Hangzhou Lantern Festival

Amongst all the joyous festivals celebrated by the people of Hangzhou, the Lantern festival is very special. In fact Hangzhou Lantern Festival is a kaleidoscope of colors and variety as far as the term can be stretched. Chinese festivals are all unique, this Asian country has a glorious history and lineage. You must visit Hangzhou in the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar to enjoy and witness this lantern festival which is also known as the Shang Yuan Festival in China.

Hangzhou Lantern Festival or Shang Yuan Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth night (some festivities are held in the daytime also) of the first lunar month. Chinese calendar is according to the lunar years, which is distinctly different than the more widely accepted and followed Gregorian calendar. In Hangzhou, the Lantern Festival is one of the first festivals to be celebrated in the New Year or first month of the year. Again another significance of the Lantern Festival is that, it marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. As mentioned before, this festival is considered to be a very auspicious occasion for the people and the celebrations are done on a huge scale. Men, women and children are dresses gaily and throng the streets to witness the different types of lantern. Lanterns used in this festival are of various sizes and shapes, you will get to see dragon lanterns, lion lanterns and horse lanterns come out to parade the temples, hamlets and towns.

Another interesting feature of Hangzhou Lantern Festival is that a lantern show is usually held showcasing the finest and most ornamental lanterns. You will be surprised to find out what a huge gathering there is to see the show. People hardly sleep at night, in case they miss out any aspect of the festival. Try to be a part of the crowd witnessing an opera. Some villages have theatrical troupes performing on the occasion of the Lantern Festival. This is known as “Going in for the Lantern Festival”. Wuling Square, He Fang Street and West Lake banks are the most preferred location for the festival.