Lantern towns Pingxi and Shifin Taiwan

I had set out with some friends for the fabled lantern town of Pingxi, Taiwan. A train ride from Taipei to Ruifang with a connection on the Pingxi line will take about an hour and a half to reach Pingxi. It’s known around the world as the lantern town. After the 15th day of the lunar year a lantern festival takes place to celebrate the end of new year festivities. Hundreds of paper lanterns just like this one are released illuminating the night sky.

The main street of Pingxi, loaded with shops selling souvenir lanterns and delicious local snacks. It’s old Taiwan at it’s best.There’s short hikes and even rock climbing opportunities in the area. Of course it wouldn’t be Taiwan without temples.

We got back on the Pingxi train line for a short ride to Shifin, where lanterns are released every weekend. We couldn’t wait for the next lantern festival so with our wishes, hopes and dreams written on our paper lantern we would set one into the sky this weekend.

Only a short train trip, bus ride or taxi from Taipei but a different world filled with quiet, peaceful country roads, mountain streams, rivers and waterfalls. This is the Shifen Waterfall. at 20 meters high and 40 meters wide it’s the broadest waterfall in all of Taiwan.

Back in the village we prepared our lantern just like everyone else that day. We were each given one side of the lantern to write down our wishes. Then the lantern is lit and released into the sky. Here’s where it got a little awkward. It’s obvious as seen here that I wasn’t coordinated enough to hold a video camera, listen to instructions for some souvenir photos while turning in the direction I’m told. This just wasn’t going to work. Maybe that’s why my wishes haven’t come true yet?

So some parting shots of the hopes of others that day. For breezy-size.flywheelsites.com this is John Saboe from Shifin ,Taiwan.