Jiqing Community Christmas Lane

Christmas Lane in the Jiqing community began at the local church 三愛教會 on the eve of Christmas in 1999, when Pastor Lin Gongzhao moved the church's Christmas tree from indoors to outdoors. Church members in the lane followed by decorating their doorways with Christmas lights and went carolling to their neighbours. Caught up in the festive mood, more residents joined year by year. With decorations put up by borough chief Huang Shengzong, carpenter Wen Yongyan, associate professor Pan Tongtai of 臺北城市科技大學, and pastors Lin Gongzhao and Hou Shuliang of 三愛教會, the lane grew larger and became more widely known. Every year around Christmas, each household in the lane sets up Christmas displays, which has become an established festive custom. Each December residents start decorating their own doorways, and some begin months ahead to design and build new displays for the year. By mutual understanding, the lights are switched on from the week before Christmas until the Lantern Festival the following year. Decorations are done household by household, with themed installations such as a Jiqing high-speed train, a cable car, a helicopter and a yellow duck, and windowsills and yards throughout the lane carry residents' own designs. In 2014 the lane was voted by internet users one of the country's "ten most romantic Christmas spots".

Translated by DealTaipei from Taiwan's national tourism database. Sources are on the terms page.