Hsinchu Events and Festivals

Chinese New Year: pinned to the first day of the year's first lunar month, this festive family occasion is the biggest event of the year. There is a great deal of commotion leading up to the New Year celebrations as families clean their homes and sweep away any traces of bad luck. The colour red plays a major role in the holiday, and little red packets containing sweets along with cash are given to children at family gatherings.

Lantern Festival: two weeks into the New Year, the Lantern Festival is officially held on the 15^th day of the first lunar cycle. Decorative lanterns with pictures of animals and important historical figures are hung in temples and houses throughout town. Lantern-making competitions are also held at some venues, as are lantern 'riddle parties'.

Flower Festival: is held every March in Eighteen-Peaks Mountain Park. While the facilities here are open year-round, with free parking at weekends and holidays, the best time to visit is during the festival when the apricot and peach trees, azaleas, and camellias are in bloom. There are several rows of creatively-landscaped shrubs as well. During the festival, a free shuttle-bus runs from the city centre to the park.

Sea Festival: Hsinchu city government has declared April the official 'gazing to the sea month'. A number of scheduled activities draw attention to the city's 10-mile waterfront. A new beachfront bicycle lane has been installed, and there's a heavy emphasis on enjoying fresh seafood and serene sunsets during April.

Tomb Sweeping Day: also known as Qingming (‘eternal brightness’) Festival, this is an occasion to remember ancestors and loved ones who have passed away. Families gather at grave sites and hang willow branches on the gates of mausoleums in order to stave off evil spirits. This is also a time of renewal, as farmers traditionally return to plough their fields and young people are encouraged to begin courtships. Kite flying is a popular activity with children on Tomb Sweeping Day.

Prayer for Blessings Ceremony: held during the seventh lunar month (the 'Ghost Month') according to the Chinese calendar, locals traditionally offer libations and prayers to deities and local spirits in hopes of procuring a blessing for the coming months. The local government's attempt to draw attention to this month indicates a desire to retain Hsinchu's traditional beliefs throughout the modern age.

Sightseeing Festival: as the city of Hsinchu is striving for increased recognition among Taiwan's tourists, an entire month has been set aside for tourist-related enterprises. An open-air opera production is held in early August, followed by a series of carnivals and other cultural events highlighting the food and historic attractions of Hsinchu.

Rice Noodle Festival: Hsinchu, also known as Taiwan's 'Windy City', is a great place to air-dry rice noodles. As a result, the region has long been associated with this traditional process. This festival puts rice noodles and meatballs at the centre of a long list of events, all of which explore the history and production of this food craft. Of course, everyone enjoying this festival gets plenty to eat.

Hsinchu Glass Festival: Hinschu and the surrounding region are forerunners in the production of delicate glasswork. This international glass art festival began in the mid-1990s and continues to be held every two years. Exhibits cover the history of glasswork in Hsinchu and feature several works of art by artisans from many different countries.

Pas-taai Festival: this ceremony serves to honour the Saisiat aboriginal group, one of nine original tribes in Taiwan. This particular ethnic group has maintained strong ties with its religious and cultural past, and a festival lasting three evenings is held outside of Hsinchu in Wufong township. The ceremony is a means of honouring indigenous 'short spirits' believed to inhabit the land. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about this unique Taiwanese subculture.

Monkey Ceremony: the Puyuma tribe holds an interesting coming-of-age festival near the end of December. This rite of passage sees older boys transforming into young men. A series of trials ends with a ritualistic monkey-piercing ceremony in which a bamboo stick is driven through the animal. After four trials, the boys set out into the forest on a five-day hunting expedition. Those who return with a catch are considered eligible for marriage.