Note: The order of appearance of the following festivals and events is according to the time of the year when they usually occur. Dates can change however over time. We try to update the info frequently, but some of it might be outdated. The year in the bracket […] indicates when the info was last updated.
JANUARY
[2023] January ~ February / Taipei CountyGuting Riverside Park Flower Carnival
古亭河濱公園花海
Do you still remember the vibrant purple flower fields in the spring of 2021? The flower fields in Guting Riverside Park are composed of purple flowers such as sweet violet, mealy sage, and lavender with pink flowers of the season serving as floral decoration. The ground appears like a large canvas on which colorful flowers were used as paint brushes. The creation of large flower fields like this is rare in the big city. Surrounding the fields are large open areas of green space with various interesting art installations. Visitors can wander through the dreamy flower fields and immerse themselves in the romantic spring atmosphere.
Yuejin Lantern Festival
月津港燈節
The small town of Yanshui (old name: Yuejin), in Tainan City, is best known for the annual Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. The Yuejin Lantern Festival, lesser known but equally attractive, is a beautiful and much more peaceful affair. Visitors can go on romantic walks through a park area and marvel at colorful and beautifully shaped lanterns floating peacefully on the waters of the town’s river. Each year the festival provides artists with a stage for showcasing highly creative and tastefylly illuminated installation art. In
2018, the event was recognized for its design, winning a prestigious Red Dot Design Award.
Website: yuejinlanternfestival.com (official website)
Alishan Sunrise Impression Concert
阿里山日出印象音樂會
Where do you want to see the first rays of the sun in the year 2021? How about at one of the most famous sunrise-viewing spots in Taiwan? Visitors take the Alishan Forest Railway to the Zhushan sunrise-viewing platform inside the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area each day of the year, but perhaps the best day to go is January 1. To celebrate the occasion, and to warm up the visitors who go on this most likely cold predawn outing, a live classical-music concert has been staged each year since 2002.
Alishan National Scenic Area
Taipei Camellia Festival
臺北茶花展
The Floriculture Experiment Center was the place where camellia breeding started first in northern Taiwan. Due to the slightly acidic soil, year-round mist, and other suitable conditions, camellia and rhododendron were introduced to the area during the Japanese Colonial Period. What started as a hedgerow has now become a camellia tunnel. When the flowers are in bloom, a pink tableaux is formed, making this a favorite area for visitors to take photos. The Taipei Camellia Festival lasts for only 10 days, during which the camellia bloom in succession. Precious camellia bonsais (potted landscapes) on loan from camellia experts from around Taiwan are on display. Flower lovers should be sure not to miss this grand annual camellia flower event!
[2021] January 28 ~ February 10Taipei Lunar New Year Festival
臺灣年味在臺北
To give Taipei a distinctive Lunar New Year flavor and satisfy the needs of people to buy Lunar New Year goods, “remove the old and bring in the new,” “gather around the stove” for a family meal, and buy gifts etc., a professional team is commissioned to organize the Taipei Lunar New Year Festival. A series of activities gives the city its own Lunar New Year image and convey the festival’s most important meanings of reunion and bustling festive atmosphere. The event is be combined with activities held by Taipei’s Lunar New Year goods shopping districts attracting large crowds.
[2020] January 29 ~ May 20 / Taichung CityTaichung City Mazu International Festival
大甲媽祖國際觀光文化節
Among the main deities worshipped in Taiwan, Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, is arguably the most important. There are hundreds of temples on the island dedicated to the goddess, and elaborate festivals are held to celebrate her birthday (23rd day of 3rd lunar month; April 15th in 2020). The biggest and best-known Mazu event is the annual Mazu Pilgrimage in central Taiwan, starting at Taichung’s Zhenlan Temple in Dajia District. Before and during the pilgrimage, endless fascinating religious ceremonies and rituals can be witnessed as part of the Taichung City Mazu International Festival.
Taichung Tourism and Travel Bureau
Zhenlan Temple (Chinese)
Lohas Cherry Blossom Festival
樂活夜櫻季
When the cherry trees are in full bloom, you can view them in the evening and enjoy romantic scenes in Taipei! During the cherry bloom season in spring, lights along the cherry corridor at Neigou River illuminate the trees to create beautiful nighttime scenery. Visitors strolling along the river can enjoy various cherry blossoms, including Taiwan Cherry, Yae Sakura, Showa Sakura and Yoshino Sakura. The bright lights make the atmosphere is especially enchanting. A cherry-blossom viewing location easily reached by MRT, this has become a popular spot for taking IG photos!
FEBRUARY
[2021] February ~ March / Around TaiwanLantern Festival Events
燈會活動
Among the numerous Lantern Festival events staged each year, the Taiwan Lantern Festival is the largest in scale and the most important. Each year a different city or county serves as host, the honors going to Hsinchu City in 2021. The cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung have their own grand annual Lantern Festival events. For the 2020 edition, the venues in Taipei were the Ximending/North Gate area in the city’s west and the area around Nangang Station in the east. The Kaohsiung event has traditionally been staged on the banks of the Love River, with lanterns displayed beside the riverside paths that are popular with romance-seeking visitors throughout the year. The small town of Yanshui (old name: Yuejin), in Tainan City, is best known for its annual beehive fireworks festival. The Yuejin Lantern Festival, lesser known but equally attractive, is a beautiful and much more peaceful affair. You can go on romantic walks through a park and marvel at colorful and beautifully shaped lanterns floating peacefully on the waters of the town’s river.
2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taipei
2023台灣燈會在台北
The “2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival” will be held in Taipei, 23 years after the last Taiwan Lantern Festival in the city. Venues for the event will be in Xinyi and and Daan districts, both well-developed commercial areas with a dense transportation network. The festival will last 19 days, from February 1st through 19th, 2023 (trial operation from February 1st to February 4th). Incorporated in the event will be the East District commercial area, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, the Xinyi commercial area, Taipei City Hall, Taipei 101, Xinyi Assembly Hall (44 South Village), and National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. There will be four exhibition areas, with one main theme lantern and six side lanterns. On the main stage, located next to the main lantern area at the National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, there will be performances from February 5th through 19th. A street parade will be held on the streets around the city hall in the afternoon of February 5th.
Taipei Lantern Festival
臺北燈節
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
新北市平溪天燈節
Releasing paper lanterns into the sky is a very popular activity for tourists who visit the scenic Pingxi Valley in New Taipei City. While sky lanterns are released throughout the year, during the time of the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (two weeks after the Lunar New Year) the atmosphere is especially enchanting. Thousands of revelers gather and hundreds of lanterns are released at the same time in succession, turning the night sky into a sea of orange lights. Write your wishes on your lantern and send it to the heavens!
New Taipei City Travel
Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival
鹽水蜂炮
While the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is a very peaceful and heartwarming festival, the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is definitely not. And it’s not meant to be. The origin of the beehive fireworks goes back to the late 19th century, when the people of the town of Yanshui were plagued by a cholera epidemic. Turning to the gods for help, they carried a palanquin with Guan Di, the God of War, through the streets and set off firecrackers to scare away the evil spirits responsible for the plague. This approach apparently worked, and the faithful people of Yanshui have been organizing the beehive fireworks event annually ever since.
Beehive Fireworks Festival
YANSHUI Beehive Rocket Festival in Tainan
Miaoli Bombing the Dragon
苗栗𪹚龍
This is another festive event organized during the time of the annual lantern festival period. It takes place at the Yuqing Temple in Miaoli City, and activities last from the first day of the lunar month to the 15th. The “bombing of the dragon” tradition (the “dragon” is a long paper dragon carried by several men) is carried out in several stages during this period: the creation of the dragon, painting its eyes (to bring it to life), welcoming of the dragon, walking with the dragon, and finally bombing it (setting off firecrackers around it and in the end burning it).
Miaoli Travel Net
The Bombing Master Handan Celebration
炸寒單
Yangmingshan Flower Season
陽明山花季
When the weather in northern Taiwan is at its coolest in February and March each year, the cherry trees of Yangmingshan National Park burst into bloom, bringing bright red and pink colors to the otherwise grayish-green mountainsides. Azaleas and camellias and a large bouquet of other flower types also join in the fun, to the delight of flower lovers, who flock to the park in large number. Among the favorite locations to enjoy the floral beauty are Yangming Park and the Floriculture Experiment Center.
Yangmingshan National Park
Shilin Residence Tulip Show
士林官邸鬱金香展
Soon after Lunar New Year, the highly anticipated “Shilin Residence Tulip Festival” will take place. The festival showcases flower beds with tulips from Japan and the Netherlands and decorative installation art. Visitors who enter the Shilin Residence park will soon enjoy the romantic atmosphere created by the tulip flowers. During the time of the festival, business in the area will present special offers. After enjoying the tulip show, try delicious food and enjoy a good time on a spring day.
Song-Jiang Battle Array in Neimen, Kaohsiung
高雄內門宋江陣
Not much of tourist interest goes on in Kaohsiung’s quiet rural district of Neimen for most of the year, but there is one exception, the annual Song-Jiang Battle Array event. This week-long festival, a mix of religious rituals and sports-like competition, brings together groups of young performers from around Taiwan, who converge on Neimen to show off their troupe-array martial-arts skills and compete against each other. The festival is a fantastic spectacle, packed with exciting and at times highly acrobatic performances that are accompanied by the sound of drums and other traditional instruments.
Neimen Song Jiang Battle Ritual (Chinese)
MARCH
[2021] March / Tainan CityTaiwan International Orchid Show
臺灣國際蘭展
Orchids have been cultivated in Taiwan for more than a hundred years, and over the last two decades the local production has been increased significantly, making the island one of the most important orchid exporters in the world. More than 90% of Taiwan-grown flowers shipped abroad are orchids, with moth orchids being the most important. This orchid show is not only an important event for international orchid buyers, but also a great exhibition of all types of orchids for the common flower lover.
Taiwan International Orchid Show
Alishan Sakura Season
阿里山花季音樂會
During February to April the Alishan Forest Recreation Area, a popular tourist attraction throughout the year, becomes even more attractive despite high-mountain winter weather that can be quite cold. The area boasts different types of cherry trees with slightly differing blooming times, including Formosan, Yoshino, Fuji, and Yaebenishidare cherry. The Yoshino cherry trees are the most numerous, and their large pink-petal blossoms are especially photogenic. Another treat for photographers is the old steam locomotives of the Alishan Forest Railway that can be seen running during this time of the year.
Alishan National Scenic Area
New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon
新北市萬金石馬拉松
This road race is different from the many other running events staged throughout the year in Taiwan in that it has been recognized as a Silver Label race by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). As such, the marathon has joined the ranks of elite road races around the world, and attracts a significant number of top marathon runners from abroad each year.
Wan Jin Shi Marathon
Calla Lily and Hydrangea Festival
竹子湖海芋季及繡球花季
by public transport and find yourself embraced by pristine nature. Part of the park is an agricultural area named Zhuzihu, sitting in the shadows of towering Mt. Datun. During spring and early summer two types of flowers, in succession, draw droves of visitors up to the fields of the area. First to bloom is the pure-white calla lily, and later comes the hydrangea, sporting shades of purple, blue, and pink. Part of the Zhuzihu experience is picking calla lilies yourself and sitting down in one of the restaurants to enjoy healthful meals made with local produce.
www.callalily.com.tw (Chinese)
Yilan Green Expo
宜蘭綠色博覽會
Yilan County, situated in the northeast corner of Taiwan, is known for its agriculture – mostly on the triangular-shaped Lanyang Plain – and its forest-covered mountain areas – encompassing most of its western and southern parts. It’s the perfect location for an exposition that highlights green tourism and protection of the natural environment. This expo is both an educational and fun affair, ideal for families with children, who will revel in adventurous activities such as ziplining, encounters with farm animals, and nature-themed DIY classes and games.
travel.yilan.tw (Yilan County Government)
Treasure Hill Light Festival
寶藏巖光節
The Treasure Hill Light Festival is held annually from the last week in March to early May. Featured are 20-30 artworks and there is an opening-day market and related activities. In 2023, Treasure Hill will be seen as a theater with visitors being invited to become heroes. The way artworks will be displayed and how visitors will move about will differ from the festival format of the past, reshaping activities at Treasure Hill.
APRIL
[2022] April ~ May / Around TaiwanHakka Tung Blossom Festival
客家桐花祭
The Hakka people in Taiwan, a Han Chinese minority group that immigrated to the island starting in the mid-17th century and often settled in hilly regions, especially those of northwest Taiwan, planted a large number of tung trees for commercial purposes during the Japanese colonial era (1895~1945). Today, the trees grow in the wild and, to the delight of hikers, bloom profusively in April and May, their snow-white blossoms covering tree branches and carpeting hiking trails. During the tung blossom season, numerous cultural events are held in celebration by Hakka communities in locations close to the forests.
www.hakka.gov.tw (Hakka Affairs Council)
Baosheng Cultural Festival
保生文化祭
If you have time for just one temple visit during your next trip to Taipei, consider making it the Dalongdong Bao’an Temple. The main deity worshipped in this complex, which received a UNESCO Award for Culture Heritage Conservation in 2003, is the Baosheng Emperor, also known as the God of Medicine. The Baosheng Cultural Festival, held each year around the deity’s birthday (15th day of 3rd lunar month; April 7th this year), includes many interesting events and activities over a span of several weeks, including street parades and martial-arts performances.
Bao’an Temple
Dapeng Bay Marine Festival
大鵬灣帆船生活節
During this festival a variety of water-related activities and events are organized in Pingtung County’s Dapeng Bay area, including sailing competition on the waters of the bay. Other fun activities involve canoeing, dragon boat racing, stand-up paddling (SUP), jet skiing, and yachting. The event also features exhibitions promoting local industries such as agriculture, food, and tourism.
www.dbnsa.gov.tw (Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area)
Keelung Ciao
基隆潮藝術
Dark, wet, industrial…this was the image of Keelung City in the past. In recent times this harbor city to the northeast of Taipei City has been changing. In the same vein as its larger counterpart in the south, Kaohsiung, the city is slowly reimagining itself as a center of culture, modernity, and refinement. Public art is a unique way to beautify a cityscape and open visitors’ eyes to lesser-known corners of an urban environment. Keelung Ciao, first held in 2015, has gradually been introducing art into Keelung, and by doing so introducing Keelung to visiting art lovers. The creations by local and foreign artists, sometimes placed in unusual spaces like on board a ship or inside an old shipyard, encourage you to explore and discover this history-rich city and its harbor area.
www.keelungciao.org/en/
Penghu International Fireworks Festival
澎湖國際海上花火節
MAY
[2022] May ~ June / Pingtung CountyPingtung Bluefin Cultural Tuna Festival
屏東黑鮪魚文化觀光季
For lovers of fresh seafood, the fishing-harbor town of Donggang in Pingtung County is a place not to be missed. The season for bluefin tuna is April to June, and during this time of the year you can not only sample the best and freshest of melt-in-your-mouth sashimi, but also enjoy a wide variety of cultural activities. Apart from tuna, Donggang is also famed for sakura prawns and oil fish roe. From the harbor, the mainland area of Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area can be reached by vehicle with a quick drive, and you can take a ferry to Little Liuqiu (Xiaoliuqiu) island, also part of the scenic area, which is known for its coral rock formations and sea turtles.
Website: www.dbnsa.gov.tw (Dapeng Bay NSA)
Taiwan International Documentary Festival
台灣國際紀錄片影展
Website: www.tidf.org.tw
[2022] May 8 / Taipei CityEid al-Fitr in Taipei
Eid al-Fitr is one of the important festivals of Muslims. The Eid al-Fitr in Taipei is held by Taipei City Government to promote cultural exchange. Muslims and non-Muslim citizens are equally invited to Daan Forest Park to browse through a market, watch performances, and learn about each other’s lives, experiencing a face of Taipei that is friendly and diverse!
Miaoli Tongxiao Baishatun Gongtian Temple Mazu Festival
苗栗通霄白沙屯拱天宮媽祖民俗文化系列活動
Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, is worshipped in countless temples around Taiwan, and processions are held and pilgrimages made in her honor by tens of thousands of the faithful each year. While the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage in central Taiwan is better known, the Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage from Baishatun Gongtian Temple on the Miaoli County coast to Beigang Chaotian Temple in Yunlin County (total route 400km) is equally impressive and vibrant, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale. The pilgrimage takes 8 days to complete, with stops at many Mazu temples along the way where visitors can witness traditional rituals and street performances.
Website: www.baishatun.com.tw (Baishatun Gongtian Temple)
Spring Wave Music & Arts Festival
春浪音樂節
After being staged the last two years at Taipei’s Dajia Riverside Park, this year the annual Spring Wave Music & Art Festival returns to Kenting National Park this year [2018] in the far south of Taiwan. The line-up of performers includes some of the big names of Taiwan’s pop and rock scenes, including Van Ness Wu, Sandee Chan, Miss Ko, MJ116, Julia Wu, Auntie Roxy, and Leon Zheng. Kenting National Park is a wonderful natural playground featuring sandy beaches, stretches of upraised coral-rock coastline, tropical forest, and a busy tourist-oriented village (Kending) offering scores of shops, restaurants, and hotels.
Spring Wave Music & Art Festival
Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival
福隆國際沙雕藝術季
This is a very popular happening on a very popular beach on Taiwan’s Northeast Coast. The fine sand found at Fulong Beach is said to be perfect for creating sand castles, and that might explain why during each year’s festival incredible large, life-like, intricate, and highly creative sand sculptures wow the crowds. The themes in 2020 were in line with the year being the Year of Mountain Tourism and 2021 being the Year of Cycling in Taiwan. Expect to see large sculptures featuring high mountains and creations showing people exploring Taiwan on two wheels. Those concerned about strong sun exposure during daytime will be delighted to know that the sand sculptures can also be enjoyed in the evening, colorfully illuminated.
Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area
JUNE
[2023] June ~ December / Around TaiwanTaiwan Cycling Festival
臺灣自行車節
Bicycling has become hugely popular in Taiwan in recent years, and with a cycling environment that is constanly being improved around the island, the number of cycling enthusiasts is ever-growing. Staged annually since 2010, this festival brings bicycling fans together through a number of attractive events, among them the Taiwan KOM Challenge (this year taking place October 27), Formosa 900 (taking place November 11~19), and Come!Bikeday (November 11).
Websites: taiwanbike-international.taiwan.net.tw; www.taiwankom.org; formosa900.giant.com.tw; www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw
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Sun Moon Lake Cycling, Music & Fireworks Festival
日月潭花火音樂嘉年華
This festival combines active fun (bicycling and road running) with passive enjoyments (music concerts and a fireworks show), all happening on the shores of Sun Moon Lake. The bicycling event, named Come!Bikeday, is a relaxed ride around the lake made by hundreds of cyclists, while the road run is a marathon race following the same route. The musical entertainment features popular, indigenous, and classical music. Accompanied by the classical music, the fireworks show lights up the lake with vibrant colors reflecting off the water’s surface.
Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area
Wu Sha Cultural Festival
吳沙藝文季
www.wu-sha.org.tw (Chinese)
[2022] June 3/ Changhua CountyLukang Dragon Boat Festival
鹿港慶端陽系列活動
One of the big three annual traditional festivals in Taiwan, the Dragon Boat Festival is best known for dragon-boat races. These are staged on rivers and lakes in more than a dozen locations around the island, including Taipei’s Keelung River and Kaohsiung’s Love River. In recent years the competition at Lukang, which takes place on the Fulu River, has emerged as perhaps the most attractive dragon-boat race event. Making it special is the fact that the races take place in the late afternoon and evening with boats, bridges, and riverbanks colorfully illuminated. Many of the town’s streets are also lavishly decorated for the occasion. Lukang is a history-rich old settlement, once a thriving saltwater port, that is great for nostalgia trips for those who want to experience the Taiwan of yesteryear.
Website: tourism.chcg.gov.tw (Changhua Travel)
Shihmen Reservoir Hot Air Balloon Carnival
石門水庫熱氣球嘉年華
Website: www.balloon.tycg.gov.tw (Chinese)
[2022] June 21 ~ September 12 / Taitung CountyTaiwan East Coast Land Arts Festival
東海岸大地藝術節暨月光・音樂會
This festival combines the beauty of Taiwan’s East Coast region with the beauty of outdoor installation art and music. Each year, the organizer invites artists from Taiwan and abroad to create installation artworks that blend nicely with the natural environment of the East Coast National Scenic Area. A central element of the festival is the romantic Moonlight Sea Concert series, featuring well-known musicians from around Taiwan. As the concerts are timed to coincide with days around the full moon, spectators can (weather permitting) see the moonrise and the moonlight reflection on the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Moonlight Sea Concert shows in 2022: July 14/15, Aug. 13/14, Sept. 10/11/12.
Websites: www.teclandart.tw (TEC Land Arts Festival), www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw (East Coast National Scenic Area)
Taiwan KOM – Summer
臺灣KOM登山王之路-夏季
Who will be the King of the Mountains (KOM) in 2021? Or better, who will be the “kings,” because there will be more than one opportunity to snatch a winner’s crown in grueling bicycle races up steep mountain slopes this year. While the main Taiwan KOM Challenge bicycle race, from the Pacific shore in Hualien City to the dizzying central mountain heights at Wuling, the highest highway point in Taiwan, will take place at the end of October, additional KOM races have been added to the calendar. A spring race in late March and a summer race in late June, both following the same route as the main race, are giving ambitious riders even more opportunity to test their mettle. There are numerous other, less challenging, cycling events this year as well.
Taiwan Cyclist Federation (Chinese)
Taiwan Cycling Web (Chinese)
Glimmers in Matsu
微光馬祖
JULY
[2020] July / New Taipei CityHo-Hai-Yan Gongliao Rock Festival
新北市貢寮國際海洋音樂祭
The second large summer event on Fulong Beach each year (for the first, see the Fulong Int’l Sand Sculpture Art Festival entry), this three-day music event allows you to sit in soft golden sand and listen to tunes by leading Taiwanese indie rock bands, pop bands, and DJs, as well as international acts. Last year there were more than 80 performances on three stages. Fulong can be easily reached by taking an eastbound train from Taipei. Apart from visiting the sand-sculpture and music festivals, many visitors will also go on bicycle rides through the old Caoling railway tunnel. Visiting Fulong can also be combined with exploration tours along the Northeast Coast, including visits to Bitou Cape and Nanya’s strange rock formations.
New Taipei City Travel
Outdoor MUSIC EVENTS Around Taiwan
[2022] July ~ August / Nantou County
Nantou Starry Night Festival
南投星空季
Each year from late July to late August a meteor shower known as Perseids can be seen in the clear night sky of central Taiwan’s Nantou County. It is one of three major meteor showers each year. The most spectular display can be seen around August 13, with up to 100 shooting stars per hour lighting up the night sky canvas. The best spots for watching this spectacle are conveniently reached locations with low light pollution such as Hehuanshan (Mt. Hehuan; certified as an International Dark Sky Space by the International Dark-Sky Association), Sun Moon Lake, and the forest areas of Xitou and Sanlinxi.
Website: travel.nantou.gov.tw (Nantou Travel)
Tern-Watching Tour, Matsu
生態賞鷗暨海上看馬祖
The many uninhabited smaller islands and surrounding waters of the Matsu island group provide perfect nesting and feeding grounds for a large variety of seabirds. For bird lovers, the best time to go and see these birds, including the Bridled Tern, Black-napped Tern, Roseate Tern, Crested Tern, Black-tailed Tern, Reef Egret, and Fork-tailed Swift, is June through September. Boat trips to the islands are available from Fu’ao Harbor on the island of Nan’gan. There are no landings, and boats will keep a distance from the birds, so bringing binoculars and a telephoto lens for your camera is advisable.
Matsu National Scenic Area
Dadaocheng Summer Festival
大稻埕夏日節
The annual Taipei Dadaocheng Fireworks Festival, previously held over one weekend, will this year take place over a 51-day period as the Dadaocheng Summer Festival. There will be a low-altitude fireworks display on Wednesday at 8:30pm and one grand fireworks show in the evening of August 20, two days before Lovers’ Day. The venues are Dadaocheng Wharf and Yanping Riverside Park, both on the eastern bank of the Tamsui River.
Website: www.travel.taipei/en/event-calendar/details/41787
Taiwan International Balloon Festival
臺灣國際熱氣球嘉年華
This is one of the biggest and best tourism events during the summer months in Taiwan, and one of the top hot-air balloon festivals worldwide. The venue is the Luye Highland in Taitung County, about 20km north of Taitung City, a site with perfect conditions for air sports such as paragliding. The festival not only attracts tourists in large number, but also hot-air balloon pilots from abroad, who bring balloons of intriguing shapes and colors with them. For those who want to experience the sensation of slowly rising up into the sky, there are both tethered flights and free flights available, the first taking you about 20 meters off ground, the latter allowing you to fly, in much longer sessions, over the beautiful East Rift Valley countryside.
Official Website: balloontaiwan.taitung.gov.tw
Taipei International Book Exhibition
台北國際書展
The Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) is an important annual event for publishing professionals and book lovers in Taiwan and throughout East Asia. Thousands of visitors come to explore the latest in the world of publishing. Each time one country is featured as the “Guest of Honor,” and this time France is the center of attention. After being realized as an online exhibition over the last two years because of the pandemic, the show is reverting back to its physical form in 2022, to the delight of book lovers looking forward to participation in the many events taking place at the Taipei World Trade Center.
Official website: www.tibe.org.tw
Salt and Sand Sculpture Art Festival
一見雙雕藝術季
The well-known sand-sculpture festival at Fulong is not the only such festival in Taiwan. In the southwest of the island, in Tainan City, another annual festival is held that not only showcases sand sculptures but also works made with salt. The sand sculptures can be seen at Mashagou Beach, just to the north of Jiangjun Fishing Harbor. The salt sculptures are presented inside an exhibition hall at the Qigu Salt Mountain in Qigu District, a well-known tourist attraction that resembles a large snow-covered hill.
Southwest Coast National Scenic Area
Ice Festival
冰品設計暨冰品展
[2022] July 16 ~ August 13 / Kaohsiung City
Website: khm.org.tw/tw/exhibition/currentexhibitions/detail/41 (Chinese)
[2022] July 16 ~ August 13 / Kaohsiung CityKaohsiung Cijin Beer Carnival
高雄旗津啤酒嘉年華
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sandartkh/
[2020] July 18 ~ August 30 / Yilan CountyYilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival
宜蘭國際童玩藝術節
Each year, when the summer gets intensely hot, this festival helps everyone, especially children, to cool down and have fun in a large pool-facility area. This event, taking place in Yilan County’s Dongshan Township, provides more than just refreshing water, water slides, and water cannon to play with. It is an international happening with many exciting stage performances by troupes from Taiwan and abroad presenting entertaining and educational shows. There is also a wide range of classes and DIY sessions available, giving children myriad opportunities to gain knowledge. Side activities include dragon-boat paddling, sailing, and kayaking on the Dongshan River, adjacent to the festival venue. In the evening you can watch a mesmerizing water and light show.
Yilan Int’l Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival
Earthfest 2022
地球革命音樂祭
[2022] July 23~24 / Taipei City
Tianmu Beer Festival
天母啤酒節
In order to showcase the characteristics of the Tianmu commercial area, the 2022 Tianmu Beer Festival is held July 8 through August 25, bringing together local businesses such as international restaurants and shops, department stores, and beer producers. Among the festival’s attractions are a special-theme market, stage performances, and five exclusive and limited beer product offerings. Presented in creative ways the festival’s aim is to attract more consumers to the Tianmu commercial area, creating business opportunities, raising the profile of the area, and leading to more prosperity overall.
AUGUST
[2019] August / Hualien and Taitung CountiesAmis Harvest Festival
阿美族豐年祭
Hualien Daylily Blooming Season
花蓮金針花季
Among the most enchanting scenes of the East Rift Valley in eastern Taiwan are the fields of blooming daylilies in late summer/early autumn. There are two main areas where you can take in the floral beauty: Mt. Chike in Yuli Township and Sixty Stone Mountain in Fuli Township. Both mountain areas present visitors with amazing vistas over the East Rift Valley, the daylilies adding orange hues to the mountain slopes. Access to both locations is via steep and narrow roads; if you don’t have your own means of transport, note that shuttle-bus services are offered from central Yuli and Fuli during the blooming season.
East Rift Valley National Scenic Area
Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival
雞籠中元祭
This event, lasting a full month, is one of Taiwan’s major annual festivals. It takes place during the 7th lunar month (August 16~September 14 in 2023), referred to as “Ghost Month.” According to folk belief, at this time of year the gates separating the realms of the living and the dead open and ghosts return to wander the earth. In order to appease these wandering souls, lavish offerings are made in front of temples in the port city of Keelung and a plethora of rituals and ceremonies is celebrated. Among the numerous highlights of the festival are the Door-Opening Ceremony at Laodagong Temple on Day 1 and the Water Lantern Parade and Releasing of Water Lantern on Day 14 of the lunar month.
Website: tour.klcg.gov.tw (Keelung Travel)
Taiwan Culinary Exhibition
台灣美食展
Each year, this exhibition held in the Taipei World Trade Center gives food lovers a comprehensive overview of what Taiwan’s culinary world has to offer, from simple night-market snack foods to exquisite 5-star hotel banquets. Visitors have the chance to sample-eat local specialties, enjoy entertaining stage performances, watch chefs demonstrating their cooking skills, marvel at food art, and also learn about cuisines from around the world.
Website: www.tcetva.tw (Chinese)
Creative Expo Taiwan
臺灣文化創意設計博覽會
Since the Creative Expo Taiwan was first held in 2010, it has experienced exponential growth in the number of exhibitors, participating countries, and visitors, becoming one of Asia’s largest cultural and creative expos. Each year, the expo challenges the public and the cultural/creative community to stretch their imaginations and explore Taiwan’s culture. Activities include cross-disciplinary seminars and topic-based conferences. Design and branding are also discussed, as participants work to promote and broaden Taiwan’s cultural and creative soft power. This year, for the first time, the expo will be held in Kaohsiung City’s brand-new Kaohsiung Music Center.
Website: creativexpo.tw (official website); kpmc.com.tw (Kaohsiung Music Center)
Toucheng “Qianggu” – Grappling with the Ghost Pole-Climbing Competition
頭城搶孤民俗文化活動
Taking place at the end of the annual Ghost Festival period, the Toucheng “Qianggu” ghost-grappling competition is a fun event to watch – and to participate in (if you’re one of the brave local lads that take part). Groups of young men compete against each other climbing up greasy poles made of China fir, soaring 11m high, to reach a platform from which they climb 7-8m higher up on a bamboo trestlework to snatch the winner’s flag. The event at the town of Toucheng in Yilan County is the largest such competition in Taiwan. A similar pole-climbing challenge is held in Hengchun, Pingtung County, close to a well-known preserved section of the town’s old protective wall. Both events include many other cultural activities, such as religious ceremonies, cultural performances, and food markets.
Yilan County Government
2023 Hakka Expo
2023世界客家博覽會
The aim for this expo, with the theme “Travel to Tomorrow,” is highlighting the migrations of the Hakka people around world and creating a platform for international Hakka cultural exchange. The main element of the event will be showcasing the beauty of Hakka crafts, opera, literature, music, architecture, food, industries, people, and language in a comprehensive manner. Activities will be held in 10 exhibition halls, including the World Pavilion, all situated within Taoyuan’s newly developed Qingpu Special District centered around Taoyuan High Speed Rail Station.
Website: www.hakka.tycg.gov.tw
National Yimin Festival
全國義民祭
The ceremonies and other rituals of this Hakka festival take place during the seventh month of the lunar calendar in 15 village districts located in Taoyuan and Hsinchu, northwestern Taiwan. The festival, which is organized along with Ghost Festival traditions, commemorates the bravery of over 200 men who sacrificed their lives fighting against rebels in the late Qing dynasty. The brave men are revered as Yimin Ye in the temples of Hakka communities, the most important of which is Xinpu Yimin Temple. For visitors, the festival is a great occasion to see Hakka culture at its liveliest, with many exciting cultural performances taking place on the plaza in front of the temple in Xinpu.
Hsinchu County Government
Hengchun Pole Climb Festival
恆春古城國際豎孤棚觀光文化活動
Like the Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival, this traditional event, which takes place in the southern Taiwan town of Hengchun in Pingtung County, is part of the annual Ghost Month activities. According to legend, the idea of climbing greasy poles came about in the late 19th century when the rich people of town thought about ways to avoid fights and injuries among the poor people who received their offerings. Today, climbing the poles is all about pride and team spirit, and the activity has become a great spectator event, drawing thousands of onlookers each year.
Facebook
Taipei Riverside Children’s Fun Carnival – Bravo’s Water Park
台北河岸童樂會熊讚水樂園
The Taipei Riverside Children’s Fun Carnival – Bravo’s Water Park has been developed for many years. It has become a summer water recreation event eagerly awaited by parents and their kids. In 2023, the Bravo theme will be used again to provide safe and interesting water-fun facilities, interactive performances, breakout games, special market stalls, and guided tours about water resources. The park allows parents and children learn more about the water environment while playing during hot summer days, combining education with fun. Attracting many visitors, the park also brings economic benefits to the whole Gongguan commercial area.
SEPTEMBER
[2023] September~December / Taipei CitySpend a Night at the Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building
來去總統府住一晚
Would you like to spend a night at Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building? Four years after this was made possible for visitors from abroad for the first time, the central government is now once again inviting interested foreigners to experience an overnight stay at this important and iconic building. As this is not your usual tourist accommodation, there is of course an application process to go through. Find all the relevant information on the official website below.
Website: www.nightattaiwan.tw
Taiwan Braised Pork on Rice Festival
臺灣滷肉飯節
If you want to eat like the locals in Taiwan, braised pork on rice is definitely a dish you should try on your next visit. This simple dish is widely available, from small eateries to big restaurants and from night-market stands to food courts in modern department stores and malls. Made with ground pork marinated and boiled in soy sauce, it is usually served in a small bowl. Other small dishes are also usually ordered to make a full meal. The goal behind this festival, held for the first time last year, is not only to promote the humble dish itself but also Taiwan’s local food culture. A group of Taiwan’s best eateries selling braised pork on rice in different variations is selected by the organizer, their chefs going on a tour of six cities to present their yummy creations to salivating crowds.
Taiwan Braised Pork on Rice Festival
Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival
日月潭國際萬人泳渡
Sun Moon Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Taiwan, and one of the island’s best-known tourist destinations. Swimming in the lake is prohibited, but there is one major exception, the annual Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival. This swimming event was organized for the first time in 1981, with just 540 swimmers crossing the lake. In 2020, its 38th edition, a total of 21,800 swimmers took to the water to complete the 3km swim from Zhaowu Wharf on the northern shore of the lake to Ita Thao Wharf on its southeast side. Because of the global pandemic, the swim, which is not a competition but a relaxed affair with a party atmosphere, did not take place last year.
Websites: www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw (Sun Moon Lake NSA); www.pulifourswim.tw (Puli Four-season Swimming Association)
Taiwania Ultra Trail
台灣棲蘭林道越野
This sporting event takes long-distance runners through the pristine forest along the usually off-limits Qilan Forestry Road in Yilan County. An official International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) event promoted by the government, it features runs over three distances (25, 50, and 100km) with top finishers receiving scores for the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) rankings. At an altitude of above 2,000 meters and with unpredictable weather (high chance of rain), it is regarded as a highly challenging competition. If you are not a long-distance runner, note that visiting part of the Qilan forest area (Divine Trees Garden) is possible via guided tours offered by the Lealea Makauy Ecological Park.
Websites: www.ctau.org.tw (Taipei Chinese Association of Ultrarunners), makauy.lealeahotel.com (Lealea Makauy Ecological Park)
Yehliu Night Tours
野柳石光-夜訪女王
Meinong Canal Trip Arts Festival
美濃水圳漫旅藝術節
This festival, a cooperation with the cities of Fukuoka and Gifu in Japan, showcases local characteristics with an international perspective. The traditional Hakka village of Meinong is lit up to bring international art to this rural area.
OCTOBER
[2022] October / Kaohsiung CityKaohsiung Zuoying Wannian Folklore Festival
高雄左營萬年季
The modern Wannian Folklore Festival dates from 2001, when the Kaohsiung City Government’s Civil Affairs Bureau began coordinating and sponsoring traditional events in Zuoying District. Since 2005 the Taiwan Tourism Bureau has been lending a hand, and the festival has grown steadily in popularity. The star of the event is the Great Wannian Fire Lion, a cute yet dignified effigy far larger than a real lion. This lion tours temples in the district for eight days, accompanied by lion dancers, drum and gong musicians, and constant firecracker explosions beneath and around it. On the final day the lion arrives at Lotus Pond, a popular Kaohsiung attraction, where it is set ablaze in spectacular fashion. The festival allows you to experience Taiwan folk religion up close, and to witness the people of Kaohsiung’s passion for their customs and traditions.
Website: wannian.kcg.gov.tw (festival website; Chinese), khh.travel (Kaohsiung Travel)
Tieban Tower Burning Festival
鐵板燒塔節
The Tieban Tower Burning Festival takes place at Jinbanjing Tianhou Temple in the village of Tieban close to the southernmost point of Nangan Island. The festival originated in mainland China’s nearby Fuzhou area, and is part of the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival revelry. Activities during the day (including a small parade through the village) lead up to the highlight of the event, a grand fire in a small makeshift brick tower on the beach close to the village. The symbolic meaning of this burning spectacle is “getting rid of the old, inviting in the new.”
Website: www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw (Matsu National Scenic Area)
“Niujiao Coming of Age Ceremony”
牛角做出幼
Niujiao is a village in the northeast of Nangan known for its fiery-red-walled Niufengjing Wuling Temple, which is the main venue for the ceremony. The event is a coming-of-age-ritual for 16-year-old islanders, during which Lady Linshui, the Goddess of Birth and Fertility, and other deities are thanked for protecting children during their upbringing. The participating teens undergo a series of age-old rituals at the temple before being symbolically released into early adulthood.
Website: www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw (Matsu National Scenic Area)
Mazu Ascension Day
媽祖昇天祭
Mazu Ascension Day is all about celebrating Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, beloved by millions in Taiwan and southeast coastal China. According to legend, the body of Mazu was washed upon the shore of Nangan after saving members of her family during a typhoon. Nangan Tianhou Temple, on the west coast of the island, contains her sarcophagus. The temple is the venue for the Mazu Ascension Day events, held to celebrate the deity’s ascension to heaven. Part of the festivities is an elaborate ceremony with traditional artistic performances and an evening prayer gathering for safety and good fortune.
Website: www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw (Matsu National Scenic Area)
KINMEN TUNNEL MUSIC FESTIVAL
金門坑道音樂節
The setting of this music event and its presentation are truly unique. The venue is the Zhaishan Tunnel, located near the southernmost tip of Kinmen Island. Carved out of granite gneiss over a period of five years in the 1960s, the 100-meter-long tunnel served as a shelter for up to 42 navy vessels at a time. Now preserved as a heritage site, the tunnel is visited by many a tourist exploring Kinmen. During the music festival classical music is performed by musicians on a raft that slowly makes its way through the tunnel, with the audience (200 for each performance) lining up along the tunnel wall. The curved tunnel ceiling creates an unforgettable acoustic effect.
Website: kinmen.travel (Kinmen Travel)
Season of Purple Butterfly in Maolin
雙年賞蝶
There are larger and more beautiful butterlies than the ones of the euploea genus, also commonly known as crows because of their dark colors, but when they gather in large numbers to spent the winter in southern Taiwan, they are a sight to behold. The largest concentrations can be found in the Maolin Purple Butterfly Valley inside Maolin National Scenic Area. Butterfly lovers come in large numbers as well, eager to find the Striped Blue Crow, Double-Branded Black Crow, Dwarf Crow, Euploea Eunice, and even the Chestnut Tiger. Visit the Maolin Visitor Center to find helpful information about the butterflies before going on the trails and see them in the wild.
Website: www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw (Maolin NSA)
Nuit Blanche Taipei
臺北白晝之夜
Taipei’s version of the annual nighttime arts festival Nuit Blanche was first staged in 2016 after the city government was invited to host a local edition of the event by the Bureau Français de Taipei, which represents France’s interests in Taiwan. Since the first-ever Nuit Blanche (2001 in Paris, France), similar events have been organized in well over 100 cities around the world. It’s a fun celebration of the arts, jam-packed with exciting street theater, music and dance performances, sophisticated light and laser shows, light-art sculptures, and much interaction between performers and revelers, ensuring that everyone has a great time.
Website: english.culture.gov.taipei (Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs)
2019 NPM Asian Art Festival
故宮亞洲藝術節
In 2017 ago the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, located in Chiayi County, launched the first NPM Asian Art Festival, a month-long happening that showcases a different country each year. After shining a spotlight on the art of India in the first edition, and of Singapore in 2018, in 2019 it was all about Thailand. Exhibitions, stage performances, lectures, and guided tours will bedazzle visitors with the wonderful cultural wonders that Thailand has to offer.
Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum
Sanyi International Wood Carving Art Festival
三義木雕藝術節
The town of Sanyi in Miaoli County is known for mostly one thing, wood sculpture art, and there is perhaps no better time to visit than during this festival. While the Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum, the festival’s main venue, can be visited year round, the festival has numerous attractive activities at other sites that allow you to see master carvers at work and even do some woodcarving yourself. While in the area, be sure to go on an unforgettable rail-bike ride on a decommissioned railway line starting at quaint Shengxing Railway Station.
Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum
Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival
雲林國際偶戲節
Staged annually since 1999, the Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival is a great gathering of puppet-theater lovers young and old. The festival takes place in Yunlin County’s Huwei Township, known as Taiwan’s center of puppet theater, and neighboring Douliu Township. Last year, local and foreign troupes conducted around 100 puppet performances, entertaining the crowds with a wide range of puppet drama. Apart from the performances, visitors can enjoy a host of other activities, including exhibitions and DIY workshops.
Yunlin International Puppet Theater Art Festival
Miaobei Arts Festival
苗北藝術節
Taichung Jazz Festival
臺中爵士音樂節
Taichung in central Taiwan, the island’s second-largest city, is justifiably called by many a city of culture. It is known for its excellent museums, such as the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and premier venues for cultural performances, such as the world-class National Taichung Theater. For more than a decade the annual Taichung Jazz Festival has been setting the tone for the city’s cultural vibe. The main stage is set up in Civic Square in the center of the city, a large square-shaped park surrounded by modern high-rises. Music lovers flock here to take in open-air performances by local jazz troupes and well-known jazz artists from abroad. The Calligraphy Greenway, a popular pedestrian area connected to Civic Square, is the festival’s other key performance venue.
Taichung Jazz Festival
Nantou Global Tea Expo
南投世界茶業博覽會
Nantou County in central Taiwan is an important tea-growing region, with tea plantations covering large areas of land and tea farmers producing a wide variety of excellent teas. The annual Nantou Global Tea Expo is the perfect event for learning more about this local industry and sampling the best teas available. The expo has been staged 10 times to date, attracting many a tea lover eager to find and buy new selections just to his or her liking. Having tea farmers showcasing their products in one place at the same time makes the tea purchase convenient, educational, and highly enjoyable. For travelers that do not necessarily intend to buy anything, there is also a rich cultural program with tea-themed performances put on for entertainment. Nantou Global Tea Expo (Chinese)
World Music Festival
世界音樂節
Art Taipei
臺北國際藝術博覽會
Art Taipei is an important annual event for art lovers in East Asia. Held for the first time in 1992, the fair is organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the Taiwan Art Gallery Association. In 2021, works from 124 galleries in nine countries and regions (92 from Taiwan), including outstanding examples of contemporary art, were presented to professional buyers and the general public. Each year the event also includes themed exhibitions, art salons, lectures, and guided tours. A new feature in 2021 was an exhibition about the restoration of artwork.
Website: art-taipei.com (official website)
Taoyuan Flower Festival
桃園花彩節
Website: www.2020tff.com.tw
[2020] October 24~25 / Miaoli CountyKite Culture and Hakka Food Festival
苗栗國際風箏節暨客家美食
Hosted by the Miaoli City Office
Taking place at Miaoli Riverside Park
15 kite-flying teams from around
More than 1,000 kites
Focus on Hakka culture
NOVEMBER
[2022] November / Taitung CountyTaiwan Open of Surfing
臺灣國際衝浪公開賽
In recent years, the tiny fishing harbor at Jinzun in Taitung County has become an international traveler hotspot. It’s not the harbor itself that draws – mostly young – people from around the world, but the pebble beach and sea area just to the north of it, where surfers find perfect conditions for riding the waves. In autumn and winter, ideal surfing swells are created outside the harbor’s breakwater thanks to the northeast monsoon. The Taiwan Open of Surfing is held at Jinzun each year, with highly talented surfers showing off their wave-riding skills.
Website: www.taiwanopenofsurfing.org
Gaillardia Islands Penghu Cross-Sea Marathon
菊島澎湖跨海馬拉松
Offering mostly flat terrain, but strong winds and strong sunshine; the conditions for road running on the islands of Penghu are a mixed bag. Taking on a challenge is a matter of course for marathon runners, and a unique route intrigues many, making the annual Penghu Cross-Sea Marathon one of the most attractive runs on Taiwan’s tightly packed road run calendar. The “Cross-Sea” part of the name refers to the traverse of three sea-crossing bridges that connect Penghu’s main islands. The race starts close to the southwestern tip of Xiyu Island and ends in Magong City on Penghu Main Island, on the way traversing the islands of Baisha and Zhongtun. Penghu National Scenic Area
Loving in Guandu – Flowering Your Happiness
愛戀關渡—花現幸福
The Taipei City Government is cooperating with businesses in the Guandu Plain area on the northern bank of the Keelung River, staging a flower festival during the month of November. During this time of the year, flower lovers come here to enjoy fields filled with strikingly colorful flowers, including the garden cosmos, sulfur cosmos, zinnia, and sunflower. You can also see the beautiful Guanyin Mountain and the magnificent Datun and Qixing mountains in the far distance. With the bikeway along the Keelung River passing right by the fields, combining flower gazing with a YouBike bicycle jaunt is highly recommended. During the time of the festival you can also take advantage of a shuttle bus service between MRT Qilian Station and the flower fields.
[2021] November / New Taipei City
The Silver Grass Festival of Caoling Historic Trail
草嶺古道芒花季
The global pandemic has significantly disrupted Taiwan’s festival and event calendar this year, but it’s safe to say that celebrations of nature’s beauty are being affected the least. In November the slopes of many a mountain in northern Taiwan will appear even prettier than during other times of the year, with their tall silvergrass blooming and its feather-like flowers gently swaying in the wind. This is a great time to go for a hike in Yangmingshan National Park or along the Caoling Historic Trail on the Northeast Coast, both known for the abundance of silvergrass covering their mountain slopes.
Northeast Coast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area
[2022] November / Tainan CityKunshen Wangye’s Salt for Peace Festival
鯤鯓王平安鹽祭
For more than 300 years, producing salt from seawater was an important industry in the southwest of Taiwan. The industry ceased to exist in 2002 after Taiwan’s WTO entry, but the Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields in Tainan City’s Beimen District remain in place as a popular tourist attraction. In 2004, the annual Kungshen Wangye’s Salt for Peace Festival was held for the first time by the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration to celebrate the old industry and to highlight the region’s traditional beliefs and rituals related to salt. Activities take place at the salt fields and at the Nankunshen Daitian Temple (about 5km away), including a procession between the two places, captivating dragon dances, and the giveaway of thousands of auspicious sachets filled with salt.
Website: swcoast-nsa.travel (Southwest Coast NSA)
[2021] November ~ December / Taichung City
Xinshe Flower Festival
新社花海節
Large fields of flowers are commonly described in Taiwan as “seas of flowers,” and there are many locations around the island where you can enjoy these feasts for the eye throughout the seasons. Perhaps Taiwan’s best flower-theme event featuring seas of flowers is the Xinshe Flower Festival in Taichung, held at the end of each year on a 40-hectare farm operated by the Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station. The vast colorful fields of numerous types of flowers are perfect backdrops for photo taking. Visitors also have ample opportunity to get to know other types of Xinshe produce as well, try local specialties, and visit other tourist attractions in the area.
2020 Festival Site
Taichung Tourism and Travel Bureau
Kaohsiung Lion Dance Festival
高雄戲獅甲
This exciting event, which takes place once every two years, brings together the best lion dance performers from Taiwan and Chinese communities abroad. In 2017, 10 groups from Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mainland China, and Taiwan competed against each other. The competition takes place at two separate venues, the Kaohsiung International Swimming Pool and the Kaohsiung Arena, the participants performing acrobatic moves on high poles placed in the swimming pool and above the arena floor, respectively.
Kaohsiung Travel
Roar Now! Bangkah
萬華大熱鬧
Exit Music Festival
台北出口音樂節
Shilin Residence Chrysanthemum Show
士林官邸菊展
DECEMBER
[2018] December / Pingtung CountyPingtung Wanjin Christmas Festival
屏東萬金聖誕季
Located in the deep countryside of Pingtung County in southern Taiwan, Wanchin Church would not look out of place in a Mexican village. The first edition was built in 1863 by monks of the Dominican Order, and it was rebuilt in 1870 in Spanish fortress architectural style after the original structure was destroyed in an earthquake. In the days leading up to Christmas each year, the church is colorfully illuminated and the street and plaza in front of it beautifully decorated, attracting large numbers of visitors in search of a unique Christmas atmosphere. When visiting the township where the church is located, be sure to try the famous Wanluan pig trotters, a specialty of the area.
Pingtung County Government
Christmasland in New Taipei City
新北市歡樂耶誕城
Where can you experience a happy big dose of Christmas spirit in Taipei come December? While in Western countries Christmas is for many the most important festival of the year, in Taiwan, where followers of the Christian faith make up only about 4.5% of the population, it is naturally of lesser importance. There is, however, one big-time Christmas-themed event, Christmasland in New Taipei City’s Banqiao District. The center of attention each year is a giant artificial Christmas tree, illuminated with a sophisticated light and imagery show. Each year, the façade of the New Taipei City government building serves as a gigantic canvas for an entertaining animation show.
Website: newtaipei.travel (New Taipei City Travel)
Qingshan King Festival
青山王祭
Chiayi City International Band Festival
嘉義市國際管樂節
After more than three decades of effective management and great performances, the Chiayi City International Band Festival has become the most time-honored city carnival in Taiwan. It not only highlights and builds upon Chiayi’s rich cultural heritage, but it also provides a platform upon which the city can demonstrate its unique charm to the world. The arts adorn the seasons in Chiayi City, filling the municipality with enchantment, joy and beautiful music. In addition to the festival, local schools have been active in developing many band music classes and clubs. They have increasingly engaged in exchanges with leading foreign bands and symphonies, helping to further promote musical culture in Chiayi. This has helped transform the city into a premier destination for music enthusiasts, as well as a marvelous place to enjoy a wonderful cultural atmosphere.
Website: www.chiayi.gov.tw (Chiayi City Government)
Taipei Marathon
臺北馬拉松
Just a few days before Christmas, which in Taipei means mild temperatures that are perfect for road running, the Taipei Marathon takes place in the heart of the capital. This is for many local athletes the highlight of the annual race calendar, and entry slots can be hard to come by, with the number of participants in the full marathon limited to 9,000 runners; 19,000 are allowed to run the half-marathon. The races start and end at Taipei City Hall, with the route following along some of the city’s main thoroughfares.
Website: www.travel.taipei (Taipei City Travel)
Taipei New Year’s Eve Party
臺北最HIGH 新年城- 跨年晚會
Around the world, the New Year’s Eve end of the year is celebrated with a countdown and fireworks, and Taiwan is no exception. The most spectacular of these pyrotechnic shows on the island is without a doubt the one that makes the sky-reaching Taipei 101 tower erupt in a sea of sparkling and exploding lights. The fireworks display is accompanied by a high-tech LED display on one of the giant faces of the city’s towering landmark. Throughout the evening lead-up to the spectacular, the crowds are entertained by some of the best-known and most popular local music artists.
Website: www.travel.taipei (Taipei City Travel)
