This year's Chang'an Lantern Festival in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, features light shows in key areas to showcase the city's vitality in urban development. These areas include the Daming Palace National Heritage Park, Tang Paradise, and the Xi'an City Wall.

Tang Palace Lantern Show at Daming Palace National Heritage Park

Date: Feb 2-March 17

Highlights: With a focus on the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Daming Palace National Heritage Park presents a lantern show that features immersive lantern displays, situational song and dance performances, and scene-based market spaces. These mediums create a vibrant atmosphere, and have established a new landmark for integrated and complementary Tang cultural experiences.

2024 Xi'an City Wall Lantern Festival

Date: Feb 2-March 24

Highlights: The 2024 Xi'an City Wall Lantern Festival focuses on five main themes: culture, technology, digitalization, environmental protection, and performing arts. Thirty-seven dragon-shaped lanterns will emphasize Spring Festival culture and Chinese poetry culture. In addition to the innovative inheritance of excellent traditional Chinese culture, the lantern festival also provides visitors with a multidimensional interactive experience with interactive methods, such as human-computer interaction.

The 2024 Xi'an City Wall Lantern Festival adds to the festive atmosphere. [Photo/Xi'an news network]

Tang Paradise Lantern Festival

Date: Feb 2-March 17

Highlights: Themed on Tang culture, this year's Tang Paradise Lantern Festival showcases 45 sets of distinctive New Year lanterns. Through a combination of splendid Tang performances, royal-quality cuisine, and interactive Tang-style entertainment, the festival creates an immersive interactive experience.

A set of lanterns themed on dragons and phoenixes is displayed at the Tang Paradise. [Photo/Xi'an news network]

Kunming Lake Ancient-style Lantern Festival

Date: Feb 1-May 31

Highlights: This lantern festival fully highlights the advantages of Kunming Lake's water resources and Chinese dragon culture. By combining its winding wooden walkways and garden landscapes with sound and light technologies, this event creates a distinct visitor experience.

2024 Shijingli Chinese Style Carnival

Date: Jan 23-March 10

Highlights: The carnival features dozens of sets of themed lanterns that are based on the Book of Songs. They also integrate elements such as the Year of the Dragon, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, and mythological figures. This event is a dreamlike and colorful sensory feast that allows the public to experience Chang'an's charm and millennium-old culture.

Bailuyuan Studio Spring Festival Lantern Show

Date: Feb 10-29

Highlights: Unlike traditional lantern festivals, the Bailuyuan Studio Spring Festival Lantern Show is a magnificent collision of traditional culture and modern elements. It presents a visual feast that combines lantern and light shows with mythology, handcrafted creativity, and innovative technology.

Roujiamo-shaped lanterns at Bailuyuan Studio. [Photo/Xi'an news network]

First Chinese New Year Lantern Festival on Shuijie Street in Zhouzhi county

Date: Feb 1-March 10

Highlights: The festival invites the renowned Zigong Lantern Association to present nearly 100 original and customized sets of lantern designs, showcasing the highest level of Chinese lantern art. The three main lantern areas combine intangible cultural heritage, spectacular circus performances, and New Year goods fairs, providing visitors with an extraordinary visual feast.

Chang'an Lantern Market at Xingqing Palace Park

Date: Jan 27-March 17

Highlights: This event creates an immersive Spring Festival garden party event for locals and visitors. The 6-meter-high dragon lantern corridor offers a stunning start to the Year of the Dragon. Additionally, this market features poetry lanterns, elegant palace lanterns, and vibrant red lanterns scattered throughout the park.