Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Launches Taiwan Lantern Festival Package Tours with “Buy 4 Get 1 Free” Promotion

▲ 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong, same as below)

Reported by Lai Wenxuan / Taipei

The “2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival” will be held in Taoyuan from February 22 to March 6. In addition to viewing the lantern displays, visitors can also explore nearby attractions. To provide travelers with a convenient way to enjoy the festival, the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has specially recommended two “Taiwan Tourist Shuttle” one-day tour packages and two “Taiwan Good to Go” scenic bus routes. Spend the day sightseeing around Taoyuan and enjoy the festive lanterns in the evening, plus take advantage of the “Buy 4 Get 1 Free” deal.

▲ Diverse Cultural Zone at the 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival.

To help travelers explore Taiwan with ease, the Tourism Bureau has assisted travel agencies in launching 105 “Taiwan Tourist Shuttle” package tours. These tours require just 1 to 4 people to start, offer hotel, airport, and station pick-up and drop-off, free Wi-Fi on board, and multilingual audio guides in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean. For this year’s “Taiwan Lantern Festival,” the Tourism Bureau has guided travel agencies to incorporate well-known sites in the Taoyuan area such as Daxi Mausoleum, Cihu Mausoleum and Sculpture Park, Daxi Old Street, and Miniature World, and has curated two exclusive Taiwan Lantern Festival package tours: the “Two Chiangs Theme Tour” and the “Happy Anywhere Tour – Six Flags and Miniature World.” A special deal allows one person to go free when four people book together, along with flexible one-way or round-trip pickup services from any designated locations in Greater Taipei, Taoyuan City, and Hsinchu City, plus a limited-edition small monkey lantern giveaway.

▲ Scenery at Cihu.

In addition, to encourage the use of public transportation during the festival, the Tourism Bureau has assisted local governments and national scenic area administrations in launching 39 “Taiwan Good to Go” scenic bus routes. Visitors coming to Taoyuan City for the lanterns can plan a one- or two-day trip and ride the “Taiwan Good to Go – Cihu Line” to visit the Hakka Cultural Museum, Shimen Reservoir, Daxi, and Cihu, or take the “Taiwan Good to Go – Little Wulai Line” to destinations such as Chocolate Republic, Jinlan Soy Sauce Museum, Jiaobanshan, and Little Wulai (Skywalk). Discounted one-day passes (Taoyuan Cihu Line One-Day Pass, Little Wulai One-Day Pass) are also available for exploring key attractions across Taoyuan City.

▲ Main Lantern at the Taiwan Lantern Festival.

The Tourism Bureau especially reminds travelers to gather relevant traffic and tourism information and plan their itinerary in advance, while making full use of public transportation. Before setting off, please visit the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle website (http://www.taiwantourbus.com.tw/), the Taiwan Good to Go website (http://www.taiwantrip.com.tw/) for travel shuttle service details. Additionally, the Tourism Bureau operates 50 tourist service centers nationwide, 13 visitor centers within its managed national scenic areas, and a 24-hour toll-free multilingual (Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean) travel advisory hotline 0800-011765 — the public is encouraged to make use of these resources.

▲ 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival lanterns featuring 3D effects.

This year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival coincides with the 228 Holiday period. Travelers planning to depart from Taoyuan International Airport during the festival are advised to stay updated on any traffic control measures (for details, please checkhttp://taiwan.net.tw/2016taiwanlantern/). Those who drive to the lantern displays should expect heavy traffic and restricted access due to festival controls — public transport options such as high-speed rail or shuttle buses are recommended for a more relaxing experience.