Winter is upon us in Taipei, and when the weather cools down, thoughts inevitably turn to the arrival of a brand new year. During the most festive of seasons in Taipei, what is going to warm you up? Check out the winter events in Taipei that you don’t want to miss!
Gongguan Christmas Season
Time: 11/30 – 12/31
The annual Gongguan Christmas Season ( 公館聖誕季) is held as usual in Taipei Water Park (台北自來水園區) this year. For celebrating Christmas, the venue is lit up by sparkling light decoration and festive Christmas flower garlands all through December. The highlight of the season will take place on December 21, when a symphony orchestra has been invited to hold a grand Christmas concert, bringing music and blessings to showcase the artistic charm of the Gongguan riverside.
Moreover, the park’s century-old monument, Guanyinshan Water Cistern (觀音山蓄水池), which was just opened to the public at the beginning of this year, offers regular guided tour services on weekends. During the event periods, tickets are on sale at the ticket booth on-site daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Opening hours of the park are extended to 8:00 pm on weekends, while the park remains closed on Mondays. (Visiting Taiwan on Christmas? Check out 5 Ways to Get into the Christmas Spirit in Taiwan)
2019 Taipei Marathon
Time: 12/15
The Taipei Marathon (台北馬拉松) is one of the grand annual sporting events in Taipei. This year, the course route starts from Taipei City Hall and passes through Taipei’s major attractions, including Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Presidential Office Building, the Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店) and the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine (國民革命忠烈祠). Running from the new town of Eastern Taipei all the way to the old town of Western Taipei allows participants to conquer the race while enjoying the city’s modern and ancient sides. The event is expected to have a total of 28,000 runners this year, and everyone is welcome to join the event by cheering for the contestants along the race route. For more information, please refer to the official website.
The 2020 Taipei New Year’s Eve Party
Time: 12/31
On December 31, the 2020 Taipei New Year’s Eve Party (台北最 High 新年城跨年晚會) will take place at Taipei City Hall Square at 6:30 pm. The party will invite popular artists to perform on the stage, and the highlight of Taipei 101’s countdown fireworks display will illuminate the first day of 2020. This party will take the word “mix” as its core concept, highlighting the fact that Taipei is gathering people from all over the world to create diversity with an unlimited imagination.
The series of events are kicking off from November 9, including outdoor cinema screenings held on Friday to Sunday night from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Liugong Park (瑠公公園), and light exhibitions at Taipei City Hall that will brighten the city up every evening from 5:30 pm. (You might also like: Eight Amazing Ways to Celebrate New Years in Taiwan)
The 8th Taipei International Comics & Animation Festival
Time: 1/31 – 2/4
The Taipei International Comics & Animation Festival (台北國際動漫節) is entering its eighth year in 2020. With the theme of “Incredible Anime,” the festival will be held at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2 (台北南港展覽館 2 館) every day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm with activities scheduled on an unprecedented scale. In addition to special and unique vendors, the festival will display limited edition items of popular animation and promotional products.
Meanwhile, cartoonists/ illustrators from all over the world and voice actors and idols from Japan and Taiwan will hold fan meetings and signing events in Taipei. Animation industry professionals and comic fans, check out more information at www.facebook.com/tca.tw/
The 28th Taipei International Book Exhibition
Time: 2/4 – 2/9
The Taipei International Book Exhibition (台北國際書展, TiBE)is the biggest event for the publishing industry in Taiwan. In 2020, TiBE will host exhibitors from around the world on the first and second floor of Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1 (台北世貿中心展覽 1 館). Featuring the theme of “Reading the New Landscapes,” it provides various special exhibitions to allow book fans to learn more about publications from different perspectives.
The grand opening will be held on February 4. With Korea being the guest of honor this year, a large Korean pavilion will be set up at the exhibition to showcase popular publications and the publishing culture in Korea. Meanwhile, there will be free admission for foreign guests with passports, welcoming book fans from all over the world to enjoy the event. Furthermore, the “Book Fair Market” will be launched on the second floor of Hall 1 for the first time. You definitely do not want to miss this if you are a reader who likes to shop for exquisite and entertaining literature.
2020 Taipei Lantern Festival
Time: 2/8 – 2/16
The 2020 Taipei Lantern Festival (台北燈節), for the first time, will expand its scale to plan a dual-venue presentation in both the Eastern and Western areas of Taipei. The West End stage is centered around Ximending (西門町) and stretching all the way to North Gate Square (北門廣場); The East End stage is centered around Nanxing Park (南興公園) and Nangang Station.
The whole event will be designed to celebrate the coming Year of the Rat, and the multimedia light shows and the lantern displays will amp up the energy of this ever-moving city. Whether you are a local or a tourist, Taipei welcomes you to participate in this traditional Taipei Lantern Festival. (Read more: Eight Taiwan Lantern Festivals (that aren’t the one you think)
This article is reproduced under the permission of TAIPEI. Original content can be found at the website of Taipei Travel Net (www.travel.taipei/en).
