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Zigong Lantern Festival opens in southwest China ahead of Lunar New Year
A general view of various light installations at the 32nd Zigong International Lantern Festival, Zigong, Sichuan province, China, 23 January, 2026.
Reuters
The Zigong International Lantern Festival has opened in southwest China, drawing large crowds to hundreds of illuminated handmade displays ahead of the Lunar New Year on 17 February and the start of the Year of the Horse.
The annual festival in Sichuan province features more than 200 lantern installations.
Thousands of people visited on opening night to view displays depicting animals, mythological creatures and scenes from traditional Chinese stories.
Organisers said about 1,200 workers spent several weeks constructing the lanterns, some of which extend for hundreds of metres.
One 210-metre display, titled ‘Magical China’, centres on the mythical creature Kunpeng. Another installation, ‘Legend of Mulan’, stretches 180 metres and includes galloping horses reflecting this year’s zodiac.
Local residents say the festival is a long-standing tradition. Huang Ye, 32, said she attended the event as a child and now brings her own child.
Many lanterns are made using traditional and recycled materials, including straw, chillies and discarded medicine bottles.
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