Chinese new year lantern light up 30th Zigong Lantern Festival
Zigong Lanterns is the master integrator of the Chinese new year lantern, Zigong represent the highest standard of Chinese new year lantern. The Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival (commonly known as the “Zigong Lantern Festival”) is one of China’s most influential lantern events. Renowned for its grand scale, exquisite craftsmanship, and rich cultural significance, it is acclaimed as the ”World’s Premier Lantern Festival”.
Different from traditional Chinese lantern, Zigong gather the latest technology and the largest lantern exposition park, here gathered tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world! Every lunar new year, Zigong will exhibit the biggest lights festival in the country, this is a grand Chinese cultural show. We will take our most proud work to exhibit in the lights festival.
The Historical Development of Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival and Spring Festival Lanterns
1. Origin of Zigong Lantern Festival – The history of Zigong Lantern Festival dates back to the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279), when lantern-appreciation customs emerged in Zigong (an ancient salt industry hub), primarily linked to salt merchant culture and folk rituals. – During the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1912), the festival evolved into a large-scale event integrating lantern craftsmanship, Sichuan opera performances, and folk celebrations.
2. Modern Era Inception (1964) – In 1964, the Zigong municipal government launched the inaugural “Zigong Spring Festival Lantern Fair”. Based on traditional techniques, this first government-organized cultural activity attracted approximately 200,000 visitors, establishing the prototype of the modern lantern festival.
3. Developmental Stages & Milestone
-1980s (Brand Establishment & Global Expansion): Renamed “Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival” in 1987, highlighting Zigong’s identity as “Home of Dinosaurs”.
-In 1988, the festival toured domestically before expanding internationally to Singapore and Malaysia.
-1990s (Scale Innovation & Recognition): Incorporated modern audio-visual technology, mechanical drives, and laser effects. Themes expanded from folklore to sci-fi and animation. Designated “Home of Chinese Lantern Festivals” by China’s Ministry of Culture in 1994.
-2000s (Cultural Heritage & Industrialization): Listed as China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008. Evolved into an industrial pillar: Lantern companies undertook global projects.
-2010s-Present (Tech Integration & Global Impact): Relocated to “China Lantern World” in 2017, becoming a year-round cultural-tourism complex. In 2020, the Lantern Festival launched “Cloud Lantern Viewing”, an online live stream that attracted over 500 million viewers. During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Zigong lanterns were featured in the opening ceremony, further expanding their international reputation.
Innovation and Tradition in Chinese Lanterns
In the world of Chinese lanterns, each company’s works are unique, and the process is constantly innovative and iterative. This place full of creativity and vitality is the perfect fusion of Chinese culture and modern technology, and each work is like a bright pearl, emitting a unique light. Here, we can not only appreciate the exquisite craftsmanship, but also witness the spark of innovative thinking.
Since Scandinavian environmental organizations began protesting against environmental pollution caused by PVC lampshades, the shared global challenge of environmental protection has gained significant attention among lantern artists. Mineral water bottles are common in our lives. They are important for daily use, but people often throw them away. This creates a problem for the environment. However, in this challenge, we aim to transform these seemingly unremarkable objects into stunning works of art. This time, our challenge is to promote environmental protection, using mineral water bottles to piece together a 200-meter long dragon! This project is not only an artistic creation, but also an environmental action.
In this way, we hope to raise awareness of plastic recycling and reuse, while also showing how even the most ordinary materials can be transformed into incredible works of art through creativity and effort.” Follow me into the birth of the dragon, and you will witness the birth of a miracle. From the initial design sketch, to the collection and cleaning of each mineral water bottle, to the final assembly and decoration, every step is the ultimate pursuit of detail.
This plastic Chinese loong is not only a giant installation art, it is also an environmental symbol, a signal to remind people to pay attention to environmental issues.
The Emergence of Eco-Friendly Plastic Dragon Lanterns
1.The symbolic meaning of the dragon: The dragon is one of the 12 animal signs of the Chinese zodiac, the image of Chinese dragons has evolved over thousands of years,Eventually, it formed a collection of various animal features such as snake body, antlers, eagle claws and fish scales. In Chinese culture dragon is the symbols of auspicious, power and authority, often regarded as the totem of the Chinese nation. The Chinese also often call themselves the “descendants of the dragon”.
2.Applicable scenes of dragon lanterns: Traditional chinese dragon lantern as a represent of Chinese new year lantern, it often shows up in kinds of traditional lights festival, such as Spring Festival and China Lantern Festival. People perform dragon and lion dances or light dragon lanterns to pray for favorable weather, abundant harvests, peace, and happiness in the coming year.
3.The design process of the New Year’s Dragon lantern: To complete this product perfectly, our design team will read all kinds of information about myths and legends. Then we will draw the draft, from draft to 2D, from 2D to 3D. After that we will analysis the color texture and research surface material. All the efforts to ensure the effect is perfect to meet the expectations.
4.Detailed lantern making technology: Artisans meticulously assemble plastic bottle fragments into dragon scales, employing core lantern-making techniques—binding, pasting, and carving. Each plastic piece is precisely cut and polished to ensure seamless integration, replicating the texture of mythical dragon scales. This meticulous work requires not only patience, but also a deep understanding of aesthetics to ensure that the final result is both natural and shocking.
In the design, we cleverly made use of the silk commonly used in lanterns, a material known for its softness and luster, which contrasts with the hard and transparent feel of mineral water bottles, adding a sense of layers and dimensions to the dragon. The soft luster of the silk and the transparent color of the mineral water bottle combine to make the dragon seem to have the breath of life under the irradiation of the light, colorful and shining.
In the mouth of the dragon, we installed a large smoke device, which not only adds to the mystery of the dragon, but also adds a dynamic visual effect. Surrounded by smoke, the dragon seems to breathe, adding a touch of vividness to this static art installation.
The Chinese dragon’s head is reaches an astonishing 13 meters. Therefore the watering and construction of the concrete foundation is essential.
Our responsibility
In more than 20 lantern enterprises in China, the dragon has undoubtedly become the focus of the whole lantern World Expo Park! Media rushed to interview and report, among the Chinese lunar New Year lanterns, become a popular lantern!
FOREEST PAINTING LANTERN Factory pioneers the fusion of contemporary themes with traditional Chinese New Year lanterns. The success of our eco-themed dragon lantern marks not only the first pivotal step in our journey but also a testament to our conviction: innovation reinvigorates China’s lantern heritage! We will forge ahead, embracing environmental conservation and animal protection as core inspirations, weaving these urgent global themes into the artistry of colored lantern creation.
