The Lantern Festival: Visual feasts on display in China

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The Lantern Festival, which falls on February 19, is the grande finale of weeks of celebrations to mark Spring Festival. This year, the occasion, which features traditional lanterns hung everywhere around China, coincides with the appearance of a supermoon – the brightest and biggest of 2019.

Sure, lanterns are relatively easy to come by in China, but how can one really make the most out of this festival?

CGTN has compiled a list of visual feasts around the country which will brighten your mood as they light up the night sky this Lantern Festival.

Beijing

1. The Palace Museum Lantern Show

This year, the Palace Museum will allow late-night visits for the first time in its history. The "Lantern Festival night in the Forbidden City" will be held on February 19 and 20.

The "Lantern Festival night in the Forbidden City". /VCG photo

The Meridian Gate exhibition hall, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the East Wall and the Gate of Divine Might will open their doors for visitors looking to get a different feel of the Forbidden City after sunset hours.

Opening hours: 18:30 p.m. – 21:30 p.m. from Feb 19 to Feb 20

Travel tips: The parking lot is not available for visitors

2. Yuanmingyuan Royal Lantern Show

Around 20 groups of colorful lights were installed at the park to mark the Lantern Festival. Apart from the stunning lantern exhibition, activities such as lion dances and opera performances will allow visitors to experience the occasion in the most traditional way possible.

The festive lanterns at Yuanmingyuan Park, Beijing, 2019. /VCG Photo

The lanterns at Yuanmingyuan Park, Beijing, 2019. /VCG Photo

Lanterns are set up for the lantern show at Yuanmingyuan Park, Beijing, 2019. /VCG Photo

Giant lanterns are set up for the lantern show at Yuanmingyuan Park, Beijing, 2019. /VCG Photo

Location: Ruins of Yuanmingyuan Park

Opening hours: 18:00 p.m. – 21:30 p.m. on Feb 19

Attention: The entrance tickets should be purchased in advance. People could book their tickets through the Ctrip website.

Shanghai

Yuyuan Lantern Show

Lantern Festival decorations at Yu Garden in Shanghai. /VCG Photo

The Lantern Festival event at Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai will feature 31 large decorative lanterns and thousands of lamps, and will run until February 22.

Colorful lanterns are illuminating the park in Huangpu District where 39 installations, including a nine-meter-tall pig dressed like the Chinese God of Wealth, are giving a nod to the Year of the Pig.

The nine-meter-tall pig lantern is one of the hottest photo spots at Yu Garden in Shanghai. /VCG Photo

Admission fee for Yuyuan Garden: 30 yuan

Admission fee for Yuyuan Garden's lantern show: 78 yuan for adults; 48 yuan for children

Transportation: There are three entrances on Yuyuanxin Road, Bailing Road, and near Shanghai Classical Hotel and Tonghanchun drugstore to the Yuyuan Garden.

Guangzhou

The Yuexiu Lantern Show is an important part of the 9th Canton Temple Fair.

Yuexiu Lantern Show

As Guangzhou's largest lantern fair, the Yuexiu Lantern Show has become a must-see event on the Lantern Festival. This year, 56 giant lanterns are lighting up the sky.

Visitors enjoy the Yuexiu Lantern Show in Guangzhou on February 18, 2019. /VCG Photo

The beautiful lantern show at Yuexiu Park in Guangzhou on Feb 18, 2019. /VCG Photo

The festive lanterns at Yuexiu Park in Guangzhou on Feb 18, 2019. /VCG Photo

Event's date: January 19 – February 24

Location: 988 Jiefang Bei Road, Yuexiu Park, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Transportation: Visitors can take subway Line 2 to the Yuexiu Park

The 9th Canton Temple Fair. /VCG Photo

Apart from the fantastic lantern show, the highlight of the annual Canton Temple Fair is the intangible cultural heritage display, with nearly 30 waiting to wow guests this time around. In addition, the Culinary Zone is ready to serve different kinds of food for visitors.

(Cover: The Palace Museum lights up at night in Beijing. /VCG Photo)