As dusk falls, Beijing Garden Expo Park on the banks of the Yongding River is aglow with brilliant lights. The largest lantern festival in Beijing's history, the Jingcai Lantern Festival, has illuminated all nine themed zones with over 200 sets of lanterns. The elegant tunes of opera blend with the dazzling lanterns, creating a cultural feast that weaves together visual and auditory delights.
Entering the park feels like stepping into a dreamlike world. As you stroll through the grounds, elements like colorful opera masks and intricate stage costumes are cleverly integrated into the lantern designs. Light and shadow serve as the brush, and color as the ink, bringing to life scenes from classic operas like Farewell My Concubine and The Peony Pavilion. The displays combine the classical and modern, traditional and innovative, drawing many visitors to interact and take photos.
Spanning the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, this lantern festival sets new records in terms of scale, lantern design, and creative layout. Yang Yong, the festival's art director and chairman of the Zigong Artists Association, explained that the lanterns are based on the national intangible cultural heritage of Zigong Lanterns. They integrate traditional Beijing customs and symbols of the capital's spirit, incorporating elements like the central axis, hutongs, cultural relics, traditional Chinese paintings, poetry, and Peking opera. This innovative display brings the charm of old Beijing, contemporary life, and festive customs to life, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the essence and beauty of traditional Chinese culture while enjoying the stunning lanterns.
Traditional culture is deeply intertwined with patriotic sentiments. On-site, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the organizers distributed small national flags and flag stickers to visitors. In the Splendid Rivers and Mountains theme area, tourists posed for photos in front of the giant I Love You China lantern, expressing their love for the country.
Continuing along the Jingcai Avenue, visitors arrive at the central square in front of Gate 5 of Garden Expo Park, where they can see the Phoenix Dancing in the Sky lantern set, made from colorful blow-molded paper and transparent acrylic using paper-cutting techniques. Phoenix Dancing in the Sky is currently the largest handmade feather lantern in China, standing 10 meters tall with 40,000 feathers, its neck equipped with mechanical technology that allows it to nod frequently at visitors.
To ensure a smooth visitor experience, Fengtai District in Beijing has fully mobilized resources, carefully arranging transportation, parking, and tour guides. They’ve set up dedicated shuttle buses, expanded parking lots, and introduced transportation routes. Additionally, Fengtai District has released guides for nighttime tours, dining, and autumn sightseeing routes, making the Jingcai Lantern Festival a new cultural landmark and vibrant scene of nighttime economy in Beijing.
