What is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival?
Pingxi is a district of small towns tucked into the green, steep hills east of Taipei, once the heart of Taiwan's coal-mining industry. Sky lanterns, tiāndēng (天燈), have a long history here. Local tradition holds that in the nineteenth century, villagers who fled to the mountains to escape bandits used lanterns released into the sky to signal to family members that it was safe to come home. Over time, the lanterns became part of the Lantern Festival, a way to pray for peace and send wishes to the heavens.
When coal mining declined in the late twentieth century, Pingxi turned its lantern tradition into a tourist draw. New Taipei City now stages official mass releases around the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, and the nights draw tens of thousands of people from across Taiwan and abroad. The images of hundreds of lanterns rising together have become one of Taiwan's signature sights.
You do not have to visit during the festival to release a lantern. Shops along the railway tracks in Shifen and the old streets of Pingxi sell lanterns all year round, and visitors paint wishes on them and release them from the tracks between passing trains. But the festival nights, with their synchronized waves of light, are on a different scale.
A signal once meant "come home, it is safe". Now it carries a valley's worth of wishes up into the dark.
What to expect
In 2026 the city staged two official mass-release nights, one at Pingxi Junior High School and one at Shifen Sky Lantern Square, plus daily releases in the shops.
Afternoon
Arrive early
Crowds build through the day. Explore Shifen Old Street and the railway-side shops, eat street food, and, if you want a place in the official release, collect a free voucher at the venue (see below).
Evening
Mass releases
At the official sites, organizers release lanterns in nine waves of 100 (Pingxi) or 150 (Shifen) lanterns, starting around 6 p.m., with performances in between.
Lantern Festival night
The main event
In 2026 the Shifen release fell on the Lantern Festival itself, with larger waves than the Pingxi night. Expect the densest crowds.
Planning your trip
Getting there
Count on roughly ninety minutes from Taipei by train: take the main line to Ruifang, a junction, then change to the scenic Pingxi line, which runs up the valley through Shifen and Pingxi. On release nights, trains are packed, and the city runs special shuttle buses from Taipei's MRT Muzha station, with long queues.
If you can, visit on a weekday before the festival to explore the valley in peace, then return for one release night. Jiufen and Houtong Cat Village sit near Ruifang, so they combine easily with a valley day.
Where to stay
Most visitors base themselves in Taipei and go up to the valley for the day, which keeps your bed away from the crowds but puts you on the long trip back afterward.
What it costs
Watching is free. To take part in an official mass release you need a voucher: free ones are handed out on the day from about 10:30 a.m., first come, first served, and they can run out within hours, or you can reserve online in advance for NT$200 (one lantern is shared by up to four people). A lantern from a shop costs roughly NT$200 to 350. Beyond that, the main cost is time, spent in queues for buses and trains.
Go like you know
- Arrive at the release site early to get a spot near the front; the view of the lanterns lifting off is best close up.
- Try the chicken-wing stuffed with fried rice sold along Shifen Old Street, a famous local snack.
- Walk to Shifen Waterfall, a short hike from the station, for a break from the crowds.
- Combine the trip with Jiufen and Houtong Cat Village, nearby stops near Ruifang.
- Lantern-minded and heading to Korea in spring? Seoul's Yeon Deung Hoe floats lotus lanterns through the city in late April or May. In Taiwan in summer, the Taiwan International Balloon Festival lifts off in Taitung.
- Be mindful of the environment. Lantern frames and paper fall back into the hills; local programs reward residents who collect them, and many visitors prefer to watch rather than release.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival?
It is held around the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, which falls in February or early March. In 2026, New Taipei City held official mass releases on February 27 and on Lantern Festival night, March 3; check the city's announcements each January for the current year.
Can I release my own lantern?
Yes. Shops in Shifen and Pingxi sell lanterns year-round and will help you paint and release them in designated areas. To join an official mass release you need a voucher, either free on the day, in limited supply, or reserved online for NT$200; check the city's announcements before you go.
How do I get to Pingxi from Taipei?
Take a train to Ruifang and change to the Pingxi line, or use the special festival shuttle buses, which in 2026 ran from MRT Muzha station. On festival nights, expect long queues for both. Allow plenty of time for the return journey.
Is the festival bad for the environment?
Lanterns do fall back into the hills and rivers, and their fire risk and litter are real concerns. Local authorities run recovery programs that reward residents for collecting lanterns, and some projects promote more biodegradable materials. Many visitors choose to watch rather than release, especially on mass-release nights.
