BY LAURIE JO MILLER FARR
HauteTRAVEL
Taiwan lantern launch
Traditional Sky Lantern Festival LIKE MANY WONDERFUL DESTINATIONS, TAIWAN HAS A STORY TO tell. However, this is a place that invites everyone to share their stories as well. And this is the ultimate journey for travelers with the most precious of cargo: a fistful of wishes to launch into the sky at the island’s glorious traditional lantern festival. 38
We can trace the use of paper lanterns to this mountainous island’s earliest written history during the third century A.D. In the period known as Three Kingdoms, Chinese statesman Zhuge Liang, a.k.a. Kong Ming, used lanterns to send military signals. Because the shape of these floating vessels resembled his hat, they became known as “Kong Ming lanterns.” Centuries later, the lanterns developed another messaging purpose. According to local elders, people sought shelter in the nearby mountains, fleeing from bandits who once roamed the region. Those who stayed behind to protect the village would fly sky lanterns as a signal of safety, beckoning others to return. Today in Taiwan, sky lanterns have evolved into a way for locals and visitors alike to create personalized wishes sent afloat to the celestial gods. Celebrated in many ways and places around the island, there is a common belief that these serene, glowing orbs ascending to the gods carry beacons of hope to bestow good luck and deliver good fortune throughout the year.
PHOTO CREDIT: COURTESY OF TAIWAN TOURISM BUREAU / TAIPEI ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL OFFICE
WHY WISHES DRIFT ABOVE TAIWAN'S GREEN LANDSCAPE
KONG MING LANTERNS
