The upcoming 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival will take place in Taichung, and the main exhibition area includes Houli Horse Ranch & Forest Expo Site, which will open from February 8 to 23 next year, while lanterns in the secondary exhibition area (Wenxin Forest Park) will be lit in late December. According to Transportation Bureau Director General Chao-fu Yeh, transport arrangements for the lantern festival will comprise railway and shuttle buses. Visitors can reach the main exhibition area upon exiting the Houli Railway Station; furthermore, 10 bus and shuttle bus services will take the visitors directly to the secondary exhibition area during the holidays, therefore taking the train, bus, and the shuttle bus is the ideal way to attend the lantern festival!
The main exhibition area of 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival is located in the adjacent to the Houli Horse Ranch & Forest Expo Site, adjacent to Houli Railway Station, therefore Director-General Yeh pointed out that visitors can take the train and disembark at Houli Railway Station to reach the exhibition area as soon as they exit the station. For those taking the THSR train, visitors from south Taiwan may disembark at THSR Taichung Station, walk for about 10 minutes to reach Xinwuri Railway Station and transfer to the train to reach Houli Railway Station; visitors from north Taiwan may disembark at THSR Miaoli Station, walk for about 5 minutes to reach Fengfu Railway Station before taking the train to Houli Railway Station. Compared to disembarking at THSR Taichung Station and transferring to the train, this approach saves time and money.
The secondary exhibition area is located in Wenxin Forest Park, adjacent to Daqing Railway Station. According to Director-General Yeh, visitors going to the lantern festival may board the train and disembark at Daqing Railway Station before taking the 800 bus to reach the destination. For those taking the THSR, please disembark at THSR Taichung Station and transfer to the 800 bus on the 1F of the station. Additionally, currently 8 buses pass through the vicinity of the secondary exhibition area including 5, 53, 73, 89, 157, 356, 359, and 800 bus. The city government has coordinated with bus operators to increase the frequency of 800 bus traveling between Daqing Railway Station and Wenxin Forest Park during the holidays for the convenience of the citizens going to the lantern festival.
Director-General Yeh commented that traffic control will be implemented on roads surrounding the exhibition areas during the lantern festival. Since all the parking lots are some distance away from the exhibition areas, the public is advised not to drive to the lantern festival. If driving is unavoidable, the city government has set up 2 shuttle bus stops and 8 shuttle bus services at Houli East Station and Houli Horse Ranch Station in the main exhibition area in Houli; citizens may park their vehicles in the following parking lots: Shengang, Lihpaoland Resort, Jia Bao Chang and YFY (consolidated), Maple Garden, Taiyuan, Dali Sports Park, Shalu Railway Station or Shuinan (north shuttle bus stop), before boarding a shuttle bus to reach the exhibition area. Moreover, 2 free shuttle bus services will be available for the secondary exhibition area during the holidays: Shuinan shuttle bus stop and Xiangshang Parking Lot shuttle bus stop.
Director-General Yeh reminds the public that temporary parking during the lantern festival is strictly prohibited, and vehicles parked illegally will be clamped down to maintain the orderliness and safety of the local traffic conditions. Citizens are urged to make use of THSR, Taiwan Railways, bus, and free shuttle bus to reach the lantern festival sites in order to prevent traffic congestion.
The Transportation Bureau suggested that in order to increase the convenience of lantern festival-goers, the city government has requested more than NT$34 million in shuttle service subsidies from the central government by submitting the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival Shuttle Service Budget Application Proposal to the Tourism Bureau, MOTC and the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival Shuttle Service and Transport Plan to the Directorate General of Highways, MOTC. The purpose is to explain relevant measures implemented for the lantern festival such as transport plan, shuttle service, parking lots, and traffic control, so as to provide the public with comprehensive transport and shuttle services.