Lantern show illuminates Beijing with traditional, innovative elements

A spectacular lantern show at Wenyu River Park has added to festive vibes in Beijing as the city now enters a joyous period of celebrations for both New Year's Day and the upcoming Spring Festival.

Spanning 40 hectares, the 2025 Beijing Megalights Wonderland features more than 1,000 illuminated installations across eight themed areas, offering visitors a feast for the senses and plenty of surprises around every corner.

From traditional Chinese motifs to playful characters, the dazzling display seamlessly blends cutting-edge technology with time-honored customs.

In Chinese culture, lanterns symbolize light, happiness, and the dispelling of bad luck. At this park on the city's outskirts, over 1,000 stunning lantern artworks are on display, ranging from intricate designs to towering, eye-catching structures.

Visitors are transported into a dreamlike world of divine beasts, fairylands, and traditional Chinese architecture, with each scene drawing inspiration from famous stories and myths. "I think it's really great. The atmosphere is wonderful, very suitable for a family outing," said a female visitor.

"Visiting the lantern show at the beginning of the New Year, I wish our motherland prosperity and strength," said another visitor.

The show is particularly popular with families, especially those with young children.

"We hope our child can gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. She also really likes wearing traditional Hanfu clothing," one parent shared.

Thanks to modern technologies like holographic projection, visitors can embark on an immersive journey from ancient China to space and beyond.

The lanterns on display are handcrafted in Zigong, a city in southwest China's Sichuan Province, renowned for its lantern-making tradition -- a recognized form of intangible cultural heritage.

"These lanterns are all welded by hand. For example, this large-scale Wukong lantern has over 10,000 welding points. We can also program the light strips to achieve the effect of changing lights, making it more futuristic," said Shu Xin, project manager of Beijing Shiguang Tourism.

As the winter festivities continue, the lantern show remains a hit across the country and is set to run until March.

Lantern show illuminates Beijing with traditional, innovative elements

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.

At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.

Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.

The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.

Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.

Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.

Iran swears to counterattack if attacked