The beloved tradition of lantern festivals first began in China as a celebration meant to promote prosperity, peace and forgiveness. Often aligning with a particular day of the lunar calendar, the festivals see thousands of lanterns lit in unison to drive the darkness away and shed light on a bright future. Cultural performances, lantern riddles and street food fill the night. While the Chinese Lantern Festival remains the most famous, several other destinations have built their own striking versions of this tradition.
Read on for our picks of the world’s best lantern festivals.
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, Taiwan
In the hillside town of Shifen, in New Taipei’s Pingxi District, thousands of visitors gather each year to release glowing paper lanterns into the night sky – a tradition tied to the final day of the Lunar New Year period. The festival typically spans two nights in February or early March, with mass releases of hundreds of lanterns launched simultaneously roughly every twenty minutes, drawing crowds that can exceed 80,000 people.
Before the lanterns take flight, visitors write wishes on the rice paper in coloured ink, one colour for each hope – love, health, wealth or safe travel. The town itself sits along an old coal-mining railway line, with the Shifen Waterfall, known locally as Taiwan’s answer to Niagara, a short walk from the main lantern-launch site.
Loy Krathong and Yi Peng lantern festivals, Thailand
In northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai, two impressive lantern festivals – Loy Krathong and Yi Peng – combine to turn the city into a twinkling spectacle. Held on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, usually in mid-to-late November, the festival dates shift each year, so it’s worth confirming the exact nights before booking. The celebration lights up the city to pay respect to Buddha and give thanks to the water goddess for an abundant year.
During Yi Peng, sky lanterns called khom loi are released into the air, while during Loy Krathong, the rivers are ablaze with thousands of water lanterns called krathongs, made of either the trunk of a banana tree or baked bread. While Loy Krathong is celebrated across Thailand, it’s only in the north that the festivals are celebrated concurrently, making for a truly enchanting experience.
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Hoi An Lantern Festival, Vietnam
On the 14th day of every lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, Hoi An Ancient Town in Vietnam lights up with colourful, candlelit lanterns lining the banks of the Hoai River. Locals and tourists alike come together to light the lanterns, which are said to bring prosperity, health and happiness.
Traditional folk dances and melodies of bamboo flutes, fiddles and drums resonate in the air, along with the delicious smell of foods like banh bao (steamed buns filled with mushrooms, pork and more), banh dap (baked rice paper cakes with onions and green beans) and banh xaoi (mango cake).
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Spring Lantern Festival, Hong Kong
The grand finale of Chinese New Year celebrations, the Spring Lantern Festival (also called Yuan Xiao), is truly one of the most spectacular celebrations in Hong Kong. Taking place on the first full moon of the lunar year, the festivities consist of colourful lanterns put on display for about a month before the activity-filled lantern carnival marks the end of the celebration.
While the famous red Chinese lanterns won’t be found here, colourful displays abound, featuring illuminated dragons, goldfish, fruit and much more. An ancient tradition celebrated with zeal, this is certainly a wonder worth witnessing.
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Nagasaki Lantern Festival, Japan
Originally started as a high-spirited Chinese New Year celebration, the Nagasaki Lantern Festival has become one of the most lively events in the city, where people come together to light roughly 15,000 Chinese lanterns and celebrate the Lunar New Year for 15 fun-filled days.
During the festival, you can expect to see traditional Chinese lion dances (shishimai), dragon dances, Chinese acrobats and performances with the erhu, a two-string musical instrument. No revelry is complete without food, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by hundreds of stalls selling Chinese delicacies.
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Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawai’i
Held every year on Memorial Day – the last Monday in May – in Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach Park, this tradition honours lost loved ones and expresses hope for a peaceful future. Messages are written on lanterns that are set free to float out to sea, in hopes that they will find their way to the departed souls.
A moving and enchanting evening steeped in the traditions of the Buddhist denomination of Shinnyo-en, the lantern floating sees thousands of people gather to remember their dear ones, and the glittering lanterns that float across the mesmerising blue water paint a picture of serenity that can’t be forgotten.
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Please note, dates may vary.
Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out 5 Lunar New Year Traditions Around the World.
