Illuminating Lantern Culture

by Zi Mo

“Daddy， daddy， look！ A giant dinosaur！”pleaded a boy led by his father in Lantern Park. The parks Lake 3 was illuminated by some 100 dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts， creating a scene from the Jurassic Period.

The Jurassic Exploration Zone is just one part of the 19th Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival in Zigong， Sichuan Province in southwestern China.

In China， many places preserve the tradition of admiring lanterns during the first lunar month. The tradition in Zigong， dubbed the Home of Dinosaurs and Capital of Salt， dates back to the Tang Dynasty （618-907）， and continues to be a major event during Spring Festival， the biggest holiday in China. The city stays awake throughout the night and becomes extremely colorful during the month-long celebration.

This years festival consists of six zones with different themes， with “Dream Dome” standing out in particular. It is considered the worlds largest lantern and sound show： 27 meters tall， 55 meters in diameter， and 5，000 square meters in area. The lights inside change colors to the rhythm of music. “I was inspired by a European church，” reveals Zhong Guangchuan， the designer. “It is a perfect integration of traditional lanterns and modern illumination technology.”

The fair also showcases the thriving local salt industry with a display titled“Impression of the Capital of Salt”， which covers 9，000 square meters. It features recreations of ancient salt production with wooden derricks， bamboo tubes， stoves， and ships， illuminating the areas history of a bustling salt industry stretching back 2，000 years. The icing on the cake is“workers” demonstrating the salt boiling process.

“We understand how this works，” one visitor remarked， “but it would have been better if we could try with our own hands.”

The people of Zigong are proud that their lantern festival has been added to the list of Chinas National Intangible Cultural Heritage， helping it attract numerous visitors both from home and abroad. This year， for example， 270，000 visitors have made the trip during Spring Festival holiday so far， some of whom returned many times.“This is my second visit，” grinned Miss He from Meishan， Sichuan Province. “I was deeply impressed last year. It was so amazing that I want to share the experience with my family and friends. The theme changes each year and we learn a lot about local culture and history.”