Beijing has unveiled a list of its top "under the moonlight" cultural and tourism hotspots to keep locals and visitors entertained during the night-time hours of the ongoing Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which runs from Sunday to Tuesday.
The night tour recommendation list features 60 cultural and tourism projects across the Chinese capital, with many of the highlighted projects including activities based around China's traditional Mid-Autumn festival celebrations, which is a cherished time for family reunions, appreciating the full moon and enjoying colorful lantern shows.
One of the stand-outs is the Jingcai Lantern Festival, which was launched on Saturday in the Beijing Garden Expo Park, and has been drawing in visitors with its fascinating illuminated lantern displays, making it the perfect place to celebrate the festival with family members well after dark.
The lantern show integrates the national intangible cultural heritage of lantern craftsmanship of Zigong - a southwest China city famous for its lantern making - with distinctive elements of the city of Beijing, and is showcasing more than 200 groups of lantern displays, making it a dazzling night-time spot in the city during the festive period.
"The 'Jingcai Lantern Festival' is a new platform to present the culture of the Chinese capital, and a new product that brings together cultural, tourism, and leisure services. We hope that everyone can appreciate the beauty of Beijing this autumn," said Wu Jinmei, the general manager of the lantern festival.
In addition to the natural and cultural attractions, the night tour list also includes a variety of activities, such as night parades in Beijing's historic old city alleys, known as 'Hutongs', to bus tours to popular spots, as well as art performances, and bookstores and museums extending their opening hours and hosting evening events.
For both locals and tourists, the list can serve as a good guide to soak up the very best Beijing has to offer during the festive period.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture, falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar and dates back more than a millennium. As a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, families reunite on the occasion to admire the bright full moon, light lanterns, and share the holiday pastry of mooncakes.
Night-time attractions keep visitors entertained after-dark in Beijing
