Chinese capital plans light show for national holidays

The Chinese capital will host a gigantic lantern show to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday, local authorities reported today. 
 
According to the Beijing Tourism Group, the scale of the exhibition will break records with more than 200 sets of creative lanterns and approximately 100,000 colorful decorations.

The celebration event will take place at the Beijing Garden Expo Park from September 14 to October 31.

About 70 percent of the exhibits will be inspired by iconic elements of this capital such as the historic central axis of the city, traditional courtyards and popular culture.

According to organizers, in addition to the visual spectacle, the event will feature more than 150 specialty stores and 20 themed performances.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to participate in interactive activities such as traditional craft workshops.

The lights that will appear in this exhibition were made by hundreds of artisans from Zigong, a city in southwest China known for its history of lantern making.

Shen Hongyue, president of the lantern industry association of that city, recalled that Zigong lanterns are a national intangible cultural heritage.

In his opinion, the upcoming show in Beijing will stand out for mixing traditional art from Zigong with the rich cultural heritage of the Chinese capital.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is an annual holiday celebrated by people in China and other parts of Asia on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, which in 2024 falls on September 17.

Although each region celebrates it differently, in the Asian giant families usually gather at night and eat together a dessert known as the moon cake, due to its round shape.

On the other hand, the country is preparing to celebrate its National Day on October 1st on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.