At the end of each year, New Taipei City transforms Banqiao’s city centre, Civic Plaza, and surrounding parks into a large festive venue—Christmasland in New Taipei City. First launched in 2011, the event has successfully driven local consumption while significantly enhancing the city’s international visibility.
From a city marketing perspective, Christmasland demonstrates a key insight: cities must identify their unique appeal and differentiate themselves. New Taipei City curates a long-lasting festival through one-and-a-half months of immersive light installations, themed markets, and family-friendly activities. The festival attracts families and younger visitors, extends travel durations, and brings life to surrounding commercial districts.
Christmasland adopts a hybrid marketing model that integrates place-based experiences, IP partnerships, and multi-channel promotion. On one hand, the signature light shows, projection mapping, and immersive installations create visually striking scenes that naturally encourage visitors to share on social media. On the other hand, collaborations with international IPs such as LINE FRIENDS lower participation barriers for international visitors and younger audiences.
To reach a wider global audience, the New Taipei City Government previously collaborated with the world-famous Danish toy brand LEGO Group. The City has also incorporated several popular characters from Disney (including Olaf from Frozen), Pixar, and Marvel into Christmasland events to boost international visibility. In recent years, Christmasland’s market has featured a variety of international cuisine, spanning the U.S., Japan, Korea, Thailand, and many more, giving visitors a trip around the world in one Christmas market. In 2021, the City found a new partner in the German Trade Office Taipei and has since hosted a German Christmas Market at Christmasland each year – bringing the Christmas festivity of Europe straight to New Taipei City for domestic and international visitors. These efforts are reinforced by multilingual official websites, international press releases, and promotion via travel platforms, collectively building the image of New Taipei City as a festive winter wonderland and creating a positive feedback loop between social media sharing and international marketing.
Each year’s theme—such as The Carnival (2025)and Magical City (2024)—is presented through multiple themed light zones and a central light show, complemented by daily projection mapping, themed markets, German Christmas markets, local vendors, live performances, family-oriented programmes, and immersive multi-sensory experiences. By pairing evening light shows with daytime family activities, the event effectively extends visitor dwell time while increasing spending and repeat visits.
Christmasland’s visitors can be broadly categorised into four segments: urban families (including parents with children), young social-media-oriented audiences, music and cultural event-goers, and international as well as domestic travellers. The city government tailors events, schedules, and market offerings to each segment, while leveraging IP collaborations, celebrity appearances, and partnerships with nearby commercial districts to boost engagement. This integrated approach delivers a complete festive experience and a sustainable economic cycle.
Each year, Christmasland attracts over seven million visitors and is estimated to generate approximately $189.9 million USD in consumption spanning dining, transportation, accommodation, retail, and live performances. Beyond direct spending, its broader benefits include extending the tourism season, raising the city’s visibility, and facilitating corporate sponsorships and subsequent collaborations, making it easier for the local government to secure long-term resources.
To address the environmental impact of large events, the city government has introduced concrete sustainability measures. These include the use of LED, laser, and energy-efficient lighting to reduce energy consumption; plastic reduction initiatives and reusable tableware at markets; encouraging the use of public transportation and bicycles; and optimising venue layouts to reduce congestion-related energy use and management stress.
Christmasland has been recognised globally on several occasions—selected by the UK-based magazine Wanderlust as one of the “9 of the World’s Most Spectacular Christmas Trees” and by Australia’s Urban List as one of the “Top 10 Must-Visit Christmas Festivals Around the Globe.” It stands out as a rare example of an Asian city achieving this level of global exposure through winter festive events. Its success lies in integrating urban resources (transportation hubs, commercial districts, and public spaces) with festive content (light shows, concerts, IP collaborations, and international markets) to create a cohesive experience in which the city itself and the Christmasland event/brand synergise to deliver a better experience.
In summary, Christmasland in New Taipei City is more than a seasonal celebration. It is a successful model of city marketing and tourism-driven economic development. It demonstrates how cities can capitalise on urban space, brand partnerships, and digital communication to transform local festivals into city assets with international visibility.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-Ih (in the red jacket) high-fives the performers of the grand circus show.
A German Grimm’s Fairy Tales body painting activity is held at the 2025 New Taipei City Christmasland.
The 3D light show, featuring LINE FRIENDS.
