Lantern Festival 2027
The first full moon of the lunar year, and wishes written on paper.
Countdown to Lantern Festival 2027
Dates
When is Lantern Festival?
Lantern Festival 2027 falls on Saturday, 20 February 2027.
By the lunisolar calendar the Lantern Festival falls on 20 February 2027; Pingxi's release nights are set by the city.
Date checked against timeanddate.com
| Year | Dates | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 March 2026Tue | 1 day | Past |
| 2027 | 20 February 2027Sat | 1 day | Confirmed |
See every festival by date in the 2026 festival calendar and 2027 festival calendar.
The story
What it is, and why it matters
- Type
- Festival of Lights
- Tradition
- Folk & Dynastic
- Where
- Pingxi, New Taipei
- Crowd
- Celebrated widely across the Chinese-speaking world
- UNESCO
- Not inscribed
The Lantern Festival closes the Lunar New Year season across the Chinese-speaking world. We use Pingxi, in the hills outside Taipei, as host because its sky lanterns have become the festival's most recognisable image.
Yuanxiao, the Lantern Festival, falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month — the first full moon of the new year. Families hang lanterns, eat sweet rice dumplings and solve riddles written on the lanterns, and the evening marks the end of the New Year holidays.
In Pingxi, a former coal-mining district, local tradition says sky lanterns were once released to signal to villagers sheltering in the hills that it was safe to come home. Today visitors write wishes on paper lanterns and send them up from the old railway towns of Shifen and Pingxi, while organised mass releases are held on set evenings around the festival.
Culture
Traditions, food and music of Lantern Festival
Traditions
What actually happens
- Sky lanterns — paper lanterns lifted by a small flame, written with wishes for the year.
- Lantern riddles — puzzles pinned to lanterns for passers-by to solve.
- Lantern displays — large illuminated sculptures, including the annual Taiwan Lantern Festival.
- Family visits — the last gathering of the New Year season.
Food
The table, widened
- Tangyuan or yuanxiao — glutinous rice balls, often filled with sesame or peanut paste, served in sweet soup.
- Street snacks along Shifen Old Street, from sausages to peanut-ice-cream rolls.
Music
Sound of the crowd
Lion dances with drums and cymbals often open evening events, and festival stages mix folk performance with pop. In Pingxi, the loudest sound is the crowd counting down before a release.
Religion
Why this date
The festival draws on folk religion, Taoism and Buddhism. Temples hold rites for the Heavenly Official, honoured on this day in Taoist tradition, and many people pray for good fortune in the coming year.
History
How it survived
Lantern displays on the first full moon are recorded in China from the Han dynasty onward. Taiwan's government began a national lantern festival in 1990, and New Taipei organises official sky-lantern events in Pingxi alongside it.
History
How it got here
Lantern displays on the first full moon are recorded in China from the Han dynasty onward. Taiwan's government began a national lantern festival in 1990, and New Taipei organises official sky-lantern events in Pingxi alongside it.
Han dynasty
First lanterns
Lanterns are lit on the first full moon of the year.
Qing era
Pingxi signals
Local tradition links sky lanterns to signals for villagers in the hills.
1990
Taiwan Lantern Festival
A national lantern festival begins, touring cities each year.
Today
Wishes in the sky
Organised releases bring visitors to Pingxi from across the region.
Travel & practical
Visiting Pingxi for Lantern Festival
Getting there
Take a train from Taipei to Ruifang, then the Pingxi branch line to Shifen or Pingxi stations.
Mass releases
Official release nights are often ticketed or require free registration. Check New Taipei City's announcements.
Practical notes
Trains are very full on release nights. Releasing lanterns is only allowed in designated areas.
Plan the trip with free AltFTool tools
FAQ
Lantern Festival: common questions
Straight answers to what people ask most about Lantern Festival.
When is the Lantern Festival in 2026 and 2027?
It falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month: Tuesday 3 March 2026 and Saturday 20 February 2027. Pingxi's organised sky-lantern releases are scheduled by the city around those dates.
Is this the same as the Chinese New Year?
It is the final day of the New Year season, fifteen days after the new year begins.
Are sky lanterns safe for the environment?
They raise litter and fire concerns, so local authorities restrict where they can be released and organise clean-ups.
What is the difference between tangyuan and yuanxiao?
Both are sweet rice balls; the names and methods vary by region, and many people use the words interchangeably.
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