Qiyun glows as Lantern Festival kicks off ahead of Chinese New Year January 18, 2023

Lanterns helped the city of Qiyun, located in Yuzhong County, Lanzhou, in China, to shine bright like a star, as this year’s China’s Spring Festival began last weekend.

Visitors were able to admire a wide variety of lantern shows, which represent different aspects of the Chinese culture, such as flowers, cartoons, mountains, animals and objects. The festival also features 50 entertainment activities including folk performances, fireworks and an ice-cream snow park.

“I think this year's lantern festival will be more interesting than before, they added new elements, kept up with the pace of the times, and were very creative,” a tourist Hu Yanxiong explained.

After a long period without being able to leave their houses because of lockdowns, residents of Qiyun are now looking forward to attending this year’s Spring Festival. According to the event’s staff, around 30,000 people are expected to visit the festival every day before it ends on Feb. 28, 2023.