Asian lantern festival
Second, while this is a nighttime event (running from 6:30 to 10:30 with the last entry at 9:30), the colorful lanterns look great while the sun is up just as much as they do lit up at night.
In this one, we thought we'd share a bit more about what the Asian Lantern Festival at the zoo is like in 2022, share a few of our favorite pieces, and give some tips to help you plan your visit for this limited-time show. Throw on the fact that it is back with a new theme, dinosaurs, and we were rather excited to visit again! We loved 2021's so much that we returned back to check out 2022's show right after it opened. Naturally, when we heard that the Pittsburgh Zoo was going to host their own lantern festival, we knew we had to attend. We were fortunate enough to visit the Seoul Lantern Festival when visiting South Korea in 2019 and absolutely loved the large, ornate, and colorful paper sculptures that lined Cheonggyecheon Stream in the heart of the city (see some of our favorites over at our travel blog at the previous link). The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is known for putting on many events throughout the year, and in fall 2022 they are bringing back one of their most popular events- the Asian Lantern Festival running on Thursday to Sunday nights through October 30th! Please confirm these directly with any business or attraction prior to visiting. Pricing, operating hours, or menus may have changed since our initial visit and may not be reflected in subsequent updates. Please check out our Terms and Conditions. 6.Disclaimer: Our site uses demographic data, email opt-ins, display advertising, and affiliate links. He then ordered all temples, homes, and royal palaces to light lanterns that evening, which later became known as the Lantern Festival. Historians believe the first lanterns were used during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).Įmperor Han Mingdi, a proponent of Buddhism, found monks who lit lanterns in the temples to show respect to Buddha on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Chinese Lanterns Became Popular Over 2,000 Years Ago The Chinese zodiac animal for the year also makes it into New Year lantern design.
Asian lantern festival full#
Shape: The round shape symbolizes wholeness and togetherness in China, reminiscent of the full moon, which presides over the Lantern Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.Ĭhinese calligraphy: Common decorative writings represent best wishes for a long, healthy life and a prosperous, wealthy future.Īrt: Typically, lantern crafters will paint dragons for strength, bamboo for resilience, butterflies and flowers for happiness, and trees and plants for growth. Lantern Design is Full of SymbolismĬolor: Aside from the popular red color, pink symbolizes romance, white represents good health, green yields growth, orange means money, yellow brings good luck in school, and light blue and purple make dreams come true. You can watch kung fu demonstrations, experience the fire dragon dance, and of course, view lantern displays. Year after year, this event in Hong Kong is considered the grandest Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in all of China. It was made from 2,360 traditional Chinese lanterns and took 35 people 13 days to build. The fish-shaped sculpture measured over 36 x 9 x 13 meters (119 x 31 x 43 feet). In 2011, the biggest Mid-Autumn Festival event hosted in Hong Kong's Victoria Park set a Guinness World Record for the largest lantern sculpture. Hong Kong Holds the Lantern Display Record This festival takes place near a river, pond, or lake, and features floating lanterns in different shapes and designs. These lanterns are similar to hot air balloons, propelled by a small flame that creates hot air to send the balloon into the night sky.įloating lanterns are also common during lantern celebrations, like the Dragon Boat Festival. On holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can find flying lanterns throughout China. The hanging lantern is thought to bring protection and good luck. The most common type is the hanging lantern, which is hung in homes and in public spaces.