"New Taipei's Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival Promotes Environmental Sustainability: Calls for a Hundred People to Join Mountain Cleanup and Cultural Trek"
New Taipei City Government Tourism Bureau Press Release 113.02.25
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City Promotes Environmental Sustainability: Calls for a Hundred Participants for Mountain Cleanup and Cultural Exploration
[New Taipei City] The "2024 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival" came to a successful conclusion yesterday (24th). Apart from two sessions of sky lantern releases, the New Taipei City Government Tourism Bureau, in collaboration with the New Taipei City Mountaineering Association and the Long'an Community Development Association, organized two mountain cleanup events on February 18th and a cultural trek on the 25th. These events, featuring four mountain cleanup routes, attracted over a hundred participants collectively to safeguard the mountains and understand the beauty of Pingxi, fostering the sustainable coexistence of ecological environment and cultural heritage.
Today's "Mountain Cleanup and Cultural Trek," in collaboration with the Long'an Community Development Association, was led by Mr. Wu Ming-xian, founder of "Hip-Hop Pingxi," guiding participants through the rich ecological mountain trails of Pingxi, specifically the "Wufen Mountain Danglan Middle Section." Professional guides introduced various vegetation, mountain landscapes, insect and animal ecology, and mining relics, allowing participants to not only enjoy the scenic beauty but also deepen their understanding of Pingxi's ecological and cultural significance. Equipped with clamps and garbage bags, participants traversed the trail towards the mountaintop, admiring the beauty of the Pingxi mountains and its cultural charm while collecting sky lantern remnants. Through enjoyable educational experiences, environmental education was implemented, contributing to the collective effort to keep Pingxi clean.
The other mountain cleanup event, held on February 18th in collaboration with the New Taipei City Mountaineering Association, successfully selected three hiking routes: Xiaozishan Trail, Guanyinyan Mountain Trail, and Dongguakeng Mountain Trail. With enthusiastic participation from the public, the cleanup efforts yielded significant results, with over 160 kilograms of trash collected over the two days, equivalent to approximately 21 bags of garbage. Yang Zong-min, Director of the New Taipei City Government Tourism Bureau, emphasized the city's commitment to environmental and cultural co-prosperity over the 26 years of the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. Given the city's emphasis on environmental protection, meticulous planning was undertaken for mountain cleanup and sky lantern recovery actions. Gratitude was expressed to the enthusiastic participants in the mountain cleanup activities, with hopes of rallying even more individuals to participate in future endeavors. The aim is to progress year by year, maintaining a balance between tourism development and natural environmental protection, striving together for the sustainable tourism of Pingxi.
Yang Zong-min stated, "The '2024 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival' mountain cleanup activities concluded perfectly today. We thank domestic and international participants for their enthusiastic involvement and support for the lantern festival. The first-ever lantern photography contest is still ongoing, with submissions accepted until February 27th. We invite everyone to capture the breathtaking moments of hundreds of lanterns gathering like a river of light and submit their photos to the event mailbox, leaving behind stunning images of Pingxi. For more information about the event, please refer to the relevant link."
