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
The world's first 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine was successfully installed in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, making it the first offshore wind turbine of this kind in the country to be installed, according to its developer China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG).
Once connected to the grid, the wind turbine is expected to generate more than 80 million kWh of electricity annually, which can meet the yearly power demand of around 44,000 households, while saving approximately 24,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 64,000 tons.
The wind turbine is located more than 30 kilometers offshore in waters exceeding 40 meters in depth. Installation faced multiple challenges, including a narrow construction window during the monsoon season, complex sea conditions and high risks associated with high-altitude operations.
To overcome the difficulties, the construction team deployed a fourth-generation wind power installation vessel with a lifting capacity of 2,000 tons. Supported by high-precision positioning and intelligent pile-driving control systems, the team steadily lifted three 147-meter-long blades to a height of 174 meters, accurately connecting them to the hub. The completed rotor has a diameter of 300 meters and a swept area equivalent to nearly 10 standard football fields.
The turbine is part of a national key research and development program, with all its major components independently developed and produced in China.
World’s first 20-MW offshore wind turbine installed in waters near Fujian
