Taiwan lights up with annual Lantern Festival

Lanterns at the Longshan Temple, Taipei, Photo, courtesy of Gretchen Kelly

Last week, I traveled to Taiwan to visit the annual Lantern Festival as well as other places of great natural beauty and cultural significance in this fascinating country.

The Lantern Festival was held in Hsinchu County and was attended by the President of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou.

During the Festival, which is held during the month-long festivities of the Chinese New Year (this year it’s Snake!) thousands of lanterns are lit all over the country. At the Festival itself, a giant snake was lit as Taiwan’s tourism anthem, "Taiwan, the Heart of Asia" played in the background.  

Lyrics for the anthem underlined the themes of the new Taiwan Tourism brand: "Welcome to Taiwan, the heart of Asia. Taiwan opens its heart to you."

Traveling through the country for five days, I encountered the vibrant culture, personal warmth and natural beauty that the brand highlights.

We spent time in some of Taiwan’s most beautiful temples where Confusianism, Taoism and Buddhism fuse.  Many cultural traditions that were pushed aside in mainland China during the Cultural Revolution remained strong in Taiwan. Local representatives from Taiwan tourism say that many mainland Chinese are touring Taiwan to re-encounter these traditions.

Lanterns alight at Longshan Temple, Photo courtesy Gretchen Kelly

Guardian lion at Taroko Gorge, Photo courtesy Gretchen Kelly

Lanterns at Taiwan Lantern Festival, Hsinchu County, Photo courtesy Gretchen Kelly

More lights at the Lantern Festival, all photos copyright, Gretchen Kelly

Another fascinating aspect of Taiwan is its inclusion of many cultures. A strong Japanese heritage is embraced, which includes hot springs bathhouses in the Taipei suburb of Beitun. Aboriginal cultures are also an important part of Taiwan’s heritage. All these are set against the backdrop of traditional Han Chinese beliefs and customs. These customs might be familiar to travelers who have seen films like "Raise the Red Lantern", "The Last Emperor" and other popular representations of traditional Chinese rituals and artforms.  

Along with ancient culture, Taiwan is very much looking to the future with free WiFi available in most of its hotels and even through mobile devices all around the country as well as dedicated apps (available on the tourism board’s website) for travelers that help them get around the country even if they don’t speak Mandarin Chinese, the language that most locals commonly speak.

One phrase you will need will be "xie xie" meaning "thank you." You’ll find yourself using it a lot as locals are uniformly helpful, friendly and curious about US tourists.  

The only downside of my short journey was that there is so much more to see.  

Xie xie, Taiwan!

— Gretchen Kelly