Grand lantern show kicks off at ancient city wall in NW China's Xi'an to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year

Embracing the Year of the Dragon, a magnificent dragon-themed lantern illuminates the ancient city wall of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, during a vibrant lantern show to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. (People's Daily Online/Bai Ge)

A lantern show featuring nearly 20 groups of exquisite lanterns displayed in four thematic sections officially commenced on the evening of Feb. 2 at the ancient city wall of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The annual lantern show, now on its 37th edition, is expected to last 52 days. It serves as an important event to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 10 this year.

Since 2024 marks the Chinese zodiac Year of the Dragon, diverse elements of the dragon have been integrated into the lanterns and other decorations adorning the city wall, creating a lively atmosphere brimming with distinctive features of the Spring Festival and the city's cultural heritage.

The lanterns illuminating the city wall have been arranged in four different sections to create different cultural experiences, with sectional themes of a splendid Xi'an, a blessed world, a prosperous China, and a fantasy world for children.

For the first time, this year's lantern show also features immersive cultural and artistic performances from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, treating visitors to a cultural feast during Spring Festival celebrations.

A wide range of smart devices, including artificial intelligence (AI)-driven devices that can write poems, man-machine communication devices, and mechanical dogs, have also been employed to enrich the visitors’ interactive experiences.