Because of the pandemic, performers from overseas can’t come to Taiwan, so the Yilan County Government has announced that the 2020 Yilan International Children’s Folklore & Folkgame Festival is canceled. However, the light show and water dance on the waters of the Waterfront Park will still go ahead, with free admission from 4 p.m. and arts performances in between for visitors to enjoy!
· Event dates: July 18 – end of August / 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (free admission).
Even without the Folkgame Festival, don’t let the little ones feel down — we’ve put together a list of family-friendly attractions in Yilan that are every bit as fun as the festival!
>> Family attractions in Yilan | No problem that the 2020 Folkgame Festival is canceled!
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[Event recap] 2018 Yilan Folkgame Festival guide – transportation, tickets and tips
The Folkgame Festival is now in its 23rd year! This year the organizers have generously extended discounted tickets to elementary and junior high school students from other counties, so everyone in Taiwan is welcome to join in and let the kids experience cultures from around the world while they play. If you’re planning to bring the whole family to this big international arts and folkgame festival, keep an eye on any information the organizers release so you don’t miss the best ticket deals, and so you can avoid the biggest crowds — saving your wallet and making the visit more enjoyable. That’s why gogoout has put together this article, so you can prepare early with no worries and play to your heart’s content once you’re there.
2018 Yilan Folkgame Festival dates: July 7 (Sat) – August 19 (Sun)
2018 Yilan Folkgame Festival venue: Dongshan River Waterfront Park, Yilan (No. 2, Sec. 2, Qinhe Rd., Wujie Township, Yilan County)
Folkgame Festival: 2017 video recap
Getting ready for the trip? Look here
Family trips in Yilan: 5 must-visit spots — a must-read if you have kids
Latest 2018 ticket information — take note!
| Folkgame passport (multiple-entry pass) [Online ticket sales -> event has ended] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Please apply with a digital photo taken within the last three months. During the event the pass is valid for the named holder only and allows unlimited entry to the park.
*With a passport pass you can keep playing, and playing, and playing! | Application period | Pass type | Price | Eligibility | Advance sales (before June 24) | General | Non-resident | 500 | General public not registered as Yilan County residents | County resident | 100 (regular price NT$400) | Only for current registered residents of Yilan County or those whose ID number starts with G | Students (junior high and elementary) | Non-resident | 100 (regular price NT$400) | Junior high and elementary school students not registered in Yilan County [born between September 1, 2002 (inclusive) and July 6, 2012 (inclusive)] | Yilan residents | 100 (regular price NT$200) | Junior high and elementary school students registered in Yilan County or with an ID number beginning with G [born between September 1, 2002 (inclusive) and July 6, 2012 (inclusive)] | From now until 5/31: group passport applications (deliver in person or mail to No. 101, Sec. 2, Fuxing Rd., Yilan City) 6/1-6/24: online e-passport pickup at the counter, Yilan Cultural Center and Luodong Cultural Working House (service hours: Tue.-Sun. 10:00-17:00; closed Mondays) | Event period (7/7-8/19) | Regular | Non-Yilan residents | 500 | General public not registered in Yilan County | Yilan residents | 400 | Only for residents currently registered in Yilan County or those with an ID number beginning with G | Students (junior high and elementary) | Non-Yilan residents | 400 | Junior high and elementary school students not registered in Yilan County [born between September 1, 2002 (inclusive) and July 6, 2012 (inclusive)] | Yilan residents | 200 | Junior high and elementary school students registered in Yilan County or with an ID number beginning with G [born between September 1, 2002 (inclusive) and July 6, 2012 (inclusive)] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Application period | Passport type | Price | Who it’s for | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advance sale period (before 6/24) | Regular | Non-Yilan residents | 500 | General public not registered in Yilan County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yilan residents | 100 (regular price NT$400) | Only for residents currently registered in Yilan County or those with an ID number beginning with G | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Students (junior high and elementary) | Non-Yilan residents | 100 (regular price NT$400) | Junior high and elementary school students not registered in Yilan County [born between September 1, 2002 (inclusive) and July 6, 2012 (inclusive)] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yilan residents | 100 (regular price NT$200) | Junior high and elementary school students registered in Yilan County or with an ID number beginning with G [born between September 1, 2002 (inclusive) and July 6, 2012 (inclusive)] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| From now until 5/31: group passport applications (deliver in person or mail to No. 101, Sec. 2, Fuxing Rd., Yilan City) 6/1-6/24: online e-passport pickup at the counter, Yilan Cultural Center and Luodong Cultural Working House (service hours: Tue.-Sun. 10:00-17:00; closed Mondays) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event period (7/7-8/19) | Regular | Non-Yilan residents | 500 | General public not registered in Yilan County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yilan residents | 400 | Only for residents currently registered in Yilan County or those with an ID number beginning with G | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Students (junior high and elementary) | Non-Yilan residents | 400 | Junior high and elementary school students not registered in Yilan County [born between September 1, 2002 (inclusive) and July 6, 2012 (inclusive)] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yilan residents | 200 | Junior high and elementary school students registered in Yilan County or with an ID number beginning with G [born between September 1, 2002 (inclusive) and July 6, 2012 (inclusive)] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Single-entry ticket | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Only one of the discounts above may be used. | Sales period | Ticket type | Price (NT$) | Eligibility | Weekend ticket (Saturday–Sunday) | Weekday ticket (Monday–Friday) | Advance sales (5/1–7/6) | Advance individual ticket | 300 | 200 | General public | Advance child ticket | 200 | 100 | Children aged 6 to 12 [born between July 7, 2006 and July 6, 2012 inclusive] or taller than 115 cm and up to 150 cm | 5/1-7/6： 、 、 、 、 | Festival period (7/7–8/19) | Individual ticket | 350 | 250 | General public | Stored-value card | 330 | 230 | EasyCard, iPASS, HAPPY CASH, icash | Discount ticket | 300 | 200 | 1. Groups of 20 or more arriving at the park on the same vehicle, or groups booked in advance 2. Citizen Travel Card (limit 2 tickets per card per day, in-person card payment only) 3. Visitors taking a Capital Bus, Kamalan Bus, Metropolitan Bus or Kuo-Kuang Bus shuttle directly to the park (1 ticket per ticket stub) 4. Holders of a full-price Lanyang Museum ticket, full-price advance ticket or EasyCard e-ticket stub (1 ticket per ticket stub) | Exclusive cardholder ticket | 300 | 200 | E.SUN Bank cardholders (limit 8 tickets per person per card per day, in-person card payment only) | Child ticket | 200 | 100 | Children aged 6 to 12 [born between July 7, 2006 and July 6, 2012 inclusive] or taller than 115 cm and up to 150 cm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales period | Ticket type | Price (NT$) | Eligibility | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weekend ticket (Saturday–Sunday) | Weekday ticket (Monday–Friday) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advance sales (5/1–7/6) | Advance individual ticket | 300 | 200 | General public | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advance child ticket | 200 | 100 | Children aged 6 to 12 [born between July 7, 2006 and July 6, 2012 inclusive] or taller than 115 cm and up to 150 cm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5/1-7/6：、、、、 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Festival period (7/7–8/19) | Individual ticket | 350 | 250 | General public | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stored-value card | 330 | 230 | EasyCard, iPASS, HAPPY CASH, icash | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discount ticket | 300 | 200 | 1. Groups of 20 or more arriving at the park on the same vehicle, or groups booked in advance 2. Citizen Travel Card (limit 2 tickets per card per day, in-person card payment only) 3. Visitors taking a Capital Bus, Kamalan Bus, Metropolitan Bus or Kuo-Kuang Bus shuttle directly to the park (1 ticket per ticket stub) 4. Holders of a full-price Lanyang Museum ticket, full-price advance ticket or EasyCard e-ticket stub (1 ticket per ticket stub) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exclusive cardholder ticket | 300 | 200 | E.SUN Bank cardholders (limit 8 tickets per person per card per day, in-person card payment only) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Child ticket | 200 | 100 | Children aged 6 to 12 [born between July 7, 2006 and July 6, 2012 inclusive] or taller than 115 cm and up to 150 cm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For more ticket information, see: the Folklore Festival official website.
2018 Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival: detailed transportation
Get there faster and avoid the crowds
National Highway 5 southbound
Route 1: National Highway 5 → exit at the Luodong Interchange → follow the frontage road along the freeway → turn left onto Provincial Highway 7C → arrive at Entrance 1 of the Dongshan River park.
Route 2: National Highway 5 → exit at the Luodong Interchange → follow the frontage road along the freeway → pass Chuanyi Road and make a U-turn → turn right onto Chuanyi Road → turn right onto Gongyuan Road → arrive at Entrance 2 of the Dongshan River park.
National Highway 5 northbound
National Highway 5 → exit at the Luodong Interchange → follow the frontage road along the freeway → head toward the Dongshan River → take the U-turn lane to the Luodong connecting road (Chuanyi Road) → turn right onto County Road Yi-25 (Wujie Zhong Road Section 1) → turn left onto Provincial Highway 7C → arrive at Entrance 1 of the Dongshan River park.
Provincial Highway 2 (Coastal Highway) southbound
Provincial Highway 2 → turn right onto the Luodong connecting road (Chuanyi Road) → turn left onto County Road Yi-23 (Xiaowei S. Road) → arrive at Entrance 2 of the Dongshan River park.
Provincial Highway 2 (Coastal Highway) northbound
Provincial Highway 2 → turn right onto the Luodong connecting road (Chuanyi Road) → turn left onto County Road Yi-23 (Xiaowei S. Road) → arrive at Entrance 2 of the Dongshan River park.
By taxi
Taxi fares: NT$120 for the first 1.5 km, then NT$5 for every additional 300 m.
Waiting time: when the speed drops below 5 km/h, NT$5 for every accumulated 2 minutes.
Shared taxis
Available only between the rear station of Luodong Railway Station and the park; board at the temporary shared-taxi stand. Four passengers share a taxi, NT$40 per person.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicle services
gogoout accessible vehicle self-drive booking
| Route number | Operating company | Departure point | Daily schedule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1570 | Capital Bus | Departs from Taipei City Hall Bus Station | 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 8 departures in total. ＊The 08:00 and 09:00 services continue on to the National Center for Traditional Arts. |
Toward Luodong; stops: Taipei City Hall Bus Station -> Luodong Bus Station -> Dongshan River Water Park. |
| Departs from the National Center for Traditional Arts | 15:20 16:20 2 departures in total. ＊These connect with the 15:30 and 16:30 services from Dongshan River Water Park continuing to Taipei. | Toward Taipei; stops: National Center for Traditional Arts -> Dongshan River Water Park -> Luodong Bus Station -> Xinyi Administrative Center -> Taipei City Hall Bus Station. (Stops on the Luodong end are pick-up only.) | ||
| Departs from Dongshan River Water Park | 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:40 18:40 19:40 20:40 8 departures in total. | Toward Taipei; stops: Dongshan River Water Park -> Luodong Bus Station -> Xinyi Administrative Center -> Taipei City Hall Bus Station. (Stops on the Luodong end are pick-up only.) | ||
| 1917 | Departs from Banqiao Bus Station | 06:50 07:10 07:30 08:05 08:20 08:50 09:20 09:50 10:20 10:50 10 departures in total. | The 08:05 and 09:20 services continue from Dongshan River Water Park to the National Center for Traditional Arts; all other services terminate at Dongshan River Water Park. (The same schedule applies on weekdays and weekends; buses depart on time.) | |
| Departure times from Taipei Main Station | 07:15 07:35 07:55 08:30 08:45 09:15 09:45 10:15 10:45 11:15 10 departures in total. | The 08:30 and 09:45 services continue from Dongshan River Water Park to the National Center for Traditional Arts; all other services terminate at Dongshan River Water Park. (The same schedule applies on weekdays and weekends; buses depart on time.) | ||
| Departure times from Technology Building Station | 07:35 07:55 08:15 08:50 09:05 09:35 10:05 10:35 11:05 11:35 10 departures in total. | The 08:50 and 10:05 services continue from Dongshan River Water Park to the National Center for Traditional Arts; all other services terminate at Dongshan River Water Park. (The same schedule applies on weekdays and weekends; buses depart on time.) | ||
| Departs from Dongshan River Water Park | 15:20 15:50 16:20 16:35 16:50 17:20 17:50 18:05 19:05 20:20 10 departures in total. | The 17:20 service (departing the National Center for Traditional Arts at 17:15) and the 19:05 service (departing the National Center for Traditional Arts at 19:00) start from the National Center for Traditional Arts; all other services still depart from Dongshan River Water Park. If a bus leaving Dongshan River Water Park is full, it will not stop at Luodong Bus Station. (The same schedule applies on weekdays and weekends; buses depart on time.) | ||
| 9028 | Metropolitan Transport | Departs from Dapinglin Station | 09:00 | |
| Departure times from Dongshan River Water Park | 17:15 | |||
| 1879 Monday to Saturday | Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport | Departs from Yuanshan Bus Station | 07:20 07:40 08:20 09:00 09:40 5 departures in total. | These services continue from Dongshan River Water Park to the National Center for Traditional Arts |
| Departs from the National Center for Traditional Arts | 14:40 15:40 16:40 17:35 18:10 5 departures in total. | These services start from the National Center for Traditional Arts | ||
| Departing from Qinshui (Waterfront) Park | 14:50 15:50 16:50 17:45 18:20 5 departures in total. | |||
| Departing from Luodong Bus Station | 15:10 16:10 17:10 18:05 18:40 5 departures in total. | |||
| 1879 Sundays | Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport | Departing from Yuanshan Bus Station | 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 5 departures in total. | These runs continue from Qinshui Park on to the National Center for Traditional Arts. |
| Departing from the National Center for Traditional Arts | 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:50 16:35 17:00 17:45 18:15 8 departures in total. | These runs start from the National Center for Traditional Arts. | ||
| Departing from Qinshui (Waterfront) Park | 14:10 14:35 15:00 16:00 16:45 17:10 17:55 18:25 8 departures in total. | |||
| Departing from Luodong Bus Station | 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:20 17:05 17:30 18:15 18:45 8 departures in total. |
※ Please refer to each bus company's official website for exact details
Recommended! A look at the attractions
Here’s where the real fun is
The attractions are split into three main areas – the play area, the performance area and the exhibition area
Limited time only! Folkgame Festival culture summer camps
This year the Yilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau has teamed up with the Yilan County Museum Family Association to run eight distinctive summer camps during the Folkgame Festival, so that visitors can enjoy the festival grounds and take part in plenty of extra activities outside the park as well.
1. Decoding Guishan Island: a Lanyang ecology education camp
Named one of the world’s 12 coolest islands, mysterious Guishan (Turtle) Island lies off the Lanyang Plain and has its own distinctive island-village folk games and marine ecology. Inspired by the 2018 Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival, the Guishan Island community and the Lanyang Museum are teaming up for the first time around the camp theme “the whole of Guishan Island is a museum.” The camp combines a landing trip to Guishan Island, the creative ocean-themed board game Ocean Surprise, folk games unique to Guishan Island, a night at the Lanyang Museum, education about the history of Wushi Harbor and the marine environment, and free time at the international folkgame festival — a deep dive into Lanyang’s ocean and folk-game culture through play. It’s an exclusive itinerary, great value, and runs only once: a one-of-a-kind gateway to Yilan’s maritime culture and ecology.
2. Bright Pearl rural culture tour
If you’ve had enough of the busy pace, the noise, the polluted air and the cold urban jungle, come spend some time in the countryside and let the fun and the warmth of country hospitality work their magic. Sign up and discover the “Pearl good flavors” country-style meal (the traditional rice-harvest lunch) and the fun of earth-oven cooking in the paddy fields, experience rural culture and learn to make straw handicrafts. Wander phytoncide-filled country lanes and take in the rich ecology of the Dongshan River basin, where glossy-leaf trees, Taiwan nato trees, chinaberry, fish-poison trees, buttonbushes, sea lettuce trees, hibiscus and sedges are all companions along the way. Where does the food in front of you come from? Only by harvesting the rice in the field yourself and cooking it with your own hands do you discover how precious and delicious a bowl of rice really is. “Learning to be grateful is the best gift you can give a child.”
Setting out from Baimi Clog Village, you’ll spot aquatic and land creatures and birds and tune in to the movements and sounds of nature — making friends with the outdoors. Children get to know farming-ox culture, handle traditional farm tools and ride an ox cart. There’s also an exclusive Nanfang’ao fishing harbor itinerary: a big adventure at the fish market, where kids complete the tasks the chef assigns, buy seafood, make fish balls by hand and grill a seafood BBQ, sharing out the work, building people skills and learning to cooperate. Sign up now! Let the depth of the trip decide the length of the memories — this summer, “Mountain and Sea Adventure” will help you create the best summer memories ever!
4. Summer Love Lanyang farm village camp
Neicheng has preserved its original rural landscape and environment, and with the abundant natural resources and ecology it enjoys it has developed an “environment-friendly” culture, protecting the integrated water-soil-farming resource system and building a base for the revival of rural culture. Drawing on those strengths, the community has planned a series of hands-on activities. The camps center on farm work, water resources and ecology surveys, satoyama practice, plant dyeing and international exchange, with three themed sessions: “food and farming education,” “ecology surveys” and “rural culture.” Activities include a guided tour by iron-ox tractor cart, getting into the fields to plant and harvest vegetables, a pineapple field experience and rice harvesting, and DIY old-fashioned country snacks. There’s also a “Grandma’s kitchen” shared-meal activity, where grandparents pass on their cooking skills and everyone prepares the food together at a table built on doing and learning as one. Participants feel the warmth of the farmland and experience rural life, learning local knowledge through play and building a solid grounding in local culture.
5. Guyi life and arts summer camp
Tied in with the “2018 Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival,” this camp is an in-depth exploration of the ecology and culture along Yilan’s Dongshan River. It starts upstream, visiting the natural and cultural scenery of Zhongshan Village: fine mountains (Renshan Botanical Garden), fine water (Xinliao Waterfall) and the culture of the Zhongshan tea village (the Guyi Life and Arts Museum). Following the riverside scenery, the camp works its way downstream to the Folkgame Festival at Qinshui Park, so children can feel that “Yilan itself is one giant folk-game park” and enjoy a wonderfully arty Yilan trip.
6. Rolling around the granary – 2018 folkgame summer camp
Older folks always say they used to play and tumble about on the rice-drying yard — want to try those days for yourself? In the summer of 2018, come roll around at the Erjie Granary. Join friends from the community to play and learn new skills at the granary: pop your own puffed rice, cook a flavorful dinner and make traditional rice foods. Walk the time corridor telling the story of the paper mill and make your own souvenir to take home. Finally, head with the group to the Folkgame Festival — Yilan’s great summer gathering place — and enjoy the buzz of the summer festival together.
7. Little Picasso printmaking and aesthetics camp
The 2018 Little Picasso printmaking and aesthetics camp is built around the hottest trend of the moment: clear photopolymer stamps. These stamps can be used for printmaking and even to decorate food, and kids learn color aesthetics through play. Over three days and two nights, the aesthetics of color quietly become part of everyday life — and the one-of-a-kind printed artworks make a perfect memento of the camp. Children love the colorful castle, where they can enjoy painting together and take home the pieces they’re proudest of. Sign your child up! Lanyang’s beautiful mountains, beautiful water and endless fun are waiting to be discovered.
8. “Stay a summer at the puppets’ house” puppetry camp
An old granary that sat unused for years on the banks of Yilan’s Dongshan River has been transformed into the Lize International Puppetry Art Village, the first in the Asia-Pacific region devoted to contemporary puppetry. This summer’s puppetry camp awakens children’s sense of art and beauty: physical exploration and puppet-handling training improve coordination and creativity, while professional puppet makers lead a complete course in puppet design and construction so each participant creates a unique puppet of their own. Over three days and two nights, kids get up close to a puppetry playground, peek behind the scenes of puppet making, then visit the Wushijia Wetland on the Dongshan River to explore its unique wetland ecology and meet the “fireworks of summer nights,” the fish-poison tree blossoms. Children move their bodies and play with ideas through art, unlocking their own limitless potential!
Read more >>
[Yilan car rental guide] Everything you need to know about renting a car, in one place
Family travel in Yilan: 5 must-visit spots parents shouldn’t miss
Folkgame Festival — hit the road now
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This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
