The Beijing Mid-Autumn and National Day Lantern Festival opening ceremony was grandly held in Beijing Garden Expo Park on September 14th, 2024. The largest lantern festival in the history of Beijing, marked the return of the Zigong Lantern Festival to Beijing after a 36-year hiatus. The event features nine thematic exhibition areas showcasing over 200 groups of lanterns, including 75 large and medium-sized lantern displays and 100,000 hanging lanterns. Notably, the "Welcoming Gate" lantern group, which stretches nearly 100 meters, took almost two months to create and involved 7 million cuts, making it the largest and longest lantern gate in Beijing to date.
From September 14th to October 31st, the lights dazzle every day from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM, providing a rare cultural and artistic feast through a captivating audiovisual experience. Approximately 70% of the lantern themes are inspired by Beijing's cultural and humanistic classics, specifically designed for the city. The solemn and auspicious brick-red walls of the Forbidden City contrast beautifully with its golden-glazed tiles, showcasing the splendor and magnificence of this historic site through intangible cultural heritage lantern techniques.
During the festival, the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th gates of the Beijing Garden Expo Park are open for visitors. It is recommended to enter through the 2nd or 3rd gate. Entering through the 2nd gate, visitors can pass through the "Jingcai Life Gathering" area, where the welcoming path is adorned with colorful lanterns, featuring traditional Beijing time-honored brands and delicacies from the eight major cuisines, along with adorable mascots like the Rabbit Lord. Near the 3rd gate, there are large lantern groups such as the Welcoming Gate, floral displays, reunion palace lanterns, and a colorful lantern stage, all contributing to a festive atmosphere filled with joyful music.
The grand red lanterns of the Welcoming Gate, standing 23 meters tall and stretching 80 meters long, are prominently displayed, flanked by two soaring "dragons" that dazzle with their colors. The "Reunion Palace Lantern" slowly rotates, flickering with light and shadow, inspired by traditional palace lanterns and revolving lanterns. The "Beijing Scenery" display, set against the backdrop of old Beijing's hutong culture, incorporates sounds of street vendors and interactive designs, combining "shape, color, sound, light, and movement" to create an immersive experience that showcases the essence of local culture, national spirit, and contemporary artistry.
The "Lugou Xiaoyue" lantern group, themed around "Lugou Xiaoyue, the Cultural Belt of the Xishan Yongding River, and Mid-Autumn Reunion," resonates with the full moon above, while the details of stone lions on the bridge and moon shadows below captivate viewers. The "Beautiful Coexistence" lantern group creates a mysterious and fantastical forest, where "Flower Fairies" and "Tree Spirits" transport visitors into a fairy tale world, igniting their imagination. The "Panda Paradise" lantern group features pandas wearing stylish "glasses," which display videos of the beautiful landscapes of the motherland on two custom transparent screens, incorporating the classic movements of Meng Lan and her favorite tree branches. The "Light of the Central Axis" lantern group majestically transforms Beijing's central axis into a 140-meter-long corridor, with the design accommodating the unique terrain of the site, and the 7.8-meter width cleverly reflecting the 7.8-kilometer length of the central axis.
Throughout the lantern festival, over 20 themed activities, including song and dance performances, drama, and cultural events, as well as interactive activities like intangible cultural heritage DIY, will be held. Visitors can enjoy the lantern displays while savoring delicious food, watching performances, and participating in interactive experiences during this golden autumn festival.
The 2024 Beijing Mid-Autumn and National Day Lantern Festival, known as the "Jingcai Lantern Festival," is the largest lantern festival in Beijing's history and is expected to attract a large number of visitors. The public transport group operate special shuttle lines connecting the subway station at the Garden Expo Park with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th gates, offering regular bus fares and discounts. During the festival, these shuttle services will run daily after 3:30 PM, flexibly adjusting capacity based on visitor flow. To facilitate evening visits, the lantern festival will extend its hours to align with the subway's operating times, ensuring that relevant bus routes are available until the festival concludes.
