Fly high Taoyuan! This year's Taiwan Lantern Festival was hosted by the island's airport province – Taoyuan. Taiwan's gateway to the world became a shining paradise of colorful lanterns from Feb. 22 to March 6. I really wanted to visit during the opening day of the festival but I have to review for my Qualifying Exam. Nevertheless, viewing the lanterns after my exams was so much fun.
The Taiwan Lantern Festival stage
The lantern festival was more organized this year. 32 hectares of land was allotted for staging the different lanterns in various shapes and sizes. This 2016 edition was the biggest in terms of the land area. It also had the tallest main lantern in the whole history of the festival. A 26 meter high lantern was set up in the form of the Monkey King from the story 'Journey to the West' to symbolize the Year of the Monkey. I went to last year's Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung and I can really say that this year's main lantern was so tall. All the visitors almost have to look to the sky just to see the peach that the Monkey King was holding.
 |
| Taoyuan Taiwan High Speed Rail Station (Taoyuan THSR) |
 |
| outside the Taoyuan THSR Station |
The Taiwan Lantern Festival is a prestigious event and hosting the festivity is such an honor for the selected province. It is usually held in a large and spacious area and usually beside a Taiwan High Speed Rail Station making it more convenient to participate in the lantern viewing. Just board a Shinkansen 700T bullet train from Taipei Main Station and it will take you directly to the lantern festival site. Buying the tickets was also easy. I have the option to reserve my tickets online but I just opted to buy non-reserved tickets at the Ticket Vending Machines in Taipei Main Station and paid the fare using my ATM Debit Card. The non-reserved tickets does not guarantee a seat at Cars 10,11 and 12 but it was not really a problem. The travel time from Taipei to Taoyuan was only 20 minutes so standing was pretty easy.
 |
| Tower of the Universe |
 |
| The Tower of the Universe was guarded by Clone Troopers. |
 |
| There were also beautiful flowers during the lantern festival. |
The whole festival area was divided into six sections with each area having its own theme. I didn't focus too much on what the areas were all about. I just wanted to take pictures. I arrived at the festival grounds at around 4pm where it was still bright enough to see the lanterns in its unlighted beauty. A glass funnel-shaped lantern symbolizing the universe caught my attention. Surrounding it were Clone Troopers from the movie 'Star Wars' and visitors had a chance to take photos with them. A harmonic orchestra was also playing some music to the delight of local tourists.
Taoyuan didn't forgot to showcase its tourism factories. Who would ever forget my visit to the Republic of Chocolate (ROC) in Taiwan Day 862? Hunya Foods Corporation presented its ROC lantern as wells some of its subsidiaries like Rivon. Taiwan's favorite pudding dessert was also there. Their representatives wore attractive hats in the shape of a golden pudding. They led the visitors to follow a queue where they would take their photos with the company's lantern.
 |
| haha! |
 |
| toy bidding |
Wandering a 32 hectare festival area was really tiring. I easily got hungry but I felt so lucky when I saw a night market inside the festival. The common sausages and ice cream were there. There were also noodles and the classic fried chicken steak. The variety of barbeque and finger foods would really make your mouth water. I also could not forget the colorful baozi with faces on it. They look funny as they lay on the steamer. Another interesting sight in the night market was the toy bidding. It was my first my time to witness such event. Just like any other bidding the prices go up as people vie for the toy. Even kids tried to bid for toys with their parents disagreeing with them by saying “Wu bu yao” which means “I don't want”. Haha!
 |
 |
| Religious Blessings Area |
A group of people performing an aboriginal dance at a Christian praise and worship session in the "Blessings" area of the lantern festival.
It was an amazing night as the Monkey King became the center of attraction of the festival. It suddenly shines into different colors and becomes accompanied with a loud music. It turns around while holding a peach and its crystal eyes sparkle in the middle of the night. How beautiful it was! And how alluring was the whole lantern festival! Congratulations Taoyuan for a successful 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival.
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2025 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
 |
| Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
0 comments:
Post a Comment