Shifen Pingxi Sky Lantern Experience

What it is

Shifen Old Street sits along the Pingxi Branch Line in New Taipei City, about an hour east of Taipei. The street runs directly alongside the narrow-gauge railway tracks, and sky lantern shops line both sides — it's the most famous spot in Taiwan to participate in the lantern-release tradition, which dates back to the Qing Dynasty when lanterns were lit to signal safety. Visitors choose a lantern (colors carry different meanings: red for luck, yellow for wealth, green for health, and multi-color combos for broader blessings), write wishes in marker on the fabric sides, and then step onto the tracks between train arrivals. The vendor lights the kerosene burner at the base, you hold the lantern level as it fills with hot air, then release it together — watching it climb above the old wooden storefronts, the valley, and the mountains beyond. Shifen Waterfall, Taiwan's widest cascade and often called its 'mini Niagara,' is about a 15-minute walk away and commonly folded into the same visit. The experience is available every day of the year, not just during the Pingxi Lantern Festival.

Highlights

• Old railway track launch: lanterns are released directly from the Pingxi Branch Line tracks at Shifen Station — the narrow-gauge railway and weathered station platform create an instantly recognizable backdrop for photos.
• Wish-writing ritual: each lantern has four panels; different colors (red, yellow, green, pink, purple, and combinations) represent different blessing categories like wealth, health, romance, and academic success — you pick the colors that match your intentions.
• Vendor-guided lighting: shop staff manage the kerosene burner and coach you through the inflation and release, ensuring a clean, vertical liftoff — they also help frame your shots before the lantern goes up.
• Shifen Waterfall nearby: a 15-minute walk from the lantern shops leads to a horseshoe-shaped waterfall roughly 20 meters tall and 40 meters wide — the widest in Taiwan — making it a natural add-on to the same outing.
• Pingxi Branch Line scenery: the heritage narrow-gauge railway that serves Shifen runs through forested valleys and passes stations like Jingtong and Pingxi; the train itself becomes part of the visual spectacle as it moves through the lantern-lined street.
• Year-round accessibility: unlike the annual Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (Lantern Festival, lunar calendar), the Shifen Old Street lantern experience is available daily, so there is no single-event bottleneck for visitors.

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