Learn about the annual Lantern Festival in Taiwan

The island of Taiwan is located in Southeast Asia in the Pacific Ocean, opposite the Chinese beaches.
Taiwan is characterized by a tropical climate where temperatures range between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius throughout the year, but the country is experiencing heavy rainfall in summer and winter, which makes spring the best time to visit Taiwan, where the weather is warm and cherry blossoms open to give a wonderful view of the streets, alleys and forests, Many events and activities are also held in the country. Through this article, learn about the annual Lantern Festival in Taiwan.

The origin of the annual Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival or Spring Festival of Lanterns is one of the most famous ancient Chinese festivals and takes place on the 15th of the first month of the Chinese calendar, which often coincides with February and March, and dates back to more than 2000 years during the rule of Emperor Ming, who hails from the Han Dynasty, where he was a supporter Buddhism Religion He noticed that Buddhist monks lighted lanterns in temples every day of the 15th of the first month, which made him issue an order requiring all families, temples, and imperial palaces to do the same. Generations have inherited this tradition, so it has spread throughout China and the neighboring countries where Buddhists are present in abundance, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, etc.:

Celebrations of the Lantern Festival in Thailand

The Lantern Festival is celebrated in Thailand as are the rest of the countries where Buddhists are present, and it is lit by monks in various temples of the country and prayers are read and requests for fulfillment of wishes are fulfilled. Parents often accompany their children to see the sight of lanterns flying through the sky, and tourists are keen every year to attend these traditional celebrations.

Celebrations of the Lantern Festival in South Korea

Celebrations of lantern festival pervade most of the Buddhist countries or those that have a significant proportion of Buddhists such as South Korea, where adults and children are skilled in designing and coloring lanterns that are lit. Buddhist prayers are held in temples and celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of spring. It is advised to visit these destinations during the celebration of the Lantern Festival to get to know the customs and traditions of these countries and enjoy watching the lanterns that illuminate the night of this holy day, as well as taste the best local cuisine and spend quality time with family and friends.

Annual lantern festivals in Taiwan

As with the rest of the countries with Chinese and Buddhist background, Taiwan celebrates the Lantern Festival every year, and tourists are keen to visit the country during this period to see the charming lantern shows being launched in the sky of Taiwan. And many festivals are held, the most important of which are:

Pengxi Lantern Festival

The Pingxi Lantern Festival is one of the most important festivals in Taiwan, as it attracts thousands of tourists every year who want to attend the activities of this wonderful demonstration. And the date of his stay for this year will be on February 19th, when people gather to light the lanterns and launch them high to illuminate their sky. It is said that these lanterns deliver people’s wishes to the ancestors until they can be achieved later.

The annual festival of lanterns in Taiwan

This festival is considered one of the most famous lantern festivals in Taiwan as it is organized under the auspices of the Taiwan Tourism Office of the Ministry of Communications and Communication. Organizers are limited to changing the venue of the festival every time so that all Taiwanese can attend as well as to introduce tourists to other areas of the country and encourage their visit to them. During this festival, lanterns are made and decorated with drawings or by writing words on them, then people ignite them and launch them into the sky. Shows of lights and fireworks are held in the famous Wumiao Temple and night markets are established where souvenirs and famous Taiwanese food are sold.