Pingxi, New Taipei · usually mid February
Pingxi sky lantern festival
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Pingxi sky lantern festival
When is Pingxi sky lantern festival 2027?
Pingxi sky lantern festival usually runs mid February. Exact dates are not announced yet.
How the dates are set: Official mass-release nights around the Lantern Festival (15th day of the first lunar month); lanterns can be released in Pingxi all year.
Pingxi sky lantern festival schedule
- By noon: Arrive in Shifen by noon to buy and prepare your own lantern (around 200 NTD) and sign up for free to release it at the main stage.
- By 4 pm: Find a spot before 80,000 or more visitors fill the town.
- 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm: Mass releases start at 6:30 pm and continue until 9:30 pm. Each round uses a different lantern color, and each color stands for a value such as luck or health.
- 2026: The main nights were February 27 in Pingxi and March 3 in Shifen.
Sources: travelbeginsat40.com, danflyingsolo.com
Getting to Pingxi sky lantern festival
- The main release events take place in Shifen, not Pingxi. The main stage, normally a parking lot, is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the Shifen train station.
- On a typical day it is only a couple of hours from Taipei by train. During the festival, plan to give it a whole day because of the crowds.
Sources: travelbeginsat40.com, danflyingsolo.com
Where to stay in Pingxi
- Finding a place to stay in Shifen during the festival is very hard. Book in nearby Jiufen or Keelung, or stay in Taipei and make a day trip.
Source: travelbeginsat40.com
Tickets and cost
Attending the release is free. You pay a small amount for each lantern you release, around 200 NTD. Online registration can be complicated for foreigners, so you can book an excursion through Klook or just turn up. Arrive very early to register if you want to release a lantern.
Source: danflyingsolo.com
Pingxi sky lantern festival: questions people ask
Where is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival held?
It is held in the Pingxi District of New Taipei City. The main release events are in Shifen, within a 10 to 15 minute walk of the Shifen train station.
Is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival free?
Attending is free. You pay a small amount, around 200 NTD, for each lantern you want to release.
What is the difference between the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival and the Taiwan Lantern Festival?
They are separate events. The Taiwan Lantern Festival is a display of large lit lanterns that changes location each year, while the Pingxi festival is always held around Pingxi and Shifen and centers on releasing lanterns into the sky.
Can I release a sky lantern in Pingxi outside the festival?
Yes. The area is a popular place to buy a lantern, write a wish on it and launch it all year round. The big mass release happens only on a few days a year.
How crowded is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival?
Very. The one or two main release nights are attended by up to 80,000 people, so arrive early and plan to spend the whole day.
What time do the Pingxi lantern releases start?
On the main day the first release is at 6:30 pm, and releases continue until 9:30 pm.
Is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival environmentally friendly?
Not entirely. A paid team of forest cleaners collects lanterns after the festival, but with such a dense canopy they never find them all, and lantern remains stay stuck in trees and along riverbanks.
Sources: travelbeginsat40.com, danflyingsolo.com
About Pingxi sky lantern festival
Hundreds of paper lanterns released into the night sky over a mountain valley.
On the night of the lunar new year's lantern festival, crowds gather along the old rail line in Pingxi to write wishes on paper lanterns and release them, filling the dark valley sky with drifting light. It falls on the 15th day of the lunar new year, usually mid to late February but occasionally early February depending on the lunar calendar, with some years the window edges into very late January prep events. The main mass release happens over a few peak hours after dusk.
Know before you go
- The exact date follows the lunar calendar, check the year's specific date before booking.
- Trains and the town itself get extremely crowded, arrive early or book a shuttle in advance.
- From Taoyuan or Songshan airport, take the train to Taipei then a local train to Pingxi, about 1.5 to 2 hours total.
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