According to the latest data, the 2024 Kaohsiung Lantern Festival took place from February 24 to March 3 along the Love River, connecting Taiwan's tallest lantern installations including the Cijin Lighthouse, attracting over 2 million visitors. The event featured "Love River Starlight" as its theme, with over 30 large lantern sets installed along the river. The most eye-catching was the massive 12-meter giant sky lantern as the main lantern. Cijin Night Cruise offers a unique experience to view the riverside lights from a boat, making the lantern-viewing itinerary even more diverse. Want to know what other hidden lantern zones there are?
- Love River Starlight Tunnel: Over 500-meter LED light sculpture tunnel, see details
- Cijin Lighthouse Observation Deck: Taiwan's highest elevation lantern display, offering panoramic views of the city nightscape, see details
- Cijin Ferry Night Cruise: A romantic experience viewing riverside lights reflected from the ferry, see details
More Kaohsiung Lantern Festival activity recommendations, <
When it comes to viewing lanterns during the Lantern Festival, many people instinctively think of Taipei or Tainan. However, Kaohsiung's lantern festival events have quietly risen in recent years, making a name for themselves with the broad perspective unique to a "river port city" and the cross-harbor bridge light installations. If you want to escape the crowds during the Lantern Festival while also capturing Instagram-worthy photos, Kaohsiung will be a surprising choice.
The core strength of the Kaohsiung Lantern Festival lies in the "dance of water and light" — the Love River, harbor area, and Cijin coastline connect to form a continuous light display belt, free from the confined feeling of traditional lantern fairs, more like a nighttime city tour instead. The 2025 Kaohsiung Lantern Festival, themed "River of Light," transforms the entire Love River waterfront into a dreamy light corridor, paired with music-driven interactive installations, allowing visitors to not just view the lanterns but to "walk into the lights."
Exclusive Highlights of the Kaohsiung Lantern Festival
What sets Kaohsiung apart from other cities is its perfect fusion of "harbor city nightscape" with "traditional lantern festival." You can stand at the Starlight Pier beside Kaohsiung Port and see the lights of the 85 Sky Tower, Love River Landscape Bridge, and Cijin Lighthouse intertwining — this "harbor + riverside + metropolitan" three-in-one lantern viewing experience is unique to Kaohsiung in all of Taiwan.
Another hidden highlight is the "Cijin Exclusive" — during the Lantern Festival each year, large themed lanterns are set up at Cijin Beach, paired with wish bonfires on the sand, creating a romantic and lively atmosphere. Compared to the dazzling light sea of the city, Cijin's coastline lanterns have more of a "Taiwanese beach movie" quality, perfect for couples' dates.
In recent years, the Kaohsiung Lantern Festival has also incorporated "religious blessing" elements. In the Zuoying Old Town and Gushan Hamasen areas, traditional lanterns coexist with blessing ceremonies, showcasing the harbor city's diverse cultural heritage. This makes lantern viewing not just a visual feast but a deeper cultural experience.
Five Recommended Lantern Viewing Spots
1. Love River Waterfront (Yancheng District / Qianzheng District, Kaohsiung)
The Love River is the main battlefield of the Kaohsiung Lantern Festival. The entire river corridor, spanning approximately 2 kilometers from Wufu Road to Qixian Road, features themed lantern displays. The biggest highlight is the projection light show on the Love River Landscape Bridge — the bridge body changes colors with the music, paired with river reflections, making it a "must-photograph" moment for many photography enthusiasts. It's recommended to take an evening walk along the river first, capturing from the orange-red sky at sunset to the twinkling lights at night for the most丰富多样的景色层次。附近有咖啡廳和啤酒屋，元宵節期間常有限定市集。
2. Cijin Beach (Cijin South Road, Cijin District, Kaohsiung)
Cijin燈區的最大特色是「沙灘花燈」——將傳統花燈設定在沙灘上，搭配海浪聲和遠處的旗津燈塔光芒，形成獨特的海岸燈景。這裡每年都會推出不同主題，2024年是「海洋童話」，巨大的鯨魚和美人魚花燈成為人氣打卡點。元宵當晚還有「火把祈福」活動，遊客可以在沙灘上點亮小蠟燭許願，浪漫程度破錶。搭渡輪過來只要15分鐘，票價單趟30元，建議傍晚5點從鼓山渡輪站出發，先逛旗津老街吃海產，再等夜幕降臨賞燈。
3. 85大樓周邊（高雄市苓雅區自強三路）
If you want to capture a spectacular view of the city's skyline combined with lanterns, the area around 85 Sky Tower is the best spot. During winter, the building's exterior lights change according to the lantern festival theme, and large themed lantern installations are also set up in the square. Parking is convenient here with multiple paid parking lots (60-100 yuan per time), suitable for drivers. Restaurants on higher floors (like the observation restaurant inside 85 Sky Tower) offer aerial views of the entire lantern sea — this is a private recommendation from many longtime Kaohsiung residents.
4. Hamasen Railway Cultural Park (Gushan 1st Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung)
For "retro-style" lanterns, Hamasen is a must-visit. This area preserves century-old tracks and stations from the Japanese colonial period. During the lantern festival, traditional paper lanterns and creative lanterns decorate the railway, creating a "time tunnel" atmosphere. There are many cafes and cultural shops converted from old houses nearby — aside from viewing lanterns, you can also explore the beauty of Gushan Old Town's alleys. Entry is free, ideal for travelers on a budget.
5. Lotus Lake (Zuoying Road, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung)
The most traditional lantern fair location in Kaohsiung, perfect for those wanting to experience a "classic Taiwanese lantern fair." Around Lotus Lake are historic structures like Longhu Tower and Chunqiu Ge, complemented by lanterns and blessing ceremonies, creating a particularly festive atmosphere. Parking is convenient, and there are many food stalls nearby — from spring rolls to stinky tofu to bubble tea — eating while walking and viewing lanterns is the standard "Kaohsiung style" way to celebrate the Lantern Festival.
Practical Information
The Kaohsiung Lantern Festival typically runs from the 13th to 15th day of the lunar new year (the Lantern Festival day), with specific dates varying each year. It's recommended to check the Kaohsiung City Government website before your trip. Most viewing spots are free, with only some private exhibition areas charging a fee (usually 50-100 yuan).
In terms of transportation, the high-speed rail from Taipei to Kaohsiung Zuoying Station takes about 1.5 hours, with tickets at 1490 yuan. Within the city, you can take the Orange Line of the MRT (which passes by attractions like Lotus Lake, Love River, and Hamasen) or the light rail. For drivers, city parking costs 20-40 yuan per hour, and spots fill up quickly during holidays. It's recommended to park at public parking lots near MRT stations.
Lanterns are mainly lit after 5 PM. It's recommended to arrive by 4 PM, have dinner and explore the surroundings first, then start viewing lanterns at 5:30 PM — just in time for the beautiful Blue Hour of the night view.
Travel Tips
The biggest worry is crowds, but the advantage of the Kaohsiung Lantern Festival is its "distributed exhibition areas" — you don't need to see everything at once. It's recommended to split it over two days at different areas. On the first day, focus on the Love River and 85 Sky Tower to experience the metropolitan night view; on the second day, take the ferry to Cijin for a coastline day trip.
In terms of clothing, Kaohsiung's winter sea winds are cooler (especially in Cijin), so it's recommended to bring a light jacket. For photography, a tripod is建议 since many lanterns require slow shutter speeds to capture good results.
Finally, a reminder: partial traffic control may be implemented in Kaohsiung on the Lantern Festival day. It's recommended to avoid the peak hours of 4-6 PM, or take the MRT for the most hassle-free experience.
