by Leon Tsai
The Lantern Festival is held annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month, marking the grand finale of the Lunar New Year season and is celebrated with such festival. During the day of the Lantern Festival, family members would gather to enjoy a family dinner eating Yuanxiao (glutinous rice dumpling), children would carry lanterns as well as solving lantern riddles for a joyful evening. Fireworks, giant lanterns and hand held torches are seen all over the festival to welcome the New Year in a spirit of peace, prosperity and joy. This is probably the most appealing festival or some called must attend once in a life time event for anyone who is interested in Chinese culture.

Each year, the festival follows a theme based on the Chinese zodiac animals for the year, and for 2015, as year of the Sheep, the main lantern for the festival will be in the form of a sheep, complemented by secondary lanterns and areas highlighting different decorative lantern themes, including the Blessing lantern area, Joyous area and the kids area. The event will open with stage performances by well-known local and international artists and vendors surrounding the festival. The celebration will be held around Taiwan. Each city will probably host its own festival. The main official Lantern Festival is held in Taichung this year. Flying sky lanterns in Pingxi Town of Taipei County, throwing firecrackers at Master Han Dan in Taitung, shooting the Yanshui Firecrackers in Tainan and Bombing the Dragon in Miaoli are other vivid events and activities happening over Taiwan during this festival. The following are some of the events around Taiwan announced this year.

2015 Changhua Lantern Cultural Season
Wende Temple Plaza, Huatan Town, Changhua
2015/03/04 - 2015/03/05

2015 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei
Jingtong Elementary School, Pingxi Junior High School, Shifen Plaza
2015/02/22 – 2015/03/05

2015 Tainan Beehive Firecracker
Yanshui, Tainan
2015/03/05


2015 Bombarding Master Han Dan in Taitung
Taitung
2015/03/05 – 2015/03/07

2015 Bombarding Dragon in Miaoli
Riverside Park, Maioli
2015/02/27 – 2015/03/07

2015 Penghu Turtle Praying Lantern Festival
Tourist Center at Magong Airport
2015/03/01 – 2015/03/09

2015 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung (Main Official Event)
Wuri, Taichung Park, Fengyuan in Taichung
2015/02/27 – 2015/03/15

2015 Yujin Harbor Lantern Carnival
Zhongshan Rd. Yanshui, Tainan
2015/02/14 - /2015/03/15

For more information on Taiwan Lantern Festival:
http://www.travelking.com.tw/eng/tourguide/lanternfestival/
Hotel bookings on Lantern Festival around Taiwan:
http://www.hotel.com.tw/en/