Chinese Lantern Festival

Chinese Lantern Festival

Chinese Lantern Festival

A holiday festival of lights…with a twist.

We spent the Christmas Holiday with family in Raleigh, NC this past year. We spent a special evening taking in the Chinese Lantern Festival which took over several acres of a nearby amphitheater. What a treat.

Chinese Lantern Festival

Chinese Lantern Festival

We enter through a pagoda-like arched gate and down a red lanterned tunnel to where lanterns by the dozens reside.

Chinese Lantern Festival

The giant Chinese dragon is over 200 feet long and, fittingly, resides in a small lake.

Chinese Lantern Festival

Chinese Lantern Festival

The ancient art of Chinese lantern making began in the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD), a significant period of science and innovation. Every year since, during Chinese New Year, families view colorful lanterns to symbolize respect for Chinese culture.

Chinese Lantern Festival

Chinese Lantern Festival

Each lantern is created by hand on silk fabric stretched over steel frames and then lit with upwards of hundreds of LED bulbs.

Chinese Lantern Festival

Chinese Lantern Festival

Ron Mayhew

Fine Art Photographer specializing in Still Life and Commercial Photography.

This Post Has 12 Comments

  1. These are fantastic, Ron. What an amazing festival….thank you.

    1. Thanks, Lynn. It was a fun evening with the family.

  2. Fantastic colors 👍📷

    1. Indeed, and the LED bulbs used to illuminate made everything all the more vivid. Thanks.

  3. These are heart-stopping, especially the dragon. I’d gladly frame this one and put it up somewhere if I had an all white wall and a quiet, calm room. Imagine the impact!

    1. You have me thinking. I should try printing it though it was taken with my iPhone. Thanks.

  4. Such an amazing display. Can only imagine how awesome it is to actually see this in person. Thanks for sharing.

  5. The Chinese festival looks incredible. How I would have loved to see something like that. Thanks for the photos. Mickey Sterling

    1. You are welcome, Mickey. Good to hear from you.

  6. Wow. I am going to have to add this to my list of things to do someday.

    1. Great. There are several around the country each year.

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