Sky Lantern Release in Pingxi
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One of The Best Winter Trips 2016: Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
According to an article from National Geographic Travel, Best Winter Trips 2016, we are flattered that Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is considered a must visit in the 2016 winter. The Lantern Festival is the top most colorful and thriving festivals in Taiwan, and Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of first celebration people come up when think of Taiwan Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival is an annual event usually held on January 15th of lunar calendar, the first full-moon night of the lunar year. However, as the popularity of Pingxi Lantern Festival increases, New Taipei City adds two more sky lantern release events on February 11th and February 14th. The most conspicuous one will be held on February 22th, the 15th day of the first month of lunar calendar this year. There will be an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 glowing orange rice paper lanterns released into the night sky above the square. With people writing their wishes on the sky lanterns as it is believed that when the lantern flies into the sky the wishes will be passed to gods above, it will be one of the most magical and breathtaking night that you ever experienced. This is not the first time that Pingxi Sky Lantern has been brought up in international media. It was also named one of the 52 things to do in 2013 by CNN Travel and one of 14 must-go festivals before you die by the giant travel guide publisher, Fodor’s Travel. The festival continued to gain popularity around the world these years. It attracts more and more visitors to Pingxi. People gather in Pingxi to admire the breathtaking view of more than 100,000 sky lanterns releasing at the same time carrying wishes of all kinds. When viewing sky lantern in Pingxi, don’t forget to explore Pingxi more by visiting some popular attractions. TravelKing has selected some must visit spots for you to discover the beauty of Pingxi when admiring the fascinating sky lantern releasing. Shifen Waterfall Shihfen Waterfall is the biggest waterfall in Taiwan. It is 20 meters high and 40 meters wide and has been described as a place where angels dwell. Due to the unique rock positions and incredible water speed, Shihfen Waterfall is truly an amazing site worth a visit. The waterfall is about a 15-minute walk from Shifen Old Street, and it has three observation decks for easy viewing. Shifen Old Street Set by Shifen Railway Station, Shifen Old Street is filled mainly by sky lantern and souvenir shops, grocery stores and restaurants on both sides of the railway. Although Shifen Old Street is now a popular tourist stop, the old street still keeps its nostalgic, relaxing ambience, where one may sometimes find residents sit in front of their houses chatting. Shifen Old Street is not only a great place for photographs, sky lanterns and to see the unique scene of trains running right through the old street, but also a nice place to sample local street foods that will satiate your taste buds. Pingxi Old Street Strolling along Pingxi Old Street, travelers may savor the nostalgic ambience and reminiscent atmosphere. The houses were built on the slope; now they have become the stores where visitors can purchase souvenirs and locally flavored snacks. They are also traditional rice stores, pastry shops, and daily use grocery stores for residents. Travelers are welcome to bath in the ancient and casual ambience of the traditional leisure lifestyle perceived in Pingxi Old Street. An article inspired by National Geographic Travel: Best Winter Trips 2016 Visit 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival for more Lantern Festival information. TravelKing has organized easy online booking for your Taiwan trip. Book a hotel for your Taiwan Lantern Festival travel!
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
Sky Lantern Festival starts during the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar every year. This year New Taipei City government plans to give away thousands of lanterns for visitors to participate the events, from which it can be seen that the activity is to spread happiness and hope. Visitor may also buy your own lanterns from street stalls. You may find several colors of sky lantern represent different kinds of whish, health, fortune, work, romance, etc. On this day, you will see over 100,000 sky lanterns rising into night sky during the events; it will be a magical and breathtaking sight that you will cherish forever. Photo by Proboss Photo by Proboss Sky lantern” was invented during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-265) by Zhuge Liang aka Kongming. In the beginning, the sky lantern was created to use for transmit military information. In 19th century the Lantern Festival tradition has brought to Taiwan, and ever since then starting from the spring of planting season, people would release “sky lanterns” into the air with their prayers for the coming year. The American Discovery Channel TV Program ranked "The Fantastic Festivals of the World" has highlighted the Taiwan Lantern Festival as one of the best festivals in the world. The sky lanterns are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo made frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. After lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, same concept of a hot air balloon which raises the lantern into the sky. People usually write their wishes on the sky lanterns because it is believed as the lantern fly into the sky; it is a way to pass on your wishes to gods above.
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival 2015
The Lantern Festival is one of Taiwan’s tourism highlights and takes place annually during Chinese New Year. It is consistently listed in travel guides as a “must see” for international travelers around the globe. Although there is only a short window of opportunity to take in the festival, and there are guaranteed to be crowds, the night sky illuminated with countless floating lanterns is an enchanting sight that is rarely viewed elsewhere in the world. The major lantern festival sponsored by the national government is referred to as Taiwan Lantern Festival, and takes place in a different geographical location each year. It therefore requires some advanced trip planning, which may not work into every traveler’s schedule. However, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (平溪天�000s held in the same location (Pingxi, just outside Taipei) and on the same lunar calendar dates every year, making trip planning slightly easier. The history of the sky lantern in Pingxi goes back over a hundred years, as it was used as a method for sending one’s wishes up to God (or one’s ancestors in heaven). The festival however, where thousands of lanterns and personal wishes are released into the sky simultaneously, only began a couple decades ago. The festival’s majestic beauty and convenient access from the Taipei metropolis has seen the event rapidly grow in popularity, and has attracted the attention of major international media outlets. The Discovery Channel has named it the second largest nighttime festival in the world. CNN Travel named it one of the top things to do in 2013, and Fodor’s Travel Guides named it one of the 14 festivals a person must see in their lifetime. Pinxi is the only place in Taiwan where sky lanterns can be released legally, as it has been deemed a safe location due to its location high in the mountains, its significant annual rainfall, and high humidity level. Festival viewers will be glad to know that it is also one of the places with the lowest amounts of light pollution in Taiwan due to the low population density, which means the lanterns appear all the more beautiful and distinct in the sky. The lantern festival is held to celebrate the first full moon of Chinese New Year, which is the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calender (not to be confused with the western calendar), and is when the main celebrations occur. However, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival events are now held in three slightly different locations within Pingxi over three dates during the new year’s period. This is also the last official day of the Chinese New Year period. An overview of the three days of events is listed below: Date Location Activities 22 Feb 2015 18:00-20:30 Jing Tong Elementary School No.45 Jingtong Street, Pingxi Dist., New Taipei City The 4th day of the Lunar New Year. 2015 is the year of the lamb, so lamb shaped lanterns as well as cartoon themed lanterns associated with the children’s story “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf” will be released. A total of 480 lanterns will be launched into the sky over the course of 8 sessions. 27 Feb 2015 18:00-20:30 Pingxi Junior High School No.92 Shidi Street, Pingxi Dist., New Taipei City 226 The theme for the night is hot air balloons, and hot air balloon shaped sky lanterns will be released. 1,600 sky lanterns will be launched into the sky over the course of 8 sessions. 5 Mar 2015 18:00-20:30 Shifen Sky Lantern Square No.136, Nanshanping, Pingxi Dist., New Taipei City The theme for the night is paper art, and paper art shaped sky lanterns will be released. A total of 1,600 sky lanterns will be launched into the sky over the course of 8 sessions. To participate in the official sky lantern launching, advance registration is usually required, but if you are prepared with your own lantern and a few spots open up towards the end of the festival, organizers will generally let you sneak into the back and participate in the official launching. Even if spots do not open up, you are free to release your own lantern after the official launching has finished, or from different areas of Pingxi around the official grounds. There will be plenty of tents selling lantern kits, so you don’t need to bring anything to the festival grounds. The lantern kit will include a paper lantern and gold paper soaked in kerosene. One must first write their New Year’s wish on the outside of the lantern (pens provided at the tents selling the lantern kits) and then carry the lantern to the launching site. To prepare for launch, first unfold the paper lantern, attache the kerosene soaked gold paper inside the lantern, then light the four corners of the gold paper. Hold the lantern down on the ground and allow it to fill with hot air. Once the lantern is filled full of hot air, release the lantern and watch your wishes float up towards the heavens.
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1 Alternatively, if you want to try and get the best location to observe the mass unleashing of sky lanterns all at the same time, then head over to the Main Stage early (before 6) and plan on standing there for the next couple of hours as the sky lights up above you.
2 It’s not just the visuals, but you get multiple opportunities to capture the scene since, on the Old Street,Releasing the sky lantern are going up every couple of minutes and, at the Main Stage, there’s a few hundred lanterns all going up at once three times an hour between about 6:30 and 9:30 pm.