Spring Festival Lantern Fair: Datong lantern show gaining popularity

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As China celebrates the Spring Festival, many are travelling to enjoy some colorful lantern shows with their family and friends. One such event that's gaining popularity among tourists is the annual lantern show in the ancient city of Datong, in northern China's Shanxi Province. Our reporter Hu Chao takes a look.

This year's Datong Lantern fair showcases over 180 kinds of traditional and modern lanterns, covering an area of over three million square meters.

A major highlight is northern China's largest domed screen, which looks sort of like a high-tech igloo. Visitors inside are able to enjoy a 360-degree display showing different videos.

Many also come for the nighttime spectacle.

VISITOR "We hope more people from other places can come to visit the lantern show in Datong. It's great."

VISITOR "We're from Tianjin. I think the lantern show in Datong is gaining increasing popularity. Every lantern has its own unique style. We feel the place has a festive atmosphere."

Datong is around four hours from Beijing by car. It's one of the most famous historical and cultural sites in China. The restored city walls have long been among the city's defining traits.

HU CHAO DATONG, SHANXI PROVINCE "The city walls are over seven kilometers long. They enclose a square area in the middle of the city. As you can see, these walls as a backdrop make the lantern show a special experience."

Local authorities say tourism will peak in the city around the Chinese lantern festival in early March. The show opened on February 8th and will last for a month. A million people from China and overseas are expected to come. Hu Chao, CGTN, Datong, Shanxi Province.