Colombia is celebrating its wildlife, the second most biodiverse nation on the planet, using a centuries-old Chinese technique.

For years China's Lantern Festival has lit the night sky of cities around the world, like Paris, Dublin and London. For the first time ever, the festival has come to Latin America. 

Bogota will host the Brilla festival, an event where 470 giant lanterns made in China will adorn the capital's botanical garden. The carefully hand-made structures of iron and silk with more than one million LED lights represent the different species in Colombia's diverse ecosystems. 

Spectators can admire humpback whales, jaguars, orchids, turtles and hundreds of other flora and fauna that are found in this South American nation. 

Spectator Catalina Beltran felt this was the perfect way to teach her kids about the country's species without taking them to a zoo.

"In every place there is the animal, the sound, the children feel like they are seeing the animals, without having an animal in a cage," said Beltran.

The illuminated sculptures range in size from two meters to 21 meters high. Director of the Brilla Festival Juan Diego Ruiz said the hardest part was the year-long production to bring these handmade sculptures across the Pacific Ocean.

"All of the logistics, to go to China, negotiate, bring the 18 containers and install them here, and we didn't have a language in common, it was a challenge, very interesting, but the important thing is that we did it and we are making history," Added Ruiz.

The festival will run through the holiday season – November 16 to January 12 – for a total of 57 days. The botanical garden hopes to attract some 400,000 visitors. 

And for the creators, this festival not only celebrates Colombia and its nature, it is also a chance to strengthen Colombia-China relations.

"This is the strengthening of our commercial ties, it means we can do many things together, and that these ancient artisanal tradition from China can be represented well and make history – not only as we are doing her in Bogota's botanical garden- but in many other countries of Latin America," said Juan Diego Ruiz says.

The goal is to hold more festivals in the future, not only in Colombia, but also in other cities of Latin America.