Taiwan Lantern Festival

The Taiwan Lantern Festival is an annual event held throughout Taiwan to celebrate the Lantern Festival, marking the end of Lunar New Year. Each year, cities across the island host spectacular lantern displays, sky lantern releases, and vibrant firework ceremonies, drawing crowds from all over.

• Sky lanterns are released in Pingxi District with wishes written on them
• Yanshuei hosts the dramatic Beehive Fireworks Festival
• Main lanterns can be over 10 metres tall and have unique annual themes
• The festival tours different cities across Taiwan each year
• Celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month

What it is

The Taiwan Lantern Festival is a dazzling annual celebration that lights up cities and towns across Taiwan on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It is the most important lantern festival in Taiwan, bringing communities together to mark the close of Lunar New Year with light, color, and shared wishes. Lanterns of all shapes and sizes, often themed around the Chinese zodiac or historical figures, are displayed and released, carrying hopes and dreams skyward. The festival is both a joyful spectacle and a deeply rooted tradition, reflecting Taiwanese beliefs in luck, prosperity, and the power of collective celebration.

Where it comes from

The festival began in 1990, when Taiwan’s Tourism Administration coordinated local and community efforts to revive and promote the Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuan Xiao Festival. Traditionally, the Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, marking the end of Lunar New Year festivities. The event incorporates older customs, such as the firecrackers ceremony in Yanshuei District, which was originally held to honor Guan Yu and to ward off evil and disease. Over the years, the festival has grown, touring different cities and incorporating both ancient and modern elements.

How it is celebrated

Celebrations span the island, with each region adding its own flavor. In Pingxi District, thousands of sky lanterns are released, each bearing handwritten wishes for luck, health, or prosperity. The lanterns, decorated with images and messages, float into the night, believed to carry prayers to the gods. In Yanshuei District, the Wumiao Temple hosts the dramatic Beehive Fireworks Festival, where firecrackers are launched from towering wooden stands in a ritual meant to drive away evil spirits. Major cities host grand lantern displays, with main lanterns often over 10 metres tall and themed to the zodiac or local culture, accompanied by music and performances. The festival is a feast for the senses, blending light, sound, and community spirit.

Joining in

Visitors can join the festivities in whichever city is hosting the main event that year, with recent festivals held in places like Tainan, Taichung, and Chiayi. Expect crowds, vibrant lantern displays, and a lively atmosphere. In Pingxi, you can write your own wish on a sky lantern and watch it rise. In Yanshuei, be prepared for the intense beehive fireworks—protective clothing is recommended. Wherever you go, the festival offers a welcoming, communal experience, inviting all to share in the warmth and wonder of Taiwan’s lantern tradition.

Sources and attribution

This page is Mela's own summary, written in new words. Its facts are drawn from the Wikipedia article Taiwan Lantern Festival, whose text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Each photo is credited to its author beside it. For the full account, read the originals below.

Read more

• Taiwan Lantern Festival on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data

This page was written with AI assistance from the sources listed above, and checked automatically before publishing. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-02.