The 2025 Nanjing Lantern Festival

Watching lanterns is a traditional Chinese custom for the Lantern Festival. As the crowds are huge on the 15th day of the first lunar month, it's much more relaxing to see the lanterns after the festival. The main exhibition area for the 2025 Nanjing Lantern Festival is Bailuzhou Park. There are also lantern exhibitions in Fuzimiao and Laomendong. The lantern exhibition in Bailuzhou Park is large-scale, with exquisite lanterns showcasing the traditional lantern-making skills of veteran artisans. A highlight of the Laomendong lantern display is a large golden snake lantern erected along the Zhonghuamen city wall. Its dynamic form recreates the image of a golden snake dancing wildly, demonstrating exquisite craftsmanship. It's not easy to depict a snake in lantern form, but this lantern has an approachable feel and attracts many viewers. Every year, the Zhonghuamen Castle lantern display has its own unique charm. This year, I waited until the lights were on before climbing up to Zhonghuamen Castle, only to find a dozen or so small lanterns on the city wall. After inquiring with the staff, I learned that the castle wasn't participating in the lantern exhibition this year. This year's lantern exhibition wasn't as large as in previous years, perhaps due to the current economic climate. Hopefully, it will be even better in the future.