Summary
Highlights
The Sky Lantern Festival's theme this year is a celebration of the Chinese zodiac year of the Dog, featuring a main lantern display with a child from the local Sioux tribe and a Taiwanese dog to wish for a prosperous year ahead.
Dating back 1,400 years to the Tang Dynasty, the festival originally marked the end of the Lunar New Year break, with students returning to school and their lanterns being lit by teachers as a symbol of a brighter future.
The festival now incorporates tech-inspired elements for visitor interaction, including a smartphone app for navigation and display information. Digital temple lanterns can be lit for good fortune, and virtual lanterns can be released into a digital sky.
The traditional style lantern, invented 1800 years ago in China and brought to Taiwan by immigrants, is still kept alive. Miners in Pingxi once used these lanterns to warn off bandits.
71-year-old Lin Guo-he, following in his father's footsteps, has been making sky lanterns the old-fashioned way for almost 30 years. He believes in passing on traditions to prevent cultural heritage from being forgotten. He shares historical stories and teaches visitors how to float their lanterns, symbolizing hopes for health, wealth, love, and success.
While the kerosene-soaked rice paper lanterns are expected to last a year, Lin hopes his ancient craft will last a lifetime amidst changing technology.