The Lantern Festival is one of the most colorful and thriving festivals in Taiwan, was named as one of the world’s 14 festivals a person must attend in their lifetime by the giant travel guide publisher, Fordor’s Travel. This 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 2014/2/03 and 2014/2/08. The most conspicuous one will be held on 2014/2/14, the 15th day of the first month of lunar calendar. There will be 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.

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. 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.

The Bombing the Dancing Dragon is originally celebrated by the Hakka people, which is a historic tradition to suppress the evil and bring in the good. Nowadays, this event is to welcome the spring and receive good luck, as well as to relive tradition and pass down the Hakka culture. The festival features a series of dragon-related activities includes lantern painting, workshops of Hakka printed flora fabric firecrackers making and bamboo dragon making, exhibition of the history of bombing dragon, eye-dotting ceremony, dragon dance competition, a parade, and the highlight of the festival- bombing the dragon. On the day of Lantern Festival, the 15th day of January according to Lunar Calendar, several people move the dragon up and down and side-to-side, and spectators will throw fireworks and firecrackers at the dancing dragon to pray for fortune and to ask for blessings. This is a very extinctive and exotic festival, attracting a large group of local and foreigners to visit Miaoli and join the special local custom.

Aren’t familiar with Miaoli, Taiwan!? Book your Miaoli hotel now for a special Taiwan tour. You may take the Taiwan Tourist Bus-Miaoli routes (Nanzhuang route, Xiangtian Lake route or Xianshan route) to explore the local beauties, enriched Hakka cultures and delicacies during daytime and visit the splendid 2013 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Miaoli for an unforgettable Taiwan travel!