◎ Lantern Festival <2009-01-19>
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Lantern Festival |
| In Taiwan, the Chinese New Year |
| Season Ends on a Bright Note |
| The best things are often saved for last. In terms of an exciting festival atmosphere this is certainly the case during the Chinese New Year season, which ends with a number of fascinating events staged around Taiwan. |
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Photos / Vision Int'l, Tainan City Government
or people of Chinese heritage all over the world the Chinese New Year is and has always been the holiday highlight of the year, much like Christmas in the West. In the past often the only time to enjoy a relaxing break from work and the only opportunity for those working far from home to visit their families, the Chinese New Year holidays often lasted two weeks or more. In modern Taiwan, however, where most people enjoy a 5-day working week with two days off on the weekend, the official holidays only last about 4 days and most people have a vacation lasting about a week.
This year Chinese New Year falls on January 26, which means that the period from January 23 through February 1 will be the busiest in terms of island-wide travel and the slowest in terms of operating businesses (many smaller shops will be closed, but larger department stores will open for business as usual).
When everything has settled down a bit after this busy season during which most people visit their families, their relatives, and their friends and go traveling on the island or abroad, the official end of the Chinese New Year period is marked by the Lantern Festival, for which celebratory events, small, large, and very large, are staged around Taiwan. The Lantern (or Yuanxiao) Festival this year falls on February 9, but there will also be festival activities before and after this day.
Taiwan Lantern Festival in Yilan 台灣燈會
Where: Yilan Sports Park (宜蘭運動公園)
When: February 9 ~ 22
Info: Yilan County Government website (http://enwww.e-land.gov.tw)
The official Taiwan Lantern Festival is staged each year by a selected local government. This year the honors go the county of Yilan in northeast Taiwan. It’s the first time the festival is taking place in the eastern part of Taiwan, and the organizers will take advantage of this golden opportunity to present Yilan as one of the most attractive places to visit in Taiwan.
WHAT TO SEE: The Taiwan Lantern Festival each year features a fascinating range of lantern displays and cultural activities. The center of attention is the huge main lantern in the shape of the Chinese-zodiac animal for the year. Since 2009 is the Year of the Ox, visitors can expect to see a huge ox lantern colorfully illuminated from the inside and outside by a high-tech laser display. Apart from this main lantern there will also be different areas displaying lanterns in all shapes and sizes, ranging from traditional to highly innovative designs. The festival will also include a rich cultural program giving you the chance to enjoy local-style stage performances and a food area where you can sample the many delicious treats Yilan is famous for.
WHERE ELSE TO GO: Yilan offers a diverse range of travel options. Heading north from Yilan City you can follow the northeastern coast, which is known for its fascinating rock formations and fine-sand beaches. At Jiaoxi you can soak in therapeutic hot-spring waters, which is especially pleasant during the winter months. If you like hiking among pristine forest, head to the mountain-forest area of Taipingshan, known for lush vegetation and venerable thousand-year-old trees. From Yilan it’s also just a short distance to Taiwan’s most spectacular stretch of highway, a literal cliff-hanger between Su-ao and Hualien, and the island’s foremost scenic wonder, Taroko Gorge.
HOW TO GET THERE: Yilan can be easily reached by taking an eastbound train from Taipei. From Yilan Station you can take a bus or taxi to the festival grounds. Those who drive on their own can reach Yilan in less than one hour (on weekdays) from Taipei by following Freeway No. 5, which traverses the Xueshan Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in Asia.
Taipei Lantern Festival 台北燈節
WHERE: Plaza in front and streets around Taipei City Hall, area around Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
(市政府/國父紀念館台北市)
WHEN: February 6 ~ 15
INFO: Taipei City Government website (www.taipei.gov.tw)
Grand-scale Lantern Festival activities are now organized by several cities around Taiwan. The first such event was held back in 1990 on the plaza in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. Becoming an instant success, the festival in Taipei, now staged around Taipei City Hall, has drawn huge numbers of visitors each year since.
WHAT TO SEE: Lanterns, lanterns, and more lanterns. And a lot of people. The Taipei Lantern Festival is a big event spread over a large area in Taipei’s fashionable and modern East District. In recent years, the façade of Taipei City Hall has been used as a giant screen for a variety of light shows and visual effects during the Lantern Festival, and the grounds of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall have been used to showcase thousands of lanterns presented in different-theme lantern areas. Children will have a great time carrying around pint-sized lanterns distributed free of charge, and those interested in traditional music, dance, and opera performances will gather in front of the main stage.
WHERE ELSE TO GO: The East District is the fashionable, sleekly modern center of Taipei, home to a large number of department stores, cinemas, restaurants, and cafés. Towering above all is Taipei 101, Taipei’s most visible landmark. Head to the observatory on the 89th floor and take in the dazzling Taipei night-time scenery, including the colorful lights of the Lantern Festival during the celebrations.
HOW TO GET THERE: The best way to get around in Taipei is to take the MRT. Get off at Taipei City Hall Station or Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station (Blue Line) and you are smack in the center of the Lantern Festival action. If you want to avoid the crowds packing these two stations and their surroundings you can get off at Zhongxiao-Dunhua Station. From there head south along Dunhua Rd. and then turn left into Ren-ai Rd., where you can marvel at the “tunnel of lights” created by draping roadside trees in thousands of small lights.
Kaohsiung Lantern Festival 高雄燈會
Where: Banks of Love River in downtown Kaohsiung (愛河高雄市)
When: January 31~ February 15
Info: Kaohsiung City Government website (www.kcg.gov.tw)
The Love River in downtown Kaohsiung is one of the most attractive spots in this southern Taiwan harbor city. The river plays a major part in the annual Kaohsiung Lantern Festival. The lights of thousands of lanterns on the banks of the river, and on floats on the river, are reflected by the softly rippling waters, creating an enchanting scene.
WHAT TO SEE: The Lantern Festival in Kaohsiung is special for its unique setting. The banks of the Love River, a popular place for romantic strolls throughout the year, are even more attractive when decorated with all the lanterns of the festival. Taking a river cruise is highly recommended, as is taking in the scenery from above, with the Ambassador Hotel and Tuntex 85 Sky Tower offering marvelous views. As with the festival events in Yilan and Taipei, you will have the chance to see lanterns the like of which you have never seen before, both in terms of unique design and sheer numbers.
WHERE ELSE TO GO: Kaohsiung Harbor, stretching from either side of the mouth of the Love River, is the soul of the city. Head to the former British Consulate and take in the harbor scenery from this special vantage point while sipping a cup of tea or coffee on an airy patio. You can also take a short ferry trip to Qijin Island, the long and narrow stretch of land sheltering the harbor from the sea. There you can go to the beach, visit some historical relics, and indulge
in excellent seafood cuisine.
HOW TO GET THERE: Kaohsiung can be easily reached from Taipei by the high-speed rail or conventional railway. The HSR station is to the north of the city center at Zuoying, while the conventional railway station is in downtown Kaohsiung. Both stations are connected to the Red Line of the KMRT system. Take this line to Formosa Boulevard Station and transfer to the Orange Line. Get off at either City Council Station or Yanchengpu Station and follow the crowds to Love River.
Yanshui Beehive Rockets Festival 鹽水蜂炮
Where: Martial Temple in Yanshui Township (鹽水鎮武廟)
When: February 8~9
This festival gives you the opportunity to see Taiwan at its craziest and to do something you will never forget. Thousands of revelers protected by thick clothing and motorcycle helmets gather in a small town in Tainan County to experience what it’s like to be fired at with tiny rockets launched from “rocket hives.”
WHAT TO SEE: Here you can witness temple ceremonies and the parading of palanquins, but you won’t see much more than smoke and flashes of light from exploding rockets and firecrackers when in the middle of the night-time action. Expect your adrenaline pumps to be working overtime. Remember to protect yourself properly to avoid any injuries.
WHERE ELSE TO GO: Apart from the festival action in Yanshui, Tainan County is usually a very peaceful and laid-back area of Taiwan. In Tainan City you can leisurely explore the quiet alleys of this, the old capital of Taiwan, with numerous interesting temples and historic sites. During the winter season bird-lovers are drawn to the county’s Qigu Wetlands near the coast to spot the very photogenic and very rare black-faced spoonbill, among other water-bird species. (For more info on touring Tainan, see article on pages 48~51.)
HOW TO GET THERE: Yanshui is located in northern Tainan County. The closest railway station is at Xinying. From there you can take a bus or taxi to Yanshui. If you drive on your own, take Freeway No. 1 , exit at Xinying Interchange, and follow County Route 172 to Yanshui.
Pingxi International Lantern Festival 平溪國際天燈節Where: Pingxi Township, Taipei County (平溪鎮台北縣)
When: January 26 ~ February 9
Info: Taipei County Government website (www.tpc.gov.tw)
In sharp contrast to the noise, smoke, and danger experienced at Yanshui, the Pingxi International Lantern Festival creates an atmosphere of peace and serenity. Simple paper lanterns, some quite big, some quite small, with prayers and wishes written on them are sent to the skies as a way to ask the heavens for good luck and fortune in the coming year.
WHAT TO SEE: The rising of Pingxi’s “heavenly lanterns” is a truly memorable scene. You can buy your own large lantern and write your personal wishes on the outside. The releasing of the lanterns has become so popular that it is in fact done throughout the year at Pingxi. The scenes, however, are most spectacular during the festival when hundreds of lanterns are released at the same time.
WHERE ELSE TO GO: There are many interesting spots along the Pingxi Branch Railway Line, including Shifen Waterfall and the town of Pingxi itself. From Pingxi it’s also just a short trip to the old mining towns of Jiufen and Jinguashi and the rocky coast of northeastern Taiwan.
HOW TO GET THERE: From Taipei take an eastbound train that stops at Ruifang. Transfer to the Pingxi Branch Railway and get off at Pingxi. From there, walk to the festival venue. Since Pingxi is situated in a narrow valley with only one major access road, and thousands of visitors are often in town during the festival, driving your own vehicle is not recommended.
God of Wealth Festival in Taitung 臺東元宵民俗嘉年華會Where: Downtown Taitung City
When: February 8 ~ 12
Info: Taitung County website(www.taitung.gov.tw)
Young, brave volunteers, wearing nothing more than shorts and protecting their heads with cloth and goggles and their bodies with banyan branches, are paraded about a temple square in downtown Taitung. Firecrackers are ignited and hurled at the men, leaving them heavily bruised. The main purpose of the activity is to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune.
WHAT TO SEE: Apart from the festival’s main event, the parading of the young men, there are many other interesting traditional temple activities to witness, including martial-arts performances, music, opera and other folk-art shows, and a grand fireworks display.
WHERE ELSE TO GO: Off the coast of Taitung is Green Island, where you can go on an around-the-island tour to explore the scenic coast, try scuba-diving among coral reefs, and soak in a saltwater hot-spring near the sea. North of Taitung there are two scenic routes, one along the coast and one through the East Rift Valley. The first allows you to visit fishing villages and scenic stretches of the coast and the second leads to rural land characterized by paddy fields.
HOW TO GET THERE: From Taipei you can take either an eastbound train all the way down to Taitung or the high-speed rail to Zuoying, take the KMRT to Kaohsiung Station, and then board a train to Taitung that follows the South Link Railway Line.
