In Taiwan and China, the Lantern Festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm as thousands gathered to release paper lanterns into the evening sky, enjoy light displays, and savor glutinous rice dumplings. This festival signifies the conclusion of the Lunar New Year celebrations and is traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar.
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in northern Taiwan attracted significant crowds, even in rainy weather, as attendees lit and released wish lanterns. Among the participants were Mae Alegonero and Shine Ceralvo, two friends from the Philippines who work in central Taiwan. They were inspired to attend the event after seeing popular images of the lantern releases on social media platforms like TikTok.
“It’s a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience,” remarked Alegonero, as she and her friend waited beneath an umbrella for the celebrations to commence. Visitors traveled from various corners of the world, including Europe and Latin America, to witness the captivating sight of paper lanterns illuminating the night sky.
More than a century ago, villagers in Taiwan began using paper lanterns as a signal indicating it was safe to return home after bandit raids. Nowadays, these lanterns symbolize hopes for peace and prosperity in the New Year.
For Charlotte Cadinot, an exchange student from France, the allure of wish lanterns began with the Disney animated film “Tangled,” which features a memorable scene where Princess Rapunzel and her prince release lanterns while making wishes. Cadinot and her partner, Remi Delmas, embraced this inspiration by inscribing their shared wish on a lantern before letting it soar into the sky.
As part of the festival, the lantern release consisted of nine waves, accompanied by music and dance performances. Highlighting the event were two stunning 12-foot (3.6 meters) pink and golden lanterns shaped like snakes, celebrating the Year of the Snake.
In China, the Lantern Festival was also observed, although there were no large-scale, organized events featuring widespread lantern releases. Residents instead queued for the festival’s favorite treat, glutinous rice dumplings, while others enjoyed light shows throughout the cities. One of the largest displays was at the Beijing Garden Expo Park on the city’s outskirts, showcasing over 10,000 installations of various styles and sizes.
Some of the impressive installations reached heights of 60 feet (18 meters) and depicted a range of themes, from cultural landmarks and traditional symbols like the God of Fortune, dragons, and phoenixes to modern takes such as a cyberpunk-inspired Beijing opera headdress.
