Photoessay: Experience Beijing’s Lifestyle and Traditionals at Jingcai Lantern Festival

Chen Wang

Photoessay: Experience Beijing’s Lifestyle and Traditionals at Jingcai Lantern Festival

The largest-ever lantern festival lights up Beijing in China’s National Day Holiday.

This perfect place for night owls to visit. Every year the Jingcai Lantern Festival becomes one of the most popular spots for tourists during China’s National Day holiday. This year is Beijing’s largest-ever lantern fair. Located at Beijing Garden Expo Park, there are more than 200 sets of lanterns, 75 large-scale lantern installations, and 100,000 decorative lanterns on the fair. According to the Beijing Daily report, more than 10,000 tourists entered the park on the first day of the holiday.

The lantern displays integrate aspects of China’s traditional culture and heritage. Subjects include the Great Wall, traditional opera, and of course pandas. Apart from the fascinating lantern displays, many pop-up market stalls are serving Beijing’s traditional snacks and internet-famous delicacies.

Throughout the park, there are nine theme areas, namely Festival Songs, Beijing Colorful Avenue, Splendid Rivers and Mountains, Beijing Trend Colors, Colorful Children’s Dreams, Watching Beijing in a Big Show, Glorious China, Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens, and Jingcai Lifestyle. To fit in with the celebratory atmosphere, young people have dressed up in traditional Hanfu, while children have hairpins on and carry lovely rabbit lanterns.