A City in Taiwan Changes Lights to See More Stars
Wednesday, October 14, 2026205 words3 minutes539 reads
Taoyuan officials reported on October 12 that Lala Mountain had received DarkSky International's Urban Night Sky Place designation. The organization had notified the city, with a formal announcement expected on October 14. Taoyuan described the site as Taiwan's first in this category and Asia's third. That distinction is narrow: Taiwan's Hehuan Mountain already holds a different Dark Sky Park certification.
The category recognizes places in or near urban areas that preserve a meaningful night-sky experience despite surrounding artificial light. Excess light directed upward brightens the sky and makes fainter stars harder to see. Rather than remove lighting, Taoyuan fitted shields to or changed the angles of more than 400 public streetlights, directing illumination toward the ground.
The designated area includes Indigenous communities and other residential areas, so road safety and everyday access shaped the work. Officials held community meetings, lighting workshops and training for stargazing guides to build support. The aim was to reduce light pollution without leaving roads unlit.
Certification shows that the site met a defined standard; it does not mean the city simply turned its lights off. The result offers a practical lesson for other places: useful lighting and a darker sky can coexist when light is aimed where people need it.
