Shanghai’s annual Lunar New Year lantern celebration wows crowds at famous landmark
The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show kicks off in Shanghai on Jan 21, 2024 to welcome the upcoming Year of the Dragon. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)
The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show kicked off in Shanghai on Jan 21 to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Dragon that begins on Feb 10.
The 40-day event at the major tourist destination features a diverse collection of lanterns and takes the zodiac creature as its theme. It is the 29th edition of the show, which was inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2008.
Like the previous edition, this year’s show, which features thousands of lanterns, is also inspired by Shanhaijing, or The Classic of Mountains and Seas, a major source of Chinese mythology that dates back more than 2,000 years.
“This year’s (show) depicts magical scenes where Chinese dragons live in harmony with various aquatic plants and creatures,” said Yin Ge, general manager of the culture and branding department at Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart Co.
“It expresses the broad-mindedness of Chinese people to dance and prosper with the whole world, and showcases our traditional culture’s unfading charm,” she said.
The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show kicks off in Shanghai on Jan 21, 2024 to welcome the upcoming Year of the Dragon. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)
One area features nine dragon lanterns that are inspired by artifacts from different dynasties, Yin said.
“We’d like to showcase Chinese people’s unity and continuous explorations, and express our openness to the world.”
Lanterns at the Gold Plaza and Jiuqu (Zigzag) Bridge present dazzling and fantastical deep-sea scenes of lanterns shaped like fish, coral, and other marine life.
The show also features dance performances, parades showcasing intangible cultural heritage, markets, riddles, and games.
“Preparations started last March,” Yin said. “This has been the most difficult setup in the show’s history.”
It was tricky, for instance, to arrange the more than 400 fish-shaped lanterns to form the over 50-meter-long and nearly 2-ton dragon that “flies” over Ninghui Road, she said.
The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show kicks off in Shanghai on Jan 21, 2024 to welcome the upcoming Year of the Dragon. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)
Also challenging was placing the lanterns in the water near Jiuqu Bridge.
“The craftspeople had to wear waterproof suits and go into the cold water to install them inch by inch,” Yin recalled.
Actually, the show debuted at the Jardin d’Acclimatation amusement park in Paris on Dec 15 and will run until Feb 25. It also marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France.
The Paris edition features 60 installations of lanterns shaped like dragons and other mythological creatures, in addition to Chinese folk performances and Shanghai delicacies.
“I really love all of these, especially the part showcasing mythical creatures and Chinese mythology,” said Damien French, a visitor to the show in Paris.
The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show kicks off in Shanghai on Jan 21, 2024 to welcome the upcoming Year of the Dragon. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)
The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show kicks off in Shanghai on Jan 21, 2024 to welcome the upcoming Year of the Dragon. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)
And people from around the world are also visiting the show in Shanghai.
German teacher Susan Hess and her compatriot husband have gone to the event in Yuyuan Garden every year since they moved to Shanghai four years ago.
“I love the Center Plaza because this is the point where I always go first. I think the dragons together are really great, and I like them. I also love the fish, and all the lanterns are very dynamic. I think this is my feeling about Shanghai at the moment — it is very lively and dynamic,” said Hess.
“I love to see people are excited about the Chinese New Year. And I think it is a very nice atmosphere in China when family members come together for reunions, admiring all these lanterns and having nice food. I think this is a very nice tradition.”
The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show kicks off in Shanghai on Jan 21, 2024 to welcome the upcoming Year of the Dragon. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)
The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show kicks off in Shanghai on Jan 21, 2024 to welcome the upcoming Year of the Dragon. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)
The shows in Shanghai and Paris can be connected via a QR code, enabling visitors from either side to see the show at the other destination.
“The connection between the lantern shows in both cities also represents the integration of Chinese and Western cultures,” said Yuyuan Inc vice-president Hu Junjie.
“We hope people in both cities can get closer to Eastern aesthetics and enjoy the Chinese New Year together.”
Tips for visitors:
Admission to the lantern show is free, except for the following periods: 10 am-10 pm from Feb 10-16 and Feb 22-25; 2 pm-10 pm from Feb 17-21. Tickets can be purchased online or at booths around Yuyuan Garden. Prices range from 50 ($6.90) to 80 yuan.
