TAIPEI (TVBS News) — New Taipei City announced Monday the 2026 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (平溪天燈節) schedule. The event will take place on Thursday (Feb. 27) and Tuesday (March 3), featuring a 20-foot-tall Horse of the Year lantern and dual main lanterns of a horse and a dragon. Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said the festival won the Better Future 2025 Berlin Design Gold Award and Sydney Design Gold Award.
Organizers will hold the Thursday (Feb. 27) event at Pingxi Junior High School (平溪國中) and the Tuesday (March 3) event at Shifen Sky Lantern Square (十分廣場). The festival features nine waves of lantern releases, with 100 lanterns per wave on Thursday and 150 on Tuesday. Officials said the event's blend of tradition and innovation draws tourists from around the world each year.
Pingxi Old Street (平溪老街) has undergone a transformation, incorporating railway tracks, lanterns, and streams into its redesign to attract international tourists. The region originally thrived on agriculture before coal mining spurred the development of the Pingxi Line railway. The Sky Lantern Meiyu Workshop (美玉天燈製作所) continues the tradition of handmade lanterns, offering visitors a view of the crafting process and selling products that combine local agricultural goods and culture.
The town's early settlers cultivated Clerodendrum plants, which served as a source of blue dye for cloth, creating a unique blue-dye culture that remains part of local heritage. CARBON COFFEE (碳場咖啡), located on Jingtong Old Street (菁桐老街), features a red-brick design from its former use as a coal-washing plant. The café now ranks among Taiwan's top 100 historical buildings, retaining its original appearance while blending vintage and modern styles.