The Taiwan Lantern Festival is near Taoyuan Airport; travelers using National Freeway 2 to the airport may experience longer travel times

▲One of the highlights of the Taoyuan Taiwan Lantern Festival: Blue Tears. (Photo / from Cheng Wen-tsan’s Facebook)

Reported by Lai Wen-hsuan / Taipei

The 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival will be held from February 19 (trial operation) to March 6 in front of the Taoyuan High-Speed Rail Station. As both Taoyuan International Airport and the lantern display area are located close to the Taoyuan High-Speed Rail Station, and many travelers move between the two locations, Taoyuan Airport reminds passengers that during peak hours, those using National Freeway 2 to get to the airport should allow extra travel time to avoid delays to their schedules.

▲The welcome gate of the 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival. (Photo / from the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications website)

This year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival is being held in front of the Taoyuan High-Speed Rail Station, near Taoyuan Airport. Taoyuan Airport stated that National Freeway 2 may experience heavy traffic due to the large number of vehicles entering and exiting the lantern festival area, potentially causing excessive congestion. To avoid travel delays, airline passengers and those seeing them off or picking them up are advised to allow extra travel time.

▲Traffic control map around the 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival. (Photo / from the Taiwan Lantern Festival official website)

Precautions are as follows:

1. During the traffic control period for the lantern festival, the Taoyuan Airport and Taoyuan High-Speed Rail Station shuttle bus, Ubus route 705, will continue to operate its normal route to the high-speed rail station. However, when the high-speed rail station becomes overly crowded, electronic display boards with high-speed rail information in the airport bus waiting area and at the Ubus ticket counters will advise passengers to consider using other forms of public transport to leave the airport, so as not to waste their valuable time.

2. Peak times for the Taiwan Lantern Festival are weekday afternoons from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM and evenings from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and weekend afternoons from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM and evenings from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM. During these peak hours, travelers using National Freeway 2 to get to the airport may experience delays due to heavy traffic flow in and out of the lantern festival area. Airline passengers and those seeing them off or picking them up are advised to allow extra travel time to avoid missing their flights.