【記者郭晉嘉/新北報導】
平溪，一個位於新北市後花園的古老小鎮，被譽為天燈祈福的故鄉，是許多外國遊客來台灣旅遊的必訪勝地之一。這次參加2023新北國際城市U18棒球邀請賽的澳洲昆士蘭代表隊，也在比賽前一天特地來到平溪體驗最著名的「平溪天燈祈福活動」。他們看著百盞天燈冉冉升空的壯麗場景，感受到了無限的感動。
平溪的天燈放飛活動已成為外國遊客來台觀光旅遊的一大亮點，象徵著和平與吉祥。每年一度的平溪天燈節更被CNN評選為全球52件最值得參與的新鮮事之一，同時也被知名旅遊頻道Discovery列為世界第二大夜間節慶嘉年華之一，每年都吸引數十萬人參加。
這次的行程是由新北市國際城市U18棒球邀請賽的工作人員與甘霖廣告有限公司的營業總監黃嘉祺共同安排下。特別為這群熱情洋溢的澳洲小選手安排了一日的放天燈活動，這群昆士蘭小選手親身體驗台灣的祈福天燈文化。在天燈上寫下心願與祝福後，他們也在工作人員的協助下點燃了天燈，看著它緩緩上升，將著眾人的祈願一同載往天際祈願著永遠的幸福。
這次的活動不僅讓昆士蘭小選手們感受到了台灣獨特的文化氛圍，也為他們留下了難忘的回憶。透過放天燈這個傳統活動，他們深刻體會到了和平、祈福與心靈寧靜的重要性。同時，這次的活動也展示了主辦單位新北市政府在推動國際城市交流方面所做出的最好努力。
讓外國小選手們參與平溪天燈祈福活動，同時也是一種文化交流的機會。他們透過這個活動更了解台灣的傳統文化，與當地民眾互動交流，增進了彼此之間的友誼與理解。平溪的天燈祈福活動以其獨特的文化特色吸引著來自世界各地的遊客，讓他們感受到了台灣的溫馨與美好。這樣的國際交流活動不僅促進了文化的融合與理解，也為台灣在世界舞台上樹立了良好的形象。
新北市平溪鄉，這個風景秀麗、人文薈萃的古老小鎮，它的天燈祈福活動已成為台灣旅遊的一大亮點。希望未來能有更多的外國遊客能夠來到這裡，感受平溪的獨特魅力，同時也進一步促進台灣與世界各國的友誼與交流。
Pingxi, an ancient town located in the hinterland of New Taipei City, is renowned as the hometown of sky lantern blessings and is a must-visit destination for many foreign tourists exploring Taiwan. The Australian representative team from Queensland, participating in the 2023 New Taipei City International U18 Baseball Invitational Tournament, took the opportunity to visit Pingxi and experience the famous Pingxi Sky Lantern Blessing Event on the day before the competition. As they witnessed the magnificent scene of hundreds of sky lanterns gently rising into the air, they were deeply moved by the infinite beauty.
The sky lantern releasing event in Pingxi has become a major highlight for foreign visitors to Taiwan, symbolizing peace and auspiciousness. The annual Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival has been selected by CNN as one of the 52 most worthy fresh experiences globally. It is also recognized by the well-known travel channel Discovery as one of the world's second-largest nighttime festival carnivals, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants every year.
This special excursion was arranged in collaboration between the staff of the New Taipei International City U18 Baseball Invitational Tournament and Huang Chia-chi, the general manager of Ganlin Advertising Co., Ltd. A one-day sky lantern activity was specially arranged for these enthusiastic Australian young players to immerse themselves in Taiwan's sky lantern culture. After writing wishes and blessings on the lanterns, they, with the assistance of the staff, lit the lanterns, watching them ascend slowly, carrying the wishes of the crowd towards the sky, symbolizing eternal happiness.