As dusk falls, cherry blossom valley in a picturesque lakeside park lying in downtown Beijing is shimmering with thousands of lights, animated scenes, and heartwarming music.

The Yuyuantan Park, also known as Jade Lake Park, is illuminated with a high-tech light show every evening as the first Beijing International Light Festival kicked off on August 20 at one of the major urban parks in China's capital.

The show, entitled "Alive Together," is staged in the popular destination, famous for its jade-like lake and cherry blossom views in springtime, covering an 18,000-square-meter area at its most renowned "cherry blossom valley."

It presents the harmony between humans and nature with the designs and images of the ocean, forests, flowers, and the earth, showcasing diverse natural landscapes, such as rain falling and dense fog.

The entire display presents stunning light and sound effects with over 50,000 point-source lights, over 200 speakers, and hundreds of LED lights, laser projectors, and human-computer interaction equipment.

"I really like the light show. There is an artificial lotus, which can open and close. I also like the raining light," said a child.

Many tourists said they hadn't seen such a large-scale light show since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the display offered them an immersive entertainment experience.

"After the pandemic, we finally can walk out of home to take pictures of the beautiful scenery, enjoy the amazing life," said a tourist.

According to the organizers, they hoped that the project would be a new culture IP for Beijing's night cultural consumption and a highlight in the map of the capital's night economy.

To control the visit flow amid the pandemic, visitors must reserve tickets through an online booking system on WeChat, a mobile messaging and payment app.

The light show, which opens during the night, is running until the end of this year.

(Video by Hong Yaobin; Cover image by Pan Yufei)