Lanterns light up Palace Museum for Spring Festival

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As the Chinese Lunar New Year drawing near, a special exhibition has opened at Beijing's iconic Palace Museum, allowing visitors from across the globe to mark the festival in the former Chinese imperial palace.

Among the highlights are over one hundred royal lanterns, created by a team from China's lantern city, Zigong, in the southwestern Sichuan Province.

A lantern with the Chinese characters of "Feng Deng", which means "good harvest," hangs in the Palace Museum in Beijing, January 6, 2019. /VCG Photo

For the first time in some 200 years that lanterns will decorate the palace's halls and corridors, a unique characteristic of imperial etiquette.

An experienced Sichuan company was specially chosen to replicate three different kinds of multi-colored royal lanterns, but it was a daunting challenge.

"These royal lanterns are quite different from conventional ones." said Wang Bo, vice president of Zigong Haitian Lantern Culture Co., "The materials, the techniques and the overall presentation. We have to find a way to mass produce them. And of course the products must be of high quality, without any safety issues."

Lanterns in various shapes and colors are seen in the Palace Museum in Beijing, January 6, 2018. /VCG Photo

After months of trial and error, the team finally decided to use acrylic as their main material. For coloring, they used HD printing for the overall pictures and patterns, and then hand-painted the details. The lanterns are hung from supporting pillars so they won't damage the ancient structures.

The museum will also mark Lunar New Year by exhibiting various collections of relics.

(Top Photo: Various Lanterns are seen in the Palace Museum in Beijing, January 6, 2018. /VCG Photo