Wishing Lanterns in Shifen (Taiwan): What is the Impact?

Waste

Shifen is a historic mining town in the Pingxi District of northern Taiwan, world-famous for its charming Old Street right next to the train tracks and for the tradition of releasing wish lanterns. The latter is the main reason Shifen is considered one of the country’s top attractions. You can light a large paper lantern right on the active train tracks, after which it floats into the sky carrying your personal wishes. It’s a spectacle that Content Marketer Maaike Lesuis witnessed firsthand during her visit to Taiwan, though she chose not to release a wish lantern herself. The reason? A mountain of discarded lanterns that was already clearly visible along the road leading to this tourist village.

In this blog series, we take a look at waste from a perspective beyond the borders of the Netherlands and Belgium. How do other cities and countries manage their waste streams? What can we learn from them—and what should we avoid? These insights help us achieve our mission: a world free of waste.

1 to 2 million visitors per year: the history behind Shifen’s lanterns

Every year, between 1 and 2 million domestic and international visitors come to Shifen. Especially during the world-famous Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival around Chinese New Year, tens of thousands of people flock to the village at the same time. Our colleague Maaike Lesuis was there outside of this festive occasion, though even on a typical Tuesday, there was no shortage of lanterns. And there’s a reason for that.

In the 19th century, the remote Pingxi region was very prosperous, making it an attractive target for highwaymen and bandits. When the raiders approached, the villagers fled into the mountains. Once the danger had passed and it was safe to return home, those who had remained behind in the village lit lanterns as a coded signal to the mountains.Over the years, this sense of relief and a freshstart transformed into a tradition of hope and making wishes.

Visitors to Shifen Old Street can choose from lanterns in a single solid color or combinations of 4 to 8 colors. Each color symbolizes a specific wish.

Red: Health, peace, and general happiness.

Yellow / Gold: Wealth , money, and business prosperity.

Blue: Career , promotion, and professional success.

Purple: Academic achievement , creativity, and passing exams.

Orange: Love, a happy marriage, and family harmony.

White: A bright future and a fresh, new start.

Pink / Magenta: Joy , popularity, and social relationships

In Shifen Old Street in Taiwan.

What happens to a lantern after it takes flight?

It is estimated that between 300,000 and 400,000 lanterns are released into the sky each year in Shifen and the surrounding Pingxi District. Once a lantern runs out of fuel, it drifts back down and lands in the village, the surrounding mountains, forests, and rivers. This causes various ecological problems. For example, traditional lanterns are made of waterproof paper, wire, and tape. To give an idea: it takes anywhere from 9 months to several years for the thin metal to dissolve into the soil due to rust. In addition, animals in the forests can become entangled in the lanterns’ wire frames, and residues of chemical paint and heavy metals in the paper can poison the soil and the water in local rivers.

Stricter rules to combat the environmental impact—but do they actually work?

Tour buses take tourists to Shifen, often in combination with a visit to Jiufen, a nearby village that’s perhaps even more popular than the lantern hotspot itself. “As we got closer and closer to Shifen, I saw more and more lanterns appearing along the road and in nature,” says Content Marketer Maaike Lesuis. According to the tour guides, the waste is neatly cleaned up after the lanterns burn out. In practice, however, this doesn’t always seem to be the case.

In early 2026, the Taipei City government implemented stricter measures to reduce the environmental impact. For example, lanterns may now only be released from the Shifen Visitor Center and the Shigong Bridge. Anyone who releases a lantern outside these zones or outside the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. risks a fine of up to NT$ 3,000 (roughly equivalent to 80 euros). In addition, local shops are being more actively encouraged to switch to eco-lanterns. These versions use recyclable, biodegradable materials such as a bamboo frame or natural glue. They are also designed so that the paper burns completely at high altitudes, resulting in less litter ending up in the forests. Maaike doubts whether this is actually the case in practice. “During my visit to Shifen, I only saw lanterns made of wire. Even the lanterns lying along the roads as litter were made of wire.”

Toeristen laten een wenslantaarn op langs de treinrails van Shifen Old Street in Taiwan.

How can you help reduce waste at your vacation destination?

In addition to the environmental measures taken by the government, you can also reduce your own impact on the environment. When you travel or go on vacation, you sometimes end up in special places like Shifen, with its rich tradition of wish lanterns. There, you can make conscious choices: you can observe and experience the tradition without releasing a lantern yourself. There are also things you can do on your own to help keep your vacation destination cleaner. For example, take part in a beach cleanup or go for a walk along the beach and pick up litter. That’s how we work toward a world free of waste.

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