Sky Wishes - Releasing Lanterns at Shifen

#2024wish On our third day, we hired a car to explore Jiufen and Shifen. Our affable driver took us to Shi Fen for a sky lantern release before our visit to Jiu Fen, perfectly timing it before the predicted rain. Walking down the tracks, vibrant stores offered competitively priced sky lanterns, each colour carrying auspicious meanings: - Red for good fortune - Pink for romance - Peach-red for decisions and opportunities - Orange for money - Yellow for success - White for health - Green for growth - Blue for hope - Purple for idealism We selected colours symbolising what mattered most to us - health and good fortune. Traditionally, Kongming lanterns were intricately crafted with biodegradable materials, but recent high demand has led to the use of non-biodegradable ones, posing great environmental hazards. Despite nature's sacrifice for our hope and wishes (which may not even come true), local dependence on this activity makes restriction challenging. If environmental concerns trouble you, consider skipping the lantern release. Nevertheless, Shifen offers an unforgettable cultural experience worth exploring!