Culture

An insider’s guide to the most colourful Festivals in Taiwan

The best time to visit a country and to come across its culture is during its festivals. You will probably witness the most amusing scenes and preserve wonderful memories from this trip. Taiwan is a true exponent of Chinese culture and festivals. You can witness some of the top entertaining festivals in the world here. The interesting thing to note is that you can plan your trip anytime throughout the year because Taiwan festivals are spread over all twelve months. All these festivals are full of fun and entertainment. These festivities will give you a great chance to understand Taiwanese culture and hospitality. 

“The greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals.”

Siddharth Katragadda

The best time to visit a country and to come across its culture is during its festivals.  You will probably witness the most amusing scenes and preserve wonderful memories from this trip. Taiwan is a true exponent of Chinese culture and festivals. You can witness some of the top entertaining festivals in the world here. The interesting thing to note is that you can plan your trip anytime throughout the year because Taiwan festivals are spread over all twelve months. All these festivals are full of fun and entertainment. These festivities will give you a great chance to understand Taiwanese culture and hospitality. 

You can shop for amazing gifts for your near and dear ones from Taiwan's traditional festivals and of course, some startling memories. October is best for visiting Taiwan if you intend to shop for Taiwanese products at a reasonable and discounted price. Taiwan Cycling Festival, Kaohsiung Zuoying Wannian Folklore Festival, and Wangye Worshipping Ceremony are also held in October. The shopping season starts in October as well. Sellers give the best possible discounts on each and every product. No worries if you are not able to plan your trip in October, you can also visit the Night Markets anytime to better avail yourself a chance to buy almost all the things throughout the year. These markets are full of eating products and all the other things you may need to purchase as a gift or for yourself.  All the products are available at cheaper prices here. You can enjoy shopping while maintaining your budget within the desired limits. Most of these night markets are situated in Taipei.

Let’s have a look at some fascinating festivals in Taiwan throughout the year. 

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is probably the most awaited festival in Taiwan. It is devoted to family get together and eating delicious food items. Usually, the Taiwanese have six national holidays at this traditional festival. Celebrating the Chinese New Year has historical significance for the Taiwanese. The traditional festival is made wonderful by wearing red clothes Children are given surprise gifts and sometimes money in red envelopes to wish them a prosperous coming year. Extended family meals are arranged. A lot of shopping is done for family and friends. Restaurants and shopping brands offer discounted packages. Fish is a must on the menu of these family meals. Some fish is left unfinished as a sign of good luck for having a lot of food in the coming year. It is the best time to visit Taiwan if you intend to observe Taiwanese culture and family traditions in their true sense. You would like to wander about on New Year's Night, the loudest night of the year due to the exposition of a lot of fireworks. Some cities and areas have banned these fireworks due to the risk of fire in recent times. Spring festivals are also related to celebrating the Chinese New Year. These celebrations wish the best of luck to harvesters.

Taiwan Lantern Festival

Taiwan Lantern Festival is a tourist attraction at the start of the year. The Taiwan Lantern Festival is an annual event put on by the tourism bureau with the goal of drawing tourists and enhancing Taiwan's cultural attractions' visibility abroad. Hand lanterns have traditionally been carried to mark the occasion. This ancient ceremony is given a modern twist by the Taiwan Lantern Festival, which also puts it on the world stage. The festival has gained popularity among both Taiwanese and tourists from abroad thanks to its folk arts and performances as well as theme lantern displays.

The delightful scenes of hundreds of lanterns with good wishes written on them make the whole sky of Pingxi brighter and mesmerizing. Along with the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, Taipei and Kaohsiung Lantern Festival are celebrated wholeheartedly. These festivals will make you feel in some wonderland. Plan a visual tour of these Lantern festivals with Trally, and you will experience a truly amazing tour with some of the most astonishing details.

Yenshui Firework Festival

Every Lantern Festival night, the holy sedan chair gently makes its way through Yanshui's streets, accompanied by admirers and tourists. Racks of fireworks are lighted on the way as the sedan chair goes by the entrances to markets and homes. Taiwanese set off firecrackers that fly in all directions as the chair passes through these places. The amazing festival is commemorated on the 14th and 15th of the first month of the New Lunar Year.

The locals think that by rushing through the flying rockets, they can banish bad luck and have a wonderful new year. The sacred sedan chair leaves Emperor Guan Temple on the first night and is paraded through Yanshui. The major firework rack is set up on Yanshui Junior High's sports field later that same evening as the Holy sedan chair parades through the entire district, with supporters setting off beehive fireworks along the way. A tourist can experience unique and captivating scenes at this festival. 

Dragon Boat Festival

In June, Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated; that is a huge tourist attraction due to having a wide scope of entertainment and fun. It is also referred as the double fifth festival as it is held on the 5th of the 5th month of a lunar year. People across the world love to participate in the parade, holding paper dragon boats and making fun. The Taiwanese love this traditional festival as dragon boat races are arranged throughout the country. These races are full of adventure and enjoyment. Rice dumplings are eaten like never before at this traditional festival. Colourful dragon boats make everything look so vibrant and energetic. 

Final Thoughts

Taiwan really looks like a dreamland and wonderland during its festivals. You can come across a lot of amusement through Taiwan's traditional celebrations and cultural festivals. Make you think about those awesome Taiwan cultural festivals, and plan a virtual tour of all of these amusements with Trally through live stream. You will love this experience and would plan for more at the moment with Trally.

Trally offers a great opportunity to conduct virtual tours in Taiwan to enjoy the local traditional festivals. Trally also offers a wonderful live mainstream of these festivals. It brings amusing moments from these festivals to make you decide why Taiwan should be your preferred destination to visit for your next tour plan.