Debut of Zigong lanterns brightens Santiago, Chile

Thirty groups of lanterns, shaped like pandas, dragons and other traditional designs shined at a 10-hectare park in Santiago, Chile.

And a Chinese culture show took place at the same time. Face-changing, tea art and acrobatics were featured by artists from Sichuan province.

While visitors in long queue were waiting to buy Sichuan specialty snacks, intangible cultural heritage inheritors were showing their exquisite skills.

It was a celebration to mark the 2020 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rat.

The lanterns were from Zigong, Sichuan province, where the tradition of lantern shows dates back to the Tang Dynasty(618-907). Having been displayed in many countries and winning international fame, Zigong lanterns shined in Santiago for the first time.

Unveiled on Nov 28, 2019, the lantern show at the park had attracted more than 200,000 visitors by the middle of January 2020. Recommended as an excellent choice for the holidays by many local organizations, the show will last until summer this year.