Taiwan Railway to test-lift ban on sky lantern releases on Pingxi train tracks

Taipei, Nov. 27 (CNA) Taiwan Railway Corp. (TR) said Wednesday that it plans to lift its ban on the release of sky lanterns on railway tracks in New Taipei's Pingxi District for the next two months, starting this weekend.

In Pingxi, the release of paper lanterns is a popular tourism activity all year round, with many people inscribing them with wishes before lofting them into the sky by lighting a small flame at the center to produce heat and thus create an effect similar to a miniature air balloon.

The activity is currently allowed only in designated areas, under the New Taipei City Sky Lantern Release Management Regulations, and it is banned by law on railway tracks.

Many people tend to ignore the regulations, however, standing on the train tracks in Pingxi, which run through some main streets in the district, to release sky lanterns not just during the annual Lantern Festival but all year round.

That practice was highlighted in August when a Taiwanese YouTuber duo was fined NT$10,000 (US$320) for encroaching on the Shifen railway track in Pingxi to release paper lanterns.

In an apology video, the duo, known as "Tsai Tai-tai and Tsai Sheng-sheng" (菜苔苔與菜生生), said that they were directed onto the tracks by vendors, and that many other visitors were also releasing lanterns there at the time.

As part of efforts to balance tourism and public safety, authorities will test-lift the ban during designated hours and within restricted areas, starting at Shifen Station, then later at Pingxi and Jingtong stations, the railway company said Wednesday.

The ban will be lifted from this weekend to the end of January 2026, as train services on the line will remain suspended for roadbed repairs following erosion caused by the recent heavy rains, TR said.

Pingxi District chief Lee Tien-ming (李天民) told CNA in a telephone interview Wednesday that the district office had already submitted proposed timeframes and designated areas for the release of lanterns at the three stations listed by TR.

Meanwhile, the city's Tourism and Travel Bureau said that the people releasing the lanterns will have to comply with the relevant regulations on time, safety and areas, or risk fines of up to NT$3,000, as allowed under the Fire Services Act.

The city will disseminate information about the regulations and ask lantern vendors to comply, the bureau said.