Picture source: https://goo.gl/images/vPCsp5
Travel Date: 2018/09/18
Today, we came to release sky lanterns in Pingxi. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best timing as the Middle-Autumn Festival would take place two days later, so I couldn't witness the sight of thousands of lanterns floating in the sky. This is my third time in this area—last year, we visited the incredible Shifen Waterfall. I hope to return here next year during the Lantern Festival to fulfill my dream.
This time we traveled with firends from Nantou, as they came to Hsinchu to visit us.
Pingxi is a small mountain town that is truly worth visiting. Besides the lanterns, the main attraction here is Pingxi Train Station. The streets around are filled with lantern-like decorations and street food.
Pingxi is known for its waterfalls, with 36 discovered in the area. One of the most popular waterfalls is Shifen Waterfall (十分瀑布). Over millions of years, geological forces have created numerous valleys and canyons. The average height of mountains in Pingxi is only 500 meters.
The area has played an important role in Taiwan's mining history. It is a sedimentary rock formation that contains valuable resources such as coal, oil, and gas. This geological structure was formed 3-4 million years ago.
In the 1870s, Pingxi had many indigo plantations and was a prosperous place, accounting for 80% of all indigo plantations. However, synthetic dyes quickly gained popularity, leading to the replacement of the plantations with tea gardens. Oolong tea is the most important tea variety grown here, and it was primarily exported to Europe and America during the Japanese period.
See also: History of Lantern Festival
See also: Shifen Waterfall
The development of the Pingxi coal mine began in 1908 when the Japanese obtained the rights to the coalfield and built the Pingxi Line railway. Pingxi has the longest operating history among Taiwan's coal mines. However, in the 1970s, due to the emergence of alternative energy sources, labor disputes, and significant losses from mining disasters, Taiwan's mining industry disappeared. Pingxi Train Station became a popular place, particularly for releasing sky lanterns.
Sky lanterns, also known as Kongming lanterns, were invented by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period. In the past, these lanterns were used to convey military messages.
The Sky Lantern Festival in Pingxi is named the second biggest New Year's Eve festival in the world. The festival lasts about two weeks and is always held on the 15th day of the first lunar month as part of the Lantern Festival. Pingxi is the only place where the release of sky lanterns is allowed by the government.
Traditionally, lanterns have four or five sides on which wishes can be written. They are made of rice paper, bamboo, and wire, which allows for recycling. Making lanterns is relatively simple. Bamboo is split into strips and formed into a semicircular frame. A triangular wire piece is placed on the bottom to hold joss paper, which serves as the fuel. The frame is then covered with four or five layers of rice paper. Before being placed on the wire, the joss paper is coated with a mixture of peanut oil and kerosene. When the hot air rises into the lantern, it eventually floats into the sky.
There are a few speculations about how sky lanterns became popular in Pingxi. According to one belief, in 1821, Chinese people arrived in Pingxi and began building villages. During the Qing Dynasty, these villages were difficult to control and protect by the provincial government. When the final harvest was finished, villagers would sometimes pack up and hide in the mountains. Only a few men would stay behind to protect their village. Once the dangerous time had passed, these men would release lanterns as a signal for others to return.
Another belief suggests that the sky lantern festival originated from the practice of releasing prayer lanterns every spring. Women would often release these lanterns while praying for smooth childbirth and a bountiful harvest.
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