Description - What to expect

Meet your tour guide and driver and start your Pingxi Sky Lantern & Shifen Waterfall tour with a ride to this popular city. Pingxi is one of these small towns that were once prosperous due to the coal mining industry in the 1960s. The last coal mine closed in 1997, many of the residents moved out, and these towns became silent and desolated. Even though the golden age may be long gone, Pingxi becomes well-known for being the film location of some movies and TV commercials.

Pingxi Sky Lantern & Shifen Waterfall Tour Itinerary

◾ Shifen Old Street and Shifen Railway Station
The first stop on your half-day tour is Shifen Railway Station. The station is located down Keelung River from the waterfall area, right alongside Shifen Old Street, originally built for transporting coal during Japanese colonization. Today it stands as a reminder of Taiwan’s history.

Shifen Old Street is lined with souvenir shops, sky lantern shops and eateries, where you can enjoy a little shopping before you head off to the next stop. You will also see a lot of people set up their sky lanterns on the railway track, getting ready to release them into the sky. Since you are here, of course, you will not miss out on the opportunity to experience this special tradition.

◾ Sky Lantern Release in Shifen Old Street
Sky Lantern release in Taiwan originates from Shifen in Pingxi District, New Taipei City. Nowadays, lanterns are used as symbols of peace and good fortune; the world-renowned Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is a great yearly event that draws hundreds of thousands of people every year. On this tour, you will experience this meaningful and unforgettable Taiwanese tradition.

3 or 4 people will share one lantern, and each of you can write down your wishes on one side of the lantern. Your tour guide will teach you how to release a sky lantern correctly, so you can fully enjoy the tranquil and peaceful moment.

◾ Shifen Waterfall
Your tour continues with a visit to Shifen Waterfall. Shifen Waterfall is one of the most popular attractions in this area, widely known as the “Little Niagara Falls” of Taiwan, a cascade-type waterfall similar to North America’s Niagara Falls.

There are several viewing platforms near Shifen Waterfall, where visitors can see the waterfall from different angles, and even have a close-up look. On sunny days, if you are lucky, you can capture a beautiful rainbow created by the mist of this 20-meter-tall waterfall as it splashes into the lake.

◾ Drop off at Xinyi Shopping District (Taipei 101)
At the end of the Pingxi Sky Lantern & Shifen Waterfall tour, you may choose to disembark at Xinyi Shopping District (Taipei 101) or MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station.