A City in Taiwan Changes Lights to See More Stars
Wednesday, October 14, 2026164 words3 minutes554 reads
On October 12, officials in Taoyuan, Taiwan, said Lala Mountain had been designated an Urban Night Sky Place by DarkSky International. It is the first place in Taiwan and the third in Asia in this specific category. Taiwan already has a certified Dark Sky Park, so the claim does not mean this is its first dark-sky site of any kind.
In and near cities, outdoor lighting can spill upward and make faint stars hard to see. Taoyuan added shields to, or adjusted the angle of, more than 400 public streetlights around the mountain. These changes direct more light toward the ground where it is useful, while reducing light sent into the sky.
The designated area includes Indigenous communities and other homes. Officials spoke with residents because safer roads and daily needs still matter after dark. The city also held lighting workshops and trained stargazing guides. The project shows a practical answer to light pollution: improve where lights shine, rather than switch them all off.
