[Travel Taiwan] Setting Dates II: Holidays & Special Events

I always do my homework before traveling, and after perusing many travel forums, I noticed a lot of people complain about traveling on a certain date expecting to see festive streets decorated for the holidays filled with people, only to find empty streets because everyone went to celebrate in their own home. Entertainment in Taiwan is basically 24/7, but there are still times less optimal for travel, and I've put together a guide to the holidays and other special dates for you.

(see Setting Dates Part 1 here)

National Holidays

開國紀念日 Foundation Day of ROC /Jan 1

All shops are open.

Do:

Flag-rising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office.

Go to New Year Celebration concerts/fireworks the day before, then sleep in.

農曆新年 Lunar New Year /late Jan-early Feb

Most shops are closed! Some chain stores and all convenience stores will be open. I live on pizza during Lunar New Year. 

Some tourism facilities will be open, but be prepared to be swarmed by families!

Do:

Visit traditional shopping streets(年貨大街) BEFORE Lunar New Year to see the many traditional snacks and decorations.

228紀念日 Peace Memorial Day /Feb 28

All shops are open. 

Do:

Visit 228 Park and Museum to learn about the history behind the Memorial Day.

清明節 Tomb Sweeping Day /April 4 or April 5

Most shops are open.

端午節 Dragon Boat Festival /mid June 

Most shops are open. 
Do:
Watch dragon boat race and eat rice dumplings.

中秋節 Mid-Autumn Festival /mid September 

Most shops are open. 
Do:
Eat moon cakes, go moon watching, have BBQ with friends.

雙十節 Double Ten National Day /October 10

All shops are open. 

Do:

Flag rising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office.

Open Hours

Almost all stores and governmental organizations will be closed during Lunar New Year.

Governmental organizations: weekdays 8:30-12:30, 13:30-17:30

Banks: weekdays 09:00-15:30

Shops: most are open daily, 11:00-22:00.

Restaurants: most are open daily, 11:00-14:00, 17:00-22:00. Some are open in the afternoon.

Convenience stores: 24/7. A few of them will be closed during the night. 

Department Stores: open daily. 11:00-21:30

Night markets: night markets in Taipei are open daily, 16:00-12:00. In other cities they are only open on certain days of the week.

Sale Seasons

Taiwan is not very competitive when it comes to being THE shopping destination, but during the sale seasons it is still worth some browsing. 

Two main sales are Mother's Day母親節折扣季 (May) and Annual Sale周年慶 (Sep-Dec).