The Surreal Experience of Releasing a Handmade Sky Lantern at Shifen, Pingxi

At every turn, Shifen, Pingxi, throbs with a sprightliness. Vendors proudly plug beloved Taiwanese foods such as mini sausages and chicken wings to passersby. Tourists flit hither and thither along the gravel-laden railroad, hoping to find the perfect spot for a photo. Others are hunkered down, an intensity in their eyes as they lay brush strokes onto coloured papers clipped to a stand. Twice every hour, there comes a sudden ringing of bells, vendors hollering “the train is coming!” and dispersing the trail of ants. Finally, the chugging train gives two loud honks as more people flock to the sidelines to capture photos of the gargantuan vehicle.

“You don’t have to write your wishes in Mandarin,” said Ting and Charles, my tour guides from My Taiwan Tour. That revelation brought some relief to my tour mates and me, a posse of fellow Singaporeans as well as a Korean couple also residing in my home country. My knowledge of Chinese characters was severely impaired, and I was not about to embarrass myself with my language deficiency before a bunch of fluent speakers.

I had hitherto not been too keen on releasing a sky lantern, for I discerned not the significance of the act. Your hopes and dreams, worded in black ink on red, orange, blue and purple paper, and then released skywards. It is superstition at best, and however idealistic a person I may be, I believe meritocracy and hard labour are the secrets to realising my dreams. And then I was told I would have the opportunity to make my own sky lantern — which stirred my apprehension for I am entirely inept when it comes to arts and crafts.

We sat through a step-by-step demonstration, which assuaged my doubts for the process seemed foolproof.

The final step of course is releasing the lantern. We made a beeline for the railroad, and ah ma helped to light the candle. I felt the rush of hot air filling the inside of the lantern. The blaze of the fire, red hot and almost scalding, caressed my hand. Slowly the lantern seemed to come alive, and it resisted the gravitational force that was holding it down: me. I had to let go — and isn’t that what living life to the fullest requires: letting go of your fears and questions and doubts and judgements. And so I did. Up, up the lantern soared as onlookers cheered, all my ambitions and goals and favourite things written in words rising higher than buildings and becoming one with the clouds. It was then I felt a paroxysm of blissful euphoria wash over me.