Every year the Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar New Year. In 2020, that day lands on February 8. One township in central Taiwan is featuring lanterns made from bamboo, which is grown in the region. In fact, bamboo is such an important industry for the township… you can find it right in the town’s name “Zhushan”, which literally means “bamboo mountain.”
The 2020 Lantern Festival in Zhushan Township of Nantou County will exhibit 60 lanterns made from bamboo, featuring different themes. As Taiwan ushers in the Year of the Rat, you can be sure there’ll be at least one lantern featuring the rodent.
Zhushan is running the event a little differently this time around. Traditionally, people have to wait in long lines at temples to receive lucky coins that supposedly bring good luck in the New Year. But starting January 1, visitors to the festival can just “check in” at each lantern display to accumulate points that will go toward getting a lucky coin without standing in line.
Each check-in earns you one point. Once you collect 50 points, you can exchange them for one lucky coin. There’s another way to do it: just scan the QR code next to each lantern display and get two points each time.
The 2020 Lantern Festival ends February 9.