Lantern Festival celebrations in Shanghai (Part 1)

Lantern Festival falls every year on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The festival is held to mark the first full moon of the new lunar year and is celebrated by Chinese people by hanging colorful lanterns, playing games, and gathering with friends to eat glutinous rice balls known as yuanxiao.

This year the festival falls on March 2. An abundance of celebrations have been planned at popular attractions across Shanghai.

Yuyuan Tourist Mart: lantern show

A lantern show is held at the Yuyuan Tourist Mart to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. [Photo/WeChat account: shanghaifabu]

Thousands of colorful lanterns are used to decorate the 5.3-hectare Yuyuan Tourist Mart. The lantern show will run until March 5.

Ticket: 80 yuan ($12.6) per adult and 50 yuan per kid on March 2

     50 yuan per adult and 30 yuan per kid on March 3 and 4

     Free at any other time

Transportation: Metro Line 10

Tel: 021-23028585

Shanghai Happy Valley: lantern show

A lantern show at the Shanghai Happy Valley [Photo/WeChat account: shanghaitourism]

The lantern show at the Shanghai Happy Valley consists of four themed lantern exhibition areas, displaying fifty sets of Zigong lanterns that took 100 Zigong lantern inheritors one month to complete. Dozens of light sculptures in the shape of zebras, rhinoceroses, giraffes and flamingos are also exhibited.

Address: No 888 Linhu Road, Songjiang district

Transportation: Metro Line 9 (get off at the Sheshan Station and walk across the pedestrian bridge to take a free shuttle bus to the Happy Valley)

Fangta Garden: free yuanxiao for local citizens

Visitors can get free yuanxiao at Fangta Garden during Lantern Festival. [Photo/WeChat account: shanghaifabu]

Fangta Garden has been offering free yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball), a must-eat snack for Lantern Festival, to residents since 2013.

Address: No 235 East Zongshan Road, Songjiang district

Transportation: Metro Line 9 (get off at the Songjiang Sports Center Station, then take Bus 17, or get off at the Zuibaichi Station, then take Bus 33)