Preparations are underway in Taiwan for the country's most important and widely celebrated festival, the Chinese New Year celebrations. Chinese New Year this year falls on 19 February and welcomes in the year of the goat. The festivities will continue into March, culminating at the annual Lantern Festival, which takes place between 3 – 15 March.

Chinese New Year

Considered the most important Chinese holiday of the year, Chinese New Year is celebrated from the first to the fifth day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar with a number of traditions. On the eve of Chinese New Year, families complete their spring cleaning to signify the sweeping away of the misfortunes of the previous year and adults will give younger members of the family red envelopes with money inside as a sign of peace and good fortune. Fire crackers are also set off to welcome the arrival of the New Year.

Taiwan Lantern Festival 3 – 15 March

Organised by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, the festival is held annually on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The celebration marks the grand finale of the Lunar New Year season. Each year, the festival centres on a 'main theme lantern' which is based on the Chinese zodiac. This year, the focus will be the goat. The two-week long festival is celebrated throughout the country with towns and villages putting on stunning displays of decorative lanterns depicting birds, beasts and historical figures.

The main festival is held in a different region every year, with the 2015 festival taking place in Taichung City. Now in its 26th year, the opening event will take place on 5 March with performances by well-known local and international performance groups. The lanterns at the 2015 festival will celebrate the symbol of the year's Chinese zodiac, the goat, with many areas festooned with goat shaped lanterns.

Chinese New Year is an excellent time to visit Taiwan and tour operators such as Audley Travel and Cox and Kings can put together tailor-made itineraries including a visit to the Lantern Festival.

Ends

For further information on Taiwan please visit http://eng.taiwan.net.tw

Email taiwan@brightergroup.com or telephone 020 7326 9880.

Notes to editors

For media enquiries, please contact Jenny Groutage or Asha Sudha at the Brighter Group on jenny.groutage@brightergroup.com / asha.sudha@brightergroup.com or telephone 020 7326 9880.