CityBuddy
Pingxi Old Street
Best time to visit
Late afternoon to evening for the full lantern-release experience. Sunset and dusk create the most dramatic lighting for photos and the lanterns show best against a darkening sky.
Budget tips
Street entry is free. Sky lanterns cost around NT$150-300 (US$5-10) per lantern, and prices vary by color and size. Haggle gently with vendors, especially if buying multiple lanterns, to save 20-30%.
Plan your visit
1.5-2 hours
About
Quick facts: Every year during the Lantern Festival, over 100,000 sky lanterns float up from this single railway town. The old street still has an active coal railway running right through its center, so visitors have to step aside when trains pass.
Highlights: Unlike most night markets or old streets, this one has an active train track running straight down the middle, so you're shopping and eating just inches from where trains roll through. Hundreds of glowing paper lanterns rise simultaneously during festivals, turning the entire valley into a slow-motion fireworks display of floating fire.
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