My next few blogs will be a series focused on my recent trip to Taiwan and all of the amazing things I got to see and learn. Enjoy! The Lantern Festival in Taiwan is held in a different city every year and is a celebration to end the Lunar New Year festivities. This year marks the year of the Ram (but can also be translated to goat or sheep), and the festival was held for second time in Taichung, located in central Taiwan. Getting to the site was very easy, situated just an hour ride from Taipei on the high speed rail, giving great views of the landscape. I did not realize how big this festival was until I entered the station and was met with hundreds of thousands of visitors from Taiwan, China and across the globe. Incredibly, everyone was packed in tight but still moved seamlessly to the fair grounds across the road. Once on the grounds I was in awe of the lanterns. Tens of thousands of handcrafted, unique lanterns lit the walkways. Some were politically focused while others where whimsical in nature; all were a joy to see. All paths led to the giant ram lantern in the center of the field. Sitting 75 feet tall, the ram lit up once an hour in a full staged show, blazing the fair grounds with lights, laser beams and music. We roamed for hours, and once my feet hurt too much to move, we made our final way through the shopping area, where we were given lanterns resembling lambs. Taiwan estimates they gave away 80,000 of those lanterns to guests during the festival. If you are in Taiwan around the Lunar New Year come 2016, be sure to reserve a day to check out this festival. It is a bit of a surreal experience that gives you a glimpse into Taiwanese traditions and lore. — Carly Allen, vice president