We call these “lanterns”, but make no mistake — these are not hand-held, candle-lit lamps. From humble beginnings of silk and paper, the Chinese lantern has evolved into the wondrous shapes and sizes of the Chinese Lantern Festival. Enter a world of illuminated panda bears, dragons, towering buildings and gates.
  History, prehistory and myth blend in a nighttime dreamscape of electrically-lit scenes. Many are animated: Life-size people pace to and fro. Animal heads turn. Dinosaurs blink, open their mouths and growl. A dragon swims circles in a lagoon, as fountains and lights lend theatrics to each grand scene. People love it, stopping to take in each vista, browse interpretive panels, and photograph the largest assemblage of such works outside China.
  Each lantern is made by masters of the craft in Zigong, China’s center of lantern heritage. Their custom work means lanterns can be built to fit and take advantage of a site’s natural features (hills, ponds). Presenters or sponsors can also commission unique lanterns to highlight local history, landmarks, anniversaries, or mascots.
  Lanterns have honored the Cities of the Silk Road, the Beijing Olympics, and China’s Terra Cotta Warriors. Landmark lanterns have included the CN Tower and SkyDome, Great Wall, Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal, Pisa’s Leaning Tower, the Parthenon, and London’s Houses of Parliament.
  Other lanterns are made of hundreds of small glass medicine bottles filled with colored liquid. Arranged in the shape of dragons, peacocks, and giant pearls, they glimmer like crystal rainbows.
  Augmenting the lanterns are spectacular works made of Chinese painted porcelain dishes. Recently, the Lantern Festival showcased an undulating 88-yard Porcelain Dragon made with 80,000 Chinese cooking utensils such as bowls, spoons, bottles and wine cups—all tied together by hand. In another creation, the Porcelain Manfeilong Pagoda of Yunnan Province was replicated with 250,000 pieces, towering 50 feet high. Spectacular!
  Living arts further enhance the Lantern Festival. Guests marvel at Kung Fu and acrobatic shows. They savour authentic Chinese food, and attend an ancient tea ceremony, sampling its exotic brews. Live music played on age-old instruments is the backdrop to browsing the marketplace featuring handcrafts and souvenirs. Guests leave with an appreciation for the lantern art by seeing a workshop exhibit on how modern lanterns are made.  
  From the dawn of time, lanterns have guided and inspired. The Chinese Lantern Festival is a marquee attraction with a proven ability to draw visitors citywide, nationwide, and from overseas. Let our Chinese Lantern Festival illuminate your entire season, and make yours the “must-see” destination of the year.
 

 

 

  
 
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