Sharing this year's Yuyuan Lantern Festival (unlit version)

Maybe because of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival" sign, this year's lantern festival is not as "strictly guarded" as last year... You can enter for free before 4 pm on weekdays, and before 2 pm on popular dates. (Last year's Year of the Dragon Lantern Festival had roads closed early in the morning, and the entire Yuyuan Mall area required tickets to enter. Even the shopkeepers inside complained about the "ugly face" of the lantern festival, which affected their business.) This year continues the "Shanhai Qiyu" theme of the Year of the Rabbit and the Year of the Dragon, but whether it was the "spectacle" of the Year of the Dragon that discouraged people, or the enthusiasm waned after three consecutive years, even the Nine-Bend Bridge on the day of the Lantern Festival was not as lively (during the Year of the Rabbit, it was so crowded that a buzzer was used to disperse the crowd!) Although the lanterns were not lit at noon, lacking the play of light and shadow, the "Shanhai mythical beasts" were still brightly colored and intricately detailed, offering a different kind of scenery. The Nine-Bend Bridge is the main exhibition area of the lantern festival and the gathering place of "mythical beasts," featuring not only the lively [Lushu], [Luan Bird], and [Kirin], but also the cute and agile [Baize], [Yiyao], and [Flying Squirrel], as well as the distinctive [Fuzhu] and [Chenghuang], and even the capybara-like [Haozhi] and the "three-child response" [Weishou]. Of course, this year's protagonist cannot be missed, as the entire square in front of Huabao Building is the main stage of [Golden Spring], which seems to be going for a cute style this year. In addition, various lanterns adorn the paths inside and outside Yuyuan Mall, as well as Xiaochang Road outside. If you pass by Hefeng Building, you will see a huge "tree lantern" that everyone treats as a "wishing tree," covered with red strips and blessing plaques!