Xi'an kicks off Spring Festival with lantern show

A special Spring Festival lantern show kicked off in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, on Friday, adding a festive atmosphere to the ancient northwestern metropolis.

For the first time, the 52-day show creates an immersive cultural performance project with full coverage throughout the day.

Dozens of immersive cultural performances will be launched from 09:30 to 17:30 every day, presenting the most distinctive and festive Spring Festival cultural feast for the public and tourists.

The show showcases nearly 20 sets of lanterns with distinctive characteristics of the Year of the Dragon in the four major lantern areas in the city.

In addition to different colorful lanterns and mythological dragon models, the lantern show integrates with classic ancient poetry and intangible cultural heritage lamp craftsmanship to create a festive cultural atmosphere of "one step, one quatrain, one lamp, one poem".

A total of 22 pairs of red and bright giant Spring Festival couplets have been hung on the 16 gates of the Xi'an City Wall, including Yongning and Changle, demonstrating a happy and harmonious festive atmosphere.

Meanwhile Xi'an is also interacting with the ancient cities of Malacca in Malaysia, Zhengding in Hebei, Kaifeng in Henan, Guangzhou in Guangdong and Datong in Shanxi this year to showcase the brilliant night scenery of various regions when they are illuminated in the "Chinese Red" of the Chinese New Year together to spread Chinese civilization and inherit traditional culture.