Chinese giant lanterns illuminate Edinburgh Zoo

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Edinburgh Zoo is hosting the lone Chinese giant lantern show in Scotland, illuminating the cold nights with warmth and colorful lights during the festive season.

One of the highlights is a 19-foot-high and 115-foot-long dragon, which took 15 craftsman 2,000 hours to build. It is just one of the 469 lanterns installed in the zoo for a 50-night light extravaganza.

The dragon. /CGTN Photo

Edinburgh Zoo remains to be the only home for giant pandas in the UK. This year, 30 giant panda lanterns are especially made for the zoo to celebrate its long-standing relationship with the birthplace of this lovely animal.

In 2011, giant panda Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived from China, and attracted a huge number of visitors to the zoo. The pair is regarded as a symbol of the great relationship between China and the UK.

Chinese giant lanterns showed at Edinburgh Zoo. /CGTN Photo

Barbara Smith, CEO of RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, said: “We have very strong culture links with China. We thought it is very fitting since we have two pandas from Sichuan to link our beautiful art and craft works.”

She believes this lighting event will strengthen the link and showcase their animal collection.

Animal-themed lanterns are beautifully arranged alongside backdrops of flowers and Chinese heritage symbols such as signs of the zodiac and traditional archways. About 150 craftsmen from Sichuan in southwestern China created the incredible trail around the zoo.

The giant panda lanterns. /CGTN Photo

“We show traditional Chinese culture when arriving in a country or a city for the first time; this is the essence of a traditional lantern show,” said Huang Dechun, chairman of Zigong Lantern Culture Industry Group. “This time we present a harmonious link between nature and animal. We also show the best of Chinese architectures such as the Temple of Heaven, the most representative of the Chinese culture.”

The Temple of Heaven lanterns. /CGTN Photo

Edinburgh Zoo is encouraging visitors to view animals and conservation work in a new light. The giant lanterns give people a taste of Chinese culture and are indeed a revelation in the long and cold winter nights.

“It is beautiful. I learned a lot about China; animals that have been saved by the zoo and our links with China,” said one of the visitors.