The first Huangpu Lantern Festival of 2025 is being held at Luogang Xiangxue Park, Guangzhou. It will last for 22 days, running until February 28th.
With the theme of "Plum Blossom Goddess," the Lantern Festival features nine lantern sets that combine elements from The Classic of Mountains and Rivers and pink plum blossoms, integrating digital technology and traditional culture to create an immersive and interactive lantern-viewing experience.
The festival also presents a variety of special activities, including intangible cultural heritage (ICH) shows with distinctive Lingnan cultural characteristics such as Cantonese opera and dance performances.
The themed event featuring artificial snow will allow visitors to immerse themselves in a dreamy atmosphere intertwined with a sea of lanterns and snowy scenery, enabling them to experience the rare romantic snowfall of a southern winter. A parade of individuals dressed in Hanfu costumes will wander through the scene, interacting with visitors to jointly create an immersive ancient-style lantern appreciation experience.
The festival has launched an online "10,000-people AI Plum Blossom Creation Contest" and set an "ICH Plum Blossom Mini-Lantern" activity, combining AR technology with traditional crafts to offer a unique blend of heritage and innovation.
By scanning the QR code on the mascots placed under the small lanterns, visitors can unlock a 3D augmented reality video on their phones, effectively "taking home" the sea of plum blossoms and the Lantern Festival at Xiangxue Park.
Ms. Huang, a local resident, said that she often visits Xiangxue Park to admire the plum blossoms. "This year's Lantern Festival is really eye-catching, especially the lantern in the shape of a serpent, which was particularly lively and cute."
The Lantern Festival has also collaborated with Luogang Aoyuan Plaza to launch a Lantern Festival event where visitors can enjoy the traditional Yingge dance and experience the festive food market. Local businesses and residents in Luogang have launched a digital discount coupon campaign, allowing tourists to redeem the coupons for free and enjoy a 10% discount on their purchases with the coupons.
Travel Guide
Dates: February 7 to February 28, 2025, lighting from 17:00 to 20:30
Location: Luogang Xiangxue Park (萝岗香雪公园)
Reservation: Search for the WeChat mini program “普慧行(pinyin: Pu Hui Xing)” to make an online reservation for entering the Lantern Festival.
Reporter | Ma Liya (intern), Chen Jinxia
Photo | Publicity Department of Huangpu District
Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He
