January is full of festivities in Taiwan as the country prepares for Lunar New Year celebrations. Upcoming activities are expected to boost tourist numbers and business revenues in the coming weeks.
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It's almost time for the annual Yuejin Lantern Festival in Tainan to light up the night. This year's theme is "moonlight in town" and the festival should kick off on Sunday. Although the lantern exhibitions aren't complete yet, they're already attracting crowds.
Yuejin isn't the only place becoming a hotspot in southern Taiwan. Many people are looking forward to going to Lotus Pond in Xinying District for Kaohsiung's upcoming lantern festival starting on January 26.
It's not just the beautiful lights that people are excited about. Kaohsiung officials have announced that tour groups who go to Xinying and book overnight lodgings can receive up to NT$6,000 (US$200) in subsidies.
Some shop owners in the area say they're excited for more tour groups to visit, which could help their businesses. Local tour guides also say they hope to organize more activities for visitors to experience Taiwanese culture.
For small businesses near these major lantern festivals, it's looking like there may be an auspicious start to the Lunar New Year.