Taiwan Annual Events Calendar v2 — 2026 Festival Precise Date Verification
v2 New Addition: Precise Gregorian calendar dates, start-end periods, locations, and scale for major 2026 festivals, correcting the vague data from v1.
1. Taiwan Lantern Festival 2026
| Item | Verification Result |
|---|---|
| Host City | Chiayi County (returning to Chiayi after 8 years) |
| Event Dates | 2026/3/3 (Tuesday) — 2026/3/15 (Sunday), 13 days |
| Lantern Festival Opening | td>March 3rd (15th day of the Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival) evening lighting ceremony|
| Theme | "Taiwan Illuminated · Chiayi Enlightened" |
| Main Lantern Name | "Guangmu – The World's Alishan" |
| Exhibition Area Location | Chiayi County Government Plaza and surrounding areas, approximately 30 hectares |
| Exhibition Area Scale | 1 main lantern, 2 secondary lanterns, 2 major exhibition zones, 30 themed works |
| Expected Visitors | No official figure found (not available in v1 either) |
| Transportation | Recommended to take THSR to Chiayi Station, then transfer to shuttle buses |
| Special Highlights | Super Mario limited-edition mini lanterns ("? Block" design), Osaka Expo TECH WORLD pavilion simultaneous exhibition |
Sources:
- 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi — Business Weekly
- 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival Guide — Smile Taiwan
- CommonWealth Magazine: Coverage of March 3rd Opening
II. Dragon Boat Festival Dragon Boat Race 2026
| Item | Verification Result |
|---|---|
| Lunar Festival | 5th day of the 5th lunar month |
| 2026 Gregorian Date | June 19, 2026 (Friday) |
| Holiday Arrangement | Dragon Boat Festival is a statutory holiday; in 2026, taking 4 days off yields 9 days (depending on how holidays are combined) |
| Main Race Venues | Events held across all counties and cities in Taiwan; traditional venues include: Keelung Harbor, Taipei Dajia Riverside Park, Tainan Canal, Kaohsiung Love River, Changhua Lukang |
| Major Events in Taiwan | Each county and city hosts dragon boat championships; some events begin one week before the festival |
| Remarks | Specific venues and schedules for 2026 events in each county/city are typically announced 1-2 months before the event |
Sources:
- PublicHolidays.tw — 2026 Dragon Boat Festival Date
- Trip.com — 2026 Dragon Boat Race Overview
- 有肉SUCCULAND — Dragon Boat Festival 2026 is June 19
III. Keelung Zhongyuan Festival 2026 (Keelung)
| Item | Verification Result |
|---|---|
| Lunar Period | 29th of the Sixth Lunar Month to 1st of the Eighth Lunar Month (approximately 32 days) |
| 2026 Lunar July corresponding to Gregorian | Lunar 2026 July ≈ Gregorian mid-August to mid-September 2026 (pending official announcement) |
| Traditional Main Ritual Schedule (fixed lunar dates each year) | See table below |
| 2026 Main Pu Unit (Host Organization) | Not yet officially announced (2025: Wu Clan Association; 2024: Zhang-Liao-Jian Clan Association; rotates annually) |
| Water Lantern Parade | Evening of the 14th Lunar July, held at Wanghai Lane after city parade |
| Zhongyuan Puja | Evening of the 15th Lunar July (Zhongyuan Festival) |
Main Ritual Lunar Schedule
| Lunar Date | Ritual | 2026 Estimated Gregorian (Pending Confirmation) |
|---|---|---|
| 29th of Sixth Month | Lantern Lighting Night | Mid-August |
| 1st of Seventh Month 14:00 | Opening of the Altar | Late August |
| 11th of Seventh Month 09:00 | Raising the Lantern Pole | Early September |
| 12th of Seventh Month 19:00 | Main Altar Illumination and Decorations | Early September |
| 13th of Seventh Month 14:00 | Protective Lantern Procession for Blessings | Early September |
| 14th of Seventh Month 19:00 | Grand Water Lantern Parade | Early September (Core Event) |
| 15th of Seventh Month | Zhongyuan Puja | Early September (Core Event) |
| 1st of Eighth Month | Closing of the Altar & Transfer of Ritual Censer | Late September |
Note: Specific Gregorian dates for 2026 are pending official announcement from the Keelung City Cultural Tourism Bureau. The 2025 Water Lantern Parade was held on September 5th (Friday).
Sources:
- Keelung City Cultural Tourism Bureau — 2025 Keelung Zhongyuan Festival
- Wikipedia — Keelung Zhongyuan Festival
- Tourism Administration, MOTC — 2025 Keelung Zhongyuan Festival
IV. Mazu Pilgrimage 2026
4A. Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage (Dajia Zhenlan Temple, Taichung)
| Item | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Departure Date | Friday, April 17, 2026 at 22:05 |
| Lunar Date | 1st day of the 3rd lunar month |
| Return Date | Sunday, April 26, 2026 |
| Duration | 9 days and 8 nights |
| Total Distance | Approximately 340 km |
| Route | Dajia, Taichung → Changhua → Yunlin → Xin Gang Fengtian Temple, Chiayi → Return to Dajia |
| Scale | Accompanied by millions of believers, one of Taiwan's largest religious events |
| Special Events | Temple performances, religious ceremonies (departure fire, fire-walking, etc.) |
4B. Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage (Baishatun Gongtian Temple, Miaoli)
| Item | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Departure Date | Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 23:55 |
| Lunar Date | 26th day of the 2nd lunar month |
| Flag Raising | April 9 at 23:20 |
| Arrival at Beigang Chaotian Temple | April 16 at 00:00 (29th day of the 2nd lunar month) |
| Fire Ceremony | April 17 at 00:10 |
| Return to Temple | April 20 at 16:10 (4th day of the 3rd lunar month) |
| Duration | 8 days and 7 nights |
| Characteristics | Route is not fixed; direction is determined by Mazu's divine will, making it Taiwan's most mysterious pilgrimage |
| Registration | March 11 – April 9, 2026; register in person at Baishatun Gongtian Temple daily from 08:00–18:00 |
Sources:
- CommonWealth Magazine — 2026 Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage Guide
- Citydom — Dajia Mazu Departure 4/17
- Citydom — Baishatun Mazu Departure 4/12
- Business Weekly — Baishatun Mazu Guide
Annual Events Calendar (2026 Exact Dates Edition)
| Month | Event | Exact Date (Solar Calendar) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | Taiwan Lantern Festival | 3/3—3/15 | Chiayi County Government Square |
| April | Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage | 4/12 (departure at 23:55) — 4/20 | Baishatun, Miaoli → Beigang |
| April | Dajia Mazu Procession | 4/17 (departure at 22:05) — 4/26 | Dajia, Taichung → Xingang, Chiayi |
| June | Dragon Boat Festival Dragon Boat Race | 6/19 (Friday) | Throughout Taiwan (all counties and cities) |
| August-September | Keelung Zhongyuan Festival | Lunar June 29 — August 1 (Exact date pending official announcement) | Keelung City |
v2 Update: Added 2026 exact solar calendar dates; added distinction between Dajia and Baishatun Mazu events; corrected Taiwan Lantern Festival dates (v1 incorrectly stated February, actual dates are 3/3—3/15).
Data Source / Related Verification
The information in this article is compiled from internal FactcheckDocs (TW_datatable_年度活動日曆_v2.md), with reference to publicly available official data from the TW region and industry documents. For verification details, please refer to the authority sources at the end of the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival held?
At Chiayi County Government Plaza and surrounding areas, with an exhibition area of approximately 30 hectares, on display from March 3 to March 15.
When is the 2026 Dragon Boat Festival?
June 19, 2026 (Friday), the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
When does the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage depart and return?
Departure at 22:05 on April 17, returning on April 26, lasting 9 days and 8 nights, with a total distance of approximately 340 kilometers.
When does the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage depart?
Departure at 23:55 on April 12, 2026, returning to the temple at 16:10 on April 20, lasting 8 days and 7 nights.
When is the deadline for Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage registration?
Registration in person at Ganshan Temple from March 11 to April 9, daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
