Taiwan lights up for the end of Lunar New Year

If Taiwan has been on your travel "to do" list then next week might be a good opportunity.

The 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival will be held in Chiayi County from March 3 to 15. 

Diverse offerings include the chance to stand beneath a 21-metre tower of glowing light while drones paint the night sky, fireworks burst overhead, and the sounds of Irish tap dancers fill the air. 

Taiwan Lantern Festival is one of Asia's most beloved annual celebrations - marking the end of the Lunar New Year . 

Each year it rotates to a different city and this year's theme is "Glow with Taiwan, Light Up Chiayi". 

The festival has 12 official "must-see" attractions. The centrepiece is "Glow of Alishan", a towering 21-metre main lantern synchronized to a full sound and light show. 

International artists include France's Cavalcade of White Horses and high-energy Irish tap dancers, along with the Taiwanese Paper Windmill Theatre, and the Ming Hwa Yuan Arts & Cultural Group.

Chiayi is accessible by high-speed rail with the Chiayi HSR Station connected to Taipei in under 90 minutes. 

See more at 2026taiwanlanternfestival.org/En 

Sydney celebrates Lunar New Year over two whole weeks

 

The City of Sydney will offer over two weeks of family-friendly music, feasts and performances as celebrations welcoming the Lunar New Year kick off. 

The Sydney Lunar Festival will include a bigger Sydney Lunar Streets featuring its own carousel, a 43-metre walk-through lantern installation with more than 750 individual lights, lion dancing and colourful banner galleries brightening up the footpaths.

Sydney hosts one of the largest celebrations of the Lunar New Year outside Asia, and the City of Sydney has overseen the festival for 30 years.

“All of Sydney is embracing the festival, with increasing numbers of people from communities that don’t traditionally celebrate the Lunar New Year taking part and attending events,” says Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney. 

“People born in the Year of the Horse are believed to be hard-working, independent and warm-hearted, traits that embody some of the key values of Sydney.

“The lasting impact of our hard work to revitalise Haymarket can be seen along the rejuvenated Dixon Street and is exemplified by the majestic Chinatown gates, whose restoration was completed in June 2025. These exciting improvements balance respect for the area's history with contemporary cultural expression will keep Dixon Street buzzing for generations to come."

Sydney Lunar Festival runs until March 1. 

Giant Jenga, Connect 4 and Snakes and Ladders will be some of the oversized games available to play during the final festival weekend on Hay Street.

Associated events including art exhibitions, food and drink offerings, talks, tours, performances and workshops hosted by several organisations and businesses will also take place throughout the festival.

Visit sydneylunarfestival.com for more info.

Image: City of Sydney, Abril Felman/Phoebe Pratt 

Tokyo the top destination for Lunar New Year escapes

What is the most popular travel destination for a Lunar New Year escape? 

Digital travel platform Agoda says search and booking patterns from Asia reveal Japanese capital Tokyo retains top spot, followed by Bangkok (Thailand), and Taipei (Taiwan). 

The data, comparing searches in December 2025, showed Osaka (Japan), ranked at fourth place, and Seoul (South Korea) secured the fifth spot while Fukuoka (Japan) held sixth position.

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) debuted on the list at seventh, while Sapporo (Japan) slipped one spot to eighth. Singapore and Hong Kong also remained popular, rounding out the list of top 10n destinations.

This year marks the Year of the Horse, symbolising energy, movement, and adventure. 

"The Lunar New Year is all about adventure and discovery, especially in the Year of the Horse," says Andrew Smith, senior vice-president for supply at Agoda. 

"It's exciting to see travellers embracing both traditional favourites and new experiences during one of Asia's top travel moments." 

See agoda.com/deals.

Image: Tokyo, Meghan Page, Scop.io

Vietjet adds to rapidly expanding fleet

 

Vietjet has recently welcomed the latest addition to its fast-growing fleet: an Airbus A321neo ACF (Airbus Cabin Flex). 

This is the 111th aircraft to join the airline's fleet as it builds an impressive reputation for value. 

The new Airbus A321neo ACF is equipped with advanced cabin design, meeting the latest standards for seat dimensions and spacing to ensure "an enhanced passenger experience". 

The aircraft is also described as highly efficient, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by up to 20% and noise levels by up to 50%.

As part of its strategic expansion, Vietjet is set to receive three additional aircraft over the next couple of weeks. 

To meet the surge in demand during the Lunar New Year holiday, the airline also plans to wet-lease between six and 10 aircraft on a short-term basis. 

Vietjet is a member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate and is Vietnam’s largest private carrier, flying from several Australian airports direct to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. 

More information at www.vietjetair.com

Sydney artists on fast track for Lunar New Year

Sydney is being transformed into a an open-air gallery with art celebrating Asian cultures on display to usher in Lunar New Year celebrations.

Sydney Lunar Festival begins on Saturday and will welcome the Year of the Dragon, an animal that symbolises good luck, great power and intelligence in Asian cultures.

Among the artworks are 12 zodiac lanterns, a bespoke dragon adorning the light rail, banner galleries and child-friendly illustrations.

“Our city is a canvas and after painting the town in Christmas and New Year Eve’s colours, we’re ready to welcome the Year of the Dragon with the Sydney Lunar Festival - one of the biggest Lunar New Year festivals outside Asia,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO. 

“One in six people globally celebrate this date and our festival is vitally important to our Asian communities. We’re so excited to host it again for the 28th year running.

“Every year, our employees work tirelessly to make this festival great. But our work doesn’t stop there - last year Council unanimously approved a $44 million strategy that’ll revitalise Haymarket and Chinatown and bring the area back to its former glory.”

Colourful lanterns representing the 12 zodiac animals will be on display along George Street throughout the festival. The 12 animals combine modern shapes, traditional aesthetics and colours like deep reds which denote luck in Chinese culture.

The lanterns and floral plinth artworks were designed by artist Erika Zhu. 

“Style-wise, I leaned towards softer rounded outlines to evoke a friendlier and welcoming vibe, a gesture of open arms to the Asian-Australian community in a moment of celebration for the Lunar New Year,” Zhu said.

For the first time, the City of Sydney has collaborated with the NSW Government, Transdev and artist Andrew Yee to cover a light rail with a dragon that will fly along the tracks throughout the festival.



"My artwork intends to capture generations of Haymarket’s community, tied together by the idealism of the dragon," said Yee (above). 

"With the announcement of Chinatown’s $44 million upgrade, the potential for change is brimming with optimism. It is the perfect time to recognise the community’s storied history and carry its significance into the future.” 

The Lunar banner galleries return in 2024 with the creations of Chrissy Lau, Dongwang Fan, Yonny and William Tse, and Yuqing Wei. Their creations will fly at Circular Quay and along George, Sussex and Harbour streets.

Images: Chris Southwood/City of Sydney

An art history of Vietnam through the eyes of maverick Bill Bensley

Bill Bensley is one of the world's leading architects and hotel designers - and he will curate an adventure through the past, present and future of Vietnam during the Tết festival with an original art exhibition.

The InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort will host a Lunar New Year event that will see “The History of Vietnam (According to Bill Bensley)” transport art lovers on a journey from the 17th to the 22nd centuries with a collection of approximately 30 whimsical paintings that Bensley has created especially for this occasion.

The artworks will focus on the rich heritage of Danang and Hoi An through "a collection of vibrant contemporary paintings". 

From early international voyages to Vietnam in the 1600s, to the start of trading with Europe and Korea in the 1700s, ships venturing as far as southern Chile in the 1800s, and the departure of the French in the 1950s, history will be depicted in Bensley’s irreverent style. 

The exhibition will also offer a glimpse 100 years into the future, with a temple in Danang designed by AI. 

The Bensley Art Show will be launched at the Bensley Outsider Gallery, a dedicated exhibition space on the Sky Level of InterContinental Danang, on February 11 to coincide with Lunar New Year, and will run through until April 30. 

Visitors will be able to purchase the artworks and proceeds will be donated to charitable causes, including Bensley’s Shinta Mani Foundation. 

The artist will also host a lecture entitled The Light-Hearted Works of Bill Bensley at the Moulin Rouge Theatre  on February 9.

“We are thrilled to host this unique show honouring the history of Vietnam in Bill Bensley’s signature style," said Seif Hamdy, the resort’s general manager..

"Our resort strives to give our guests unique, authentic and entertaining experiences that also communicate the richness of Vietnam’s culture – and this show delivers on all fronts.” 

For more information see www.danang.intercontinental.com.

Covid is no barrier to Lunar New Year fun

The people of Sydney won't let a pandemic prevent them from having a good time.

The City of Sydney is hosting Lunar Lanes - a one-off Sydney Lunar Festival event - in Haymarket this Saturday featuring roving performers, market stalls, DJs, lion dancers and a night-time concert.

The event will run from 5pm-10pm.

Lunar Lanes offers the first chance to see this year’s new crouching tiger lanterns, standing guard in Dixon Street Mall as part of the city's lunar lanterns display of the 12 zodiac animals.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the event is a terrific opportunity for Sydneysiders and visitors alike to come back and enjoy the city and Chinatown, the traditional heart of Sydney’s Lunar Festival celebrations.

“We launched this wonderful community celebration in 2020 and we’re looking forward to once again seeing people experiencing the cultural activities, entertainment and feasts on offer,” Moore said.

“Lunar Lanes is a wonderful way for people to enjoy the spirit of our 2022 Year of the Tiger celebrations.

“Creating outdoor opportunities for visitors and residents is an essential part of what we’re doing to support our local businesses through these challenging times, and we are doing everything we can to make this a safe event for everyone.

"Covid-19 safety plans will be in place for Lunar Lanes and all NSW Health regulations will be followed.

“People are keen to get out of the house and enjoy what Sydney has to offer, safely. By closing off streets, we’re creating extra space that will give people a safe way to support local businesses and re-engage with their community.

“Given the ongoing spread of the Omicron variant, people still need to exercise caution, follow health guidance and get vaccinated. When it comes to enjoying events like Lunar Lanes and our Summer Streets activations, we urge people attending to be vaccinated, wear a mask and practise safe distancing.”

Entertainment and activities at Lunar Lanes will include cultural performances by Sydney’s Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Taiwanese and Japanese communities on the main stage at Hay Street, lion dancers performing to the beat of accompanying drummers and 10-metre illuminated LED lion dance performance.

Street stalls will be set up for a carnival atmosphere and food trucks will be on site as well as local restaurants.

For more information on Sydney Lunar Festival events, entertainment, restaurant offerings and art installations, visit the City of Sydney’s What’s On website.