Three Major Attractions Across Taiwan to Draw Huge Crowds During Lunar New Year Holiday | Check Out the Traffic Management Guide Here

▲ The National Palace Museum Southern Branch has become a popular attraction. (Photo / High-Speed Rail Holidays)

Reported by Lai Wen-hsuan / Taipei

This year’s Lunar New Year holiday stretches an impressive nine days, from February 6 to February 14. The Directorate General of Highways anticipates severe congestion around three major hotspots during this period. Additionally, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival — ranked among the “must-do-in-a-lifetime” experiences — is also expected to attract massive crowds. Traffic controls will be enforced around Pingtung’s Shan Chuan Glass Bridge and Chiayi’s National Palace Museum Southern Branch. The Directorate General of Highways has also implemented traffic management measures for sections prone to congestion.

Li Chung-chang, head of the Planning Division at the Directorate General of Highways, noted that new attractions have emerged across Taiwan. This year, heavy traffic is expected around Pingtung’s Shan Chuan Glass Bridge, Chiayi’s National Palace Museum Southern Branch, and Chiayi’s High Heel Church during the holiday. The ever-popular Wuling Farm cherry blossom season is also included on the list. Travelers are advised to plan their trips in advance.

▲ Wuling Farm has long been a top spot for cherry blossom viewing. (Photo / Wuling Farm)

Wuling Farm Cherry Blossom Season

Traffic Control:
1. A daily total visitor cap of 6,000 people will be enforced.
2. Traffic control information points will be set up at Km. 95 on Provincial Highway 7, near Nioudao Bridge.
Control Point (Yilan End): Km. 5+100 on Provincial Highway 7A, Datong Junior High School.
Control Point (Lishan End): Km. 74+217 on Provincial Highway 7A, Lishan.
3. No temporary parking will be allowed along Provincial Highway 7A, Km. 45–55 (from Siyuan to the intersection with County Road 124). Red lines will be painted and no-parking signs installed.
4. CMS displays will inform visitors that “during the cherry blossom season, entry to the farm will be restricted to vehicles with valid permits only.”

Public Transport:
1. For individual travelers, six special cherry blossom shuttle bus routes will be arranged by the Taipei Regional Motor Vehicles Office, with the following estimated passenger capacities:
(1) Taipei Main Station – Wuling Farm (1,000 people/day).
(2) Taipei City Hall Bus Station – Wuling Farm (1,000 people/day).
(3) Yilan Bus Station – Wuling Farm (400 people/day).
(4) Sanxing Township Sports Complex – Wuling Farm (300 people/day).
(5) Datong Township Office – Wuling Farm (300 people/day).
(6) Lishan – Wuling Farm (200 people/day).
2. For group tours, a reservation platform will be established by Yilan County Government, with a capacity of 1,000 people/day.

▲ The National Palace Museum Southern Branch has emerged as a top new attraction for this Lunar New Year.

Trial Operation of the National Palace Museum Southern Branch

Traffic Control:
1. Additional no-parking lines will be painted on roads near Chiayi County Government.
2. The Chiayi County Police Bureau will manage on-site traffic control.
3. Shuttle bus services will be provided between the high-speed rail station, parking lots, and the museum grounds.
4. Post alerts on the Highway Police Broadcasting System according to the actual situation to remind road users.

Public Transportation:
A new intercity bus route “Beigang–National Palace Museum Southern Branch–High-Speed Rail Chiayi Station” has been launched, operating 24 daily trips. In addition, four existing intercity bus routes have been adjusted to serve the National Palace Museum Southern Branch.

▲ Liuli Suspension Bridge over Mountain and River in Pingtung. (Photo provided by Pingtung County Government)

Liuli Suspension Bridge over Mountain and River

Traffic Control:
1. Coordinate with the Pingtung County Police Department to crack down on illegal parking and restrict Class A buses from entering the mountain area at the intersection of Provincial Highway 24 and County Road 185.
2. Release real-time traffic information via CMS and the Highway Police Broadcasting System.
3. Enhance intercity bus services and shuttle bus connections.

Public Transportation:
1. Pingtung County Government has launched a new sightseeing urban bus route ([602 Indigenous Cultural Park–Sandimen Township Office]), coordinating with the operating hours of the Indigenous Cultural Park (opens at 9:00 AM, closes at 5:00 PM). It operates 20 round trips on weekdays and 44 round trips on holidays to shuttle passengers between both ends of the bridge.
2. Pingtung urban bus route [508 Pingtung–Liudui Hakka Cultural Park–National Pingtung University of Science and Technology–Indigenous Cultural Park] runs 6 round trips on weekdays and 10 on holidays, providing access to the Indigenous Cultural Park.
3. Intercity bus routes [8227 Pingtung–Sandimen Township Office] run 12 round trips daily, and [8233 Pingtung–Wutai] run 6 round trips daily, both serving the Sandimen Township Office.
4. Intercity bus routes [8228 Pingtung–Sandimen (via Fenzi, Zhenxing)] run 26 round trips daily, and [8229 Pingtung–Sandimen (via Shang, Sanhe Village)] run 7 round trips daily, both serving the Neinong Side Gate Bus Stop, where passengers can transfer to the new Pingtung urban sightseeing bus route ([602 Indigenous Cultural Park–Sandimen Township Office]).

▲ New Taipei Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (Photo provided by New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Bureau)

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

1. Take the Pingxi Branch Line of the Taiwan Railways.
2. Take shuttle buses from the Muzha Zoo or the Shiding Service Area.
3. Intercity Bus Services:
Capital Bus Route “【1577】Nangang Station–Nuannuan–Provincial Highway 2B–Shiding–Shuangxi–Fulong”: From Taipei’s Nangang Railway Station or New Taipei’s Fulong Railway Station, transfer to this route and get off at “Shidingliao” Station, then walk to the event venue.
4. Urban Bus Services:
(1) Taipei Bus Route “【795】Muzha–Pingxi”: Take this route from Muzha Metro Station in Taipei City and get off at “Shidingliao” Station, then walk to the venue.
(2) Keelung Bus Route “【846】Ruifang–Pingxi”: Take this route from Ruifang Railway Station in New Taipei City and get off at “Shidingliao” Station, then walk to the venue.