Enjoy the lanterns and processions, and take time to understand their meaning. From Lantern Festival traditions to Mazu pilgrimages and Keelung’s Ghost Festival, begin with culture before choosing how to join.
Red lanterns at Taichung Park during Lantern Festival celebrations · photographed in 2016fanny_fan / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · Resized and compressed
01 / Taiwan festivals
Taiwan Lantern Festival: tradition meets local creativity.
The Taiwan Lantern Festival brings lantern customs together with local culture, craftsmanship and contemporary lighting. Choose a display that interests you and see how the host city tells its story.
A detail to take with you
Check the host city, displays and transport for the relevant year; the photograph records lanterns at Taichung Park.
Mazu pilgrimages: temples, communities and people.
Processions and pilgrimages carry wishes for protection and bring worshippers together. Dajia Mazu’s pilgrimage travels from Jenn Lann Temple to Fengtian Temple in Xingang; other temples have their own histories and routes.
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Learn about the ritual and current itinerary, choose an appropriate place to watch, and keep the procession’s way clear.
Keelung Ghost Festival: a tradition of reconciliation.
Keelung’s Ghost Festival is hosted in rotation by surname associations, carrying a history of reconciliation and shared worship. Its lantern processions and offerings express care for ancestors, wandering spirits and the community.
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Rituals have their own order. Confirm dates, viewing areas and photography rules with the current organisers.
This is an evergreen cultural introduction; dates and routes follow each year’s organisers. The photograph shows Taichung Park lanterns in 2016, rather than a current national Taiwan Lantern Festival event.
