* Known as China's "City of Lanterns," Zigong hosts its grand international lantern festival from Jan. 17 to the end of March. As of Feb. 12, the event had already attracted nearly 1.15 million visitors from around the world.
* Zigong's flourishing lantern industry has over 1,000 lantern-related enterprises, employs up to 130,000 people and enjoys an annual output of 6 billion yuan.
* Since their international debut in Singapore in 1990, Zigong's lanterns have illuminated over 90 countries and regions, emerging as a global cultural phenomenon.
CHENGDU, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Scenes from the Chinese legend of the White Snake, an 8-meter-tall giant panda, and lifelike dinosaurs -- these elements come to life in a dazzling lantern world, casting a magical glow over the night sky of Zigong City in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Known as China's "City of Lanterns," Zigong hosts its grand international lantern festival from Jan. 17 to the end of March. As of Feb. 12, the event had already attracted nearly 1.15 million visitors from around the world.
An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 29, 2025 shows tourists visiting an international lantern festival in Zigong, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua)
Covering more than 425,000 square meters with an investment of 170 million yuan (about 23.7 million U.S. dollars), the 2025 festival features over 200 lantern sets. The 2025 edition of the festival is the largest in scale in its entire history.
As Zigong's lanterns gain global recognition, their vibrant glow is now illuminating cities worldwide.
TRADITION PASSES ON
The tradition of celebrating the Spring Festival with lantern displays in Zigong dates back to the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279). In 1964, the city's government officially organized its first Spring Festival lantern fair. In 2008, the Zigong Lantern Festival was inscribed on China's national list of intangible cultural heritage.
Today, 11 recognized inheritors of the craft are dedicated to preserving and innovating the art of lantern-making.
Zigong's flourishing lantern industry has over 1,000 lantern-related enterprises, employs up to 130,000 people and enjoys an annual output of 6 billion yuan.
This photo taken on Jan. 17, 2025 shows a lantern set depicting a scenario from Chinese legend the White Snake during an international lantern festival in Zigong, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)
At this year's festival, one of the most eye-catching installations is a towering giant panda lantern, surrounded by adorable animals such as golden snub-nosed monkeys and alpacas. Upon closer inspection, the panda's fur appears remarkably lifelike, a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship that went into creating it.
"This set of panda lanterns took over a month to complete, and it was entirely crafted by hand," said Liu Juncai, one of the craftsmen, adding that the combination of panda along with other animal lanterns offers a unique way to showcase the province's ecological charm.
The 59-year-old has been crafting lanterns for over three decades and has participated in 16 consecutive Zigong Lantern Festivals.
"Each year, the festival needs to be more innovative than the last, which presents a great challenge for us. To create even more spectacular lanterns, we must keep pace with new technologies and modern techniques," he said.
This year's festival has incorporated cutting-edge materials and AI technology, blending tradition with innovation to create a truly immersive experience for visitors.
This photo taken on Jan. 26, 2025 shows a set of panda lanterns displayed during an international lantern festival in Zigong, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)
LIGHTING UP THE WORLD
Since their international debut in Singapore in 1990, Zigong's lanterns have illuminated over 90 countries and regions, emerging as a global cultural phenomenon.
In 2024 alone, a total of 104 Zigong lantern exhibition projects were held in 67 cities across 23 countries, marking a 15.6 percent year-on-year increase.
The festival's global expansion has also been fueled by a new generation of lantern entrepreneurs.
Lan Yang, marketing director at Zigong Star Factory Lantern Ltd., has been instrumental in expanding the company's international footprint. Since taking over his family business in 2020, Lan has leveraged social media platforms like YouTube to promote Zigong lantern artistry worldwide.
Lan attributes the global success of Zigong lanterns to their adaptability and customization.
Tourists watch artist Wan Songtao making porcelain palace lanterns during an international lantern festival in Zigong, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)
In celebration of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore, Lan and his team designed lanterns for Singapore's Chinatown. They added Singapore's national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, into their creations, alongside traditional symbols such as longevity peaches and prosperity trees and a snake to mark the Year of the Snake.
"I come here to take photos every year. The design and structure of the lanterns change every year. This year's snake design looks more cartoonish and appealing, and the Vanda Miss Joaquim's design and colors are also quite vibrant," said Singaporean citizen Leong Kwong Lee, adding that Singapore and China have always maintained close exchanges, and people continue to connect, communicate, and visit one another.
"I was little scared of the Year of the Snake, but it's a very appealing snake. It looks very friendly with a nice smile. I think it suggests that the next year is going to be very good," said Thomas Coffman, an American visitor in Singapore.
Beyond Singapore, Zigong's lanterns have brightened cities around the globe this Spring Festival, including New York, Houston, Paris and Dublin, spreading light, joy and festive blessings worldwide.
中新经纬2月19日电 据《华尔街日报》中文网19日报道，欧洲监管机构将对苹果公司(Apple Inc., AAPL)处以超过5亿美元的罚款，理由是这家科技巨头不公平的阻碍了其他音乐流媒体竞争对手。 《华尔街日报》中文网援引 最长春节假期收官：多地接待游客远超往年，“南北互换”流动趋势明显 澎湃新闻记者 唐莹莹 2月17日正月初八，为期8天的史上最长春节假期正式收官。 根据全国各地文旅部门、热门景区以及多家在线旅游平台的数 “首都南大门”保定，中创燕园在这里新扩建的厂房已完成装修，北京大学物理学院的专家每周都前来开展研发工作，这是“北京研发，保定落地”的一个缩影；海河之滨，依托京津物流园在京津两地间搭建高端智 美国国务卿布林肯近日在参加慕安会时说的一句话，可以被解读的空间很大，也值得深入解读一下。他在回答主持人关于“美中紧张局势正在导致更大的分裂”提问时引用了一句美国俚语，称在国际体系当中，“如 拼版照片：上图为20世纪80年代的厦门筼筜湖（资料照片）；下图为2024年1月24日拍摄的厦门筼筜湖及周边城市景观（新华社记者姜克红摄，无人机照片）。新华社记者付敏城在海上，海在城中。筼筜湖，犹如镶嵌在厦门岛中央 中新经纬2月22日电 据中国执行信息公开网消息，西王集团有限公司(以下简称“西王集团”)、西王国际贸易(青岛)有限公司、王勇、王棣、王伟2月20日被青岛市中级人民法院执行超3.3亿，案号为(2024)鲁02执383号。 来 。本文链接：Xinhua Headlines: China's "city of lanterns" shares light, joy worldwidehttp://www.sushuapos.com/show-5-46225-0.html
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