Illuminated drones, colorful lanterns dazzle crowds as Spring Festival light show opens in Zhejiang

Illuminated drones transformed the night skyline and elaborate lantern displays shone bright on Saturday evening in Pinghu, east China's Zhejiang Province, as the ancient city celebrated the coming arrival of the Spring Festival.

Held to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Horse, the stunning light show unfolded at around 18:30 on a square near the Donghu Lake in the city, with 700 drones taking flight and moving together in perfect synchrony to paint glowing shapes across the night sky.

The choreographed drones arranged themselves into various formations to depict Pinghu's historic sites and cultural attractions, Spring Festival symbols and traditional Chinese cultural images, in a spectacular display of modern technology.

"After watching this drone show, I feel that China is now really advanced in technology. Nowadays, drone shows have replaced the traditional fireworks, offering us a different Chinese New Year experience," said a tourist visiting the city.

Following the drone displays, 45 sets of large lantern displays lit up simultaneously, depicting aspects of traditional culture and festive celebration. The displays were arranged in four themes around the lake, stretching 72,000 square meters.

"This is so amazing for those of us from Pinghu. I'm dazzled by these lanterns. This light show is very rich in culture with many horse-themed displays," a local resident said.

The opening day of the light show also featured cultural performances such as traditional lion dances and acrobatic stunts. As celebrations continue, 20 similar performances will be staged at around 17:30 each day.

The light show is set to last until March 22.

The 2026 Spring Festival falls on Feb 17, marking the beginning of the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

Illuminated drones, colorful lanterns dazzle crowds as Spring Festival light show opens in Zhejiang

Illuminated drones, colorful lanterns dazzle crowds as Spring Festival light show opens in Zhejiang

Illuminated drones, colorful lanterns dazzle crowds as Spring Festival light show opens in Zhejiang

Illuminated drones, colorful lanterns dazzle crowds as Spring Festival light show opens in Zhejiang

The United States and Israel on Saturday launched "major combat operations" against Iran, plunging the war-torn Middle East into a new round of violent conflicts.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the objective "is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats" from Iran, and the Israeli Defense Ministry said the country launched a "preemptive" strike against Iran "to remove threats to Israel."

In Tehran, missiles hit areas near the offices of both Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian sources said that both leaders remain unhurt.

Israeli-U.S. airstrikes also struck a girls' school in southern Iran, killing at least 60 students, with 80 others injured, Hossein Kermanpour, head of the Iranian Health Ministry's public relations, said in a post on social media. Dozens more are reportedly still trapped under rubble.

Iran closed its airspace while the attacks were ongoing. Mobile phone services have been cut in parts of Tehran.

Iran has retaliated with a series of counterattacks against Israel and U.S. targets across the region, with explosions reported in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia, among other countries.

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a special and immediate state of emergency in all areas of Israel. Sirens were sounded across Israel to warn the public to prepare for the possibility of Iranian retaliation. Israeli airspace has been closed to civilian flights, according to Israeli Airports Authority.

In response to the sharp regional escalation, several countries have slammed their airspace totally or partially shut, and multiple airlines have canceled flights to the Middle East.

The attacks against Iran came after the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks concluded in Geneva on Thursday. Tensions between the United States and Iran were soaring amid massive U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and the stalled nuclear talks.

US, Israel launch major attacks against Iran, trigger retaliations