaped lanterns take flight over Pingxi. The “2012 Diverse Sky Lanterns – The Magic of Sky Lanterns, The Variety of Pingxi” Qixi Valentine’s event, to be held on August 25 at Jing Tong Elementary School in Pingxi, will recruit 101 couples to release heart-shaped sky lanterns together. Successful registrants will also receive gifts such as a wish bamboo. Online registration begins at 12:00 noon on August 15, with a participation fee of NT$200 per couple.
On August 25, 101 couples will release heart-shaped sky lanterns together to witness their sweet love. (Photo provided by New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau)
Last year, the New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau held its first “Diverse Sky Lanterns Creative Shape Design Competition,” where the winning heart-shaped and pumpkin-shaped lanterns received high praise. This year, in conjunction with Qixi Festival, they are launching an event on August 25 where 101 couples will release heart-shaped sky lanterns. Successful registrants will receive gifts including a wish bamboo, sky lantern ornaments, admission tickets to Pingxi Lodge, and wooden postcards. On the day of the event, there will also be 240 traditional sky lanterns available, along with local guided tours, DIY mini sky lantern ornaments, and creative wish bamboo painting activities. Visitors can register at the service desk starting at 12:00 noon. Event website: tour.ntpc.gov.tw/activity/2012funskylantern.
In addition, the New Taipei City Tourism website has also planned a “Loving Qixi, Summer Love Heats Up” themed travel special, featuring four recommended routes: “Pingxi Railway, Wulai Mountain Forest, Tamsui Riverside, and Yingge Cultural Creativity.” In addition to witnessing happiness under the romantic lanterns in Pingxi and experiencing indigenous warmth in the Dulan Tribe of Wulai, the site has also introduced two easy and romantic routes tailored for senior couples—whether strolling hand-in-hand along the Tamsui riverside to enjoy the sunset or visiting Yingge, the hometown of ceramics, to create DIY ceramic artworks for loved ones. New Taipei City Tourism website: tour.ntpc.gov.tw.
● Read more: Pingxi Creative Sky Lantern Submission – Grand Prize NT$30,000, Registration Now Open
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