I’m interested in checking out Lantern Festival activities, but not quite at the CKS Memorial scale.
We’ve got a 5 month old and could use something a little less intense with the crowds.
Needs to be readily accessible by public transport.
Does Danshui do anything like this?
Thanks.
Bitan is right at the end of the Hsintien (green) line and has sky lanterns. Small-scale but quite fun. They got pedal boats, a bouncy castle thing, etc. Stone oven-baked pizza, too. And the ineffable Muddy Basin Ramblers might be having a session down there tonight after about 9-10pm.
That sounds great, Sandman.
Are the sky lanterns this evening?
Yes they are, I would imagine. There were several stalls set up yesterday evening selling sky lanterns. Its kind of fun. Bring a marker pen with you and you can write your messages to the gods on your lanterns and get help lighting them and setting them loose.
Tomorrow I can have the pleasure of seeing the trees on my morning walk festooned with virually indestructible paper that’ll stay there for months slowly rotting away. 
They bring you 5NT$ each Sandman, return them to the local EPA, government or something …
“ineffable” - that means you can’t eff with 'em!
No shit? I wonder if they would come and collect them? I’d happily collect them from the hillside and stash them in my yard if someone would come and take them off my hands. I’ll check that out. Thanks for the info!
I was told on Wednesday when I went to the ‘sky lantern’ release in Pingxi … don’t know if it goes for a wider area … but then it should be because almost non of the released lanterns land near Pingxi … I guess many ended up in Taipei or something …
Well, it’s a given that you’ll be drinking, but will you be playing any music (or “near music”)? Give Will a shag for me, will ya? Tell him Big John misses the skinny bastard.
Music will be being made I believe. I’ll roger the skinny one if you insist.
Will the festival at Bitan be going on Sunday night? How do you get to it? Thanks!
Sorry, I realy don’t know the details. But as I said, it’s small-scale. Not like CKS or Pingxi.
To get there, you simply take the green line on the MRT and get off at the last stop. Can’t miss it.
We just got home from Bitan and it was perfect.
We walked along the water, grabbed a pizza, and set off our own lantern… Mom, Dad, and the Baby loved it - just what we wanted.
As Sandman indicated, very low key and no crowd. There wasn’t any “festival” per se, but there were lanterns available to set off ($150) and kids were shooting fireworks. I’m sure the lantern sellers will be there on Sunday.
If this sounds like your type of fun and want to check out Bitan but have not done so yet … take the green line to the end (Hsintien), go out of the MRT and hang a left over the stairs. You should see the river and suspension bridge. Pizza cost ~$225 and could feed 2 (we were hungry and got 1 each) - we were pretty much the only ones there eating early and had no trouble getting a table overlooking the water, the lanterns cost $150, they have paddle boats, people fishing along the water, lots of kids, plants, birds, and plenty of space.
I thought after last year’s fiasco at the airport they banned individuals from lighting lanterns? Or is it just being ignored?
BP, were you also able to light lanterns in Pingxi?
Are you seriosu they give NT5 for every returned lantern? Damn, hiking just became very lucrative.
No, did not sent one to heaven … it’s littering … I like the mass releases tho, makes nice pics … am I a hypocrite now?
That’s what I was told … 5NT$/lantern
I guess it’s a little too late now, but in Neihu they have a Yenshui-like procession with beehive rockets during Lantern Festival every year. A lot more accessible to us Taipeiites than Yenshui is.