Beijing staged a lantern show at the Wenyu River Park on Saturday to celebrate the upcoming New Year, the Spring Festival or Chinese Lunar New Year, and the Lantern Festival.
Over a thousand sets of stunning lanterns, blending fashion and technology, have created a dazzling and colorful spectacle, making it a new destination for evening strolls in the city.
This year's show has expanded to eight exhibition sections in a total of 40 hectares.
Drawing inspiration from traditional culture in astronomy, architecture, calligraphy and paintings, as well as mythology, the show creates a fresh and captivating lantern viewing experience.
"I didn't expect it to incorporate so many elements with so many lanterns. The AI-powered lanterns were particularly interesting," said Wang Luhan, a visitor.
"This display is truly impressive. It really brings out the festive spirit," said Xu Jialei, another visitor.
The lantern show will run until March 9, 2025, offering a continuous joyful atmosphere through the New Year, the Spring Festival which falls on January 29 and the Lantern Festival on February 12.
A special event will also be held at the park on the night of December 31 to ring in the New Year.
Beijing launches lantern show to celebrate upcoming festivals
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
