The 21st Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival & Trade Fair is cosponsored by Zigong People’s Government, Sichuan Commerce Department, Sichuan Culture Department and Sichuan Tourism Administration. It is a great measure of Zigong Communist Party Committee and Zigong People’s Government earnestly carrying out the spirit of the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, actively promoting the tourism development of Zigong and the city’s reputation, meeting people’s cultural needs in the Spring Festival, and creating a fresh, happy and peaceful New Year Festival.
In the Lantern Festival, “consolidation and improvement” is taken as the requirement; “market-orientation and overall consideration” is taken as the principle; “originality, innovation and feature” is taken as the means. A colorful, warm, peaceful, prosperous, safe and orderly celebration event has been created for the festival.
1. The time and location of the Lantern Festival
The 21st Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival & Trade Fair is to be held at the Zigong Lantern Festival Park (hereinafter referred to as “the Park”) from Feb. 2, 2015 to Mar. 15, 2015. The show time is 6 pm~10:30 pm with the exception of the New Year Eve.
2. The ticket service of the Lantern Festival
The admission ticket: the ticket is classified into three: CNY100 from the Chinese lunar Jan. 1st to the 15th (festival period); CNY50 from Friday to Sunday (weekends); CNY30 for the remaining time (from Monday to Thursday).
The ticket is sold at every gate of the Lantern Festival Park. Visitors can contact local travel agencies or directly buy the ticket at the Park. Electronic ticket is available through the websites zgdenghui.cn and UU163.net. Ticket is also available through the “Zigong Lantern Festival Official WeChat” or authorized tourism e-commerce websites.
3. The details of the Lantern Festival
1) Lantern show at the Park: compared with the previous lantern shows, this show highlights the hi-tech and novelty, exquisiteness and meticulousness, characteristic lanterns and entertainment interaction. One hundred and twenty-six lanterns at eight lantern show sections are built with new light sources, new handcrafts and new styles. Interactive entertainment programs and Taiwan food are available in the Park. A joyous place with visiting, food and Chinese New Year culture is created.
2) Urban beautification: during the lantern festival period, 22 main streets and 58 nodes are decorated in Zigong urban areas and each node owns a landscape and feature. The lantern landscape with the feature of urban culture built with new light source, new technique, and new style let visitors experience the lantern city’s charm in the whole city.
3) Urban culture, sports, economy and trade programs: the lantern festival not only provides a platform for a happy spring festival for Sichuan people, but also a platform for the culture, sports, economy and trade programs. On the platform, Zigong city holds about 16 big events including project investment promotion, product promotion, product orders, customer fellowship, industrial docking, cultural recreation and fitness such as the 19th China (Sichuan) Spring Festival Shopping Festival and Zigong Famous Enterprises and Products Exhibition, "Hand in Hand, Gathering in the Salt Capital" the 5th Investment Promotion Series Activities, 2015, Sichuan Zigong Welcoming the Spring Shopping Month, 2015 Zigong Famous Band Products Trade Fair, the 6th Salt Capital Food Culture Festival, 2015 Urban Plaza Welcoming the Spring Culture Series, Zigong Quality Drama Performance, “Visiting Zigong Lanterns and Plaza Dancing Contest” Series, “Happy Zigong, Citizens Hometown Tour” Series, Taiwan Food Festival etc. All the programs can meet various needs of visitors.
4. The highlight of the Lantern Festival
Bright, colorful, joyous and exciting, the colorful lanterns show includes ten highlights:
1) Brilliant “Good Fortune” blessing auspiciousness, fortune and luckiness
The originality of the super big lanterns “Good Fortune” comes from the design of national treasure “Four-ram Square Vessel”, which is used for making temple offerings of food and wine to the gods. The lanterns are of steel structure and 3D contouring with wire frame and colorful emboss. The lanterns are 22 meters in height and divided into three layers. The top consists of six sets of palace lanterns. The middle of the wine vessel is the center of gravity. On the four corners of the vessel, four curly-horned ram heads are sculptured and the seat is formed with six golden rams. The general fabrication technique is cloisonné “thread weaving enamel”. Thousands of imitated crystal materials and eight thousand glass ashtrays are bonded on the main body with 3D relief method. The golden color pasted with golden foils is the main theme. The banana leaf veins and Daming lotus decorated with earrings is the main theme; flowers are full and branches and tendrils are powerful. The entire lanterns are vivid, noble, gorgeous, graceful, grand and brilliant. Visitor can appreciate the lanterns from omni direction. Standing in motion, the lanterns have exceeded the Cloisonné art effect with a supreme atmosphere of ancient sacrificial wine vessel.
2) Innovative “China Image”, unsophisticated, fragrant and majestic
Traditional fabrication process is used to fabricate these lanterns. With the facture of low relief and high relief and the combination of traditional color-separated pasting and phial binding technique, complex scenes, objects and figures are elaborated on each picture through the sketched blue and white patterns and multi-perspective method of Chinese painting. The patterns are treated with hollow-out and internal perspective, bright, elegant, delicate and exquisite. The lanterns have assigned a new artistic charm of Chinese ink painting and reproduce the essence of Chinese traditional blue and white design. The lanterns have a strong 3D sense and coherence. The spiral sprays and decorative patterns are unrestrained with a strong Chinese flavor and oriental art style. The LED lights make them changeable and delightful. The peacocks inset in the lanterns are colorful, vivid and lifelike. With highly realistic simulation technique, the peacocks are fully hand-fabricated with blowing molded paper and acrylic sheets. The number of feather on each peacock reaches up to 2000 pieces and its tail feather needs 2000 cuts. The longest flaunting tail reaches 10 meters. Its exquisite workmanship can be called a wonder. The peacocks of 3D patterns are located on the blue and white porcelains, vivid, colorful and luxurious in lights and they are greeting guests from all over the world with charming and gorgeous images.
3) Magnificent and grand “Chinese Shadow Play” with endless traditional elements
Shadow play technique and colorful lantern craftsmanship are organically combined into the lanterns showing a fantastically and ingeniously artistic charm. Based on the irregular polygon box design of the Colorful Lantern Museum building, the lanterns reproduce the tranquera and vivid traditional Chinese architecture art. With modern lighting and shadow technology, the lanterns reproduce the drama scenes of Pilgrimage to the West, Tattooing Yue Fei, Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Great Wall as a Bride, Tale Of The White Snake. The characters and props are engraved delicately and exquisitely; the action of performing and the plot are fascinating and wonderful and visitors can witness a large shadow play and feel the strong visual shock. Zigong lantern show once again explores and upgrades the traditional culture elements, enhances the art and decoration of shadow play and makes it a genuine “Chinese shadow lantern”.
4) Beautiful styling “Picking Lotus”, fresh, elegant and grandeur
With artistic exaggeration and based on the Chinese lotus leaves, the lanterns are bond and tied with traditional lantern fabrication techniques. In the modern lighting sources, the lotus leaves and lotus seedpod are deformed artistically. The lotus leaves cover the 300 m2 water surface; lotus flowers are blossoming; butterflies are dancing on the lotus leaves; fishes are playing in the water; the lake surface is sparkling and the light and shadow are whirling. In the illusive lights, the lotus leaves are graceful and shady sometimes, showing a strong visual shock and grandeur image. Walking along the corridor in the lake, visitors may feel in a dreamy and illusive wonderland.
5) Auspicious “Heyday Epic”, flourishing, prosperous and brilliant
Located on the Lake No. 2, the lanterns are of giant merry-go-round style. They consist of 21 lantern towers with 38 meters in height and 18 meters in diameter and there are five layers. The central merry-go-round image is Lotus Pond in the Night and Fuwa Go for a Hike in Spring. On the top of the lanterns, colorful phoenixes are spreading wings and golden dragons are flying. Eighty-eight hundred lanterns are tied up into 66 lantern trays, which are rotating layer by layer. The 21 big red lanterns on the tower top are welded with 4800 small lanterns. With the combination of traditional fabrication technique and modern electronic, mechanical and sound effect technologies, the entire lanterns can rotate 360 degrees and form a exquisite artistic effect. The traditional lanterns are decorated as colorful, gorgeous, magnificent and dynamic modern art works with a strong visual impact and shock. Walking in the lanterns, the world becomes red implying the coming year’s prosperity and good luck.
6) Traditional and fashionable “Auspicious Dragon Celebrating the New Year” reproducing fashionably the traditional style
The traditional process and modern science and technology are organically combined with the fashion elements in the lanterns. Modern solid light sources are ingeniously used in the lanterns. Modern bionics, robot design principle and mechanical and electrical integration technology are adopted to put knowledge, interest and entertainment into one. The lanterns put Tyrannosaurus rex, Styracosaurus, Triceratops, Allosauru, Omeisaurus, Shunosaurus, Deinonychus, Iguanodon, Ornithomimus and animation figures together. Visitors can see the tensional scene of Tyrannosaurus Rex and triceratops confrontation and sweet story of baby dinosaur’s birth, vivid and lifelike. Abstract-shaped artistic dinosaurs scatter over the lanterns. The color change of LED spots, array light sources and inner light sources add radiance and beauty to each other, colorful and dazzling. Combined with the traditional simulated living dinosaurs, the light and shadow are interlaced, color contrast is harmonious, and virtual and real comparison is strong. The interlaced fashion and the ancient reproduce the scene of Jurassic dinosaurs. It may give visitors a deep impression.
7) Spectacular “Fan Dancing in Spring Wind” representing beautiful spring and warm east wind
Through the ages, there are numerous poems and paintings expressing feelings with fan as the theme. Combined the traditional lantern fabrication technique and fan, Zigong lanterns add a new page to the profound Chinese culture. The lanterns scene consists of various red fans with different decorative patterns. It includes the main gate, mountain wall folding fans and slope fans.
Folding fans, circular fans, silk fans, and hanging fans are beautifully designed. The fan face is of high relief with exquisite flower and birds patterns. Through the delicate engraving or carving by skilled craftsman or writing poem or painting on the face, the fan reaches its best art effect. Through the thread-tying, colorful painting, colorful 3D shaping and LED light source, the fan lanterns represent a fashionable and magnificent aesthetic and visual shock and fully show the unique, grand and grandeur art charm and effect.
8) Exquisite “Glass blowing”, superb and amazing
Glass blowing is special works in the Chinese lantern culture and the unique workmanship of Zigong lantern show. In front of the Colorful Lantern Museum, there are 20 glass-blowing lanterns named “Wealth and Luck”, “Magpie on the Tip of the Branch of the Plum,”, “Golden Cock Announcing Dawn” and “Double Phoenixes Greeting the Sun” etc. Fabricators combines glass blowing with glass making process, select glass tubes, glass rods, colorful sandblasting glass and other special materials to blow, draw, bend, connect, press and reverse various flowers, birds, insects, fishes, rockeries, pavilions and bridges. The design of each scene is exquisite, vivid, elegant and lifelike. A set of lantern is a set of exquisite art works, wonderful and amazing.
9) Dynamic and fashionable “To Cross the Sea under Camouflage--to Practise Deception”, aesthetic and dreamy
To reflect the low-carbon and energy-saving ideas, modern science and technology are widely used in this Lantern Festival, such as new light source and they can give visitors a brand new visual art shock.
Along the visiting road, many LED lamps are used in the lanterns, for example, they are used in the lanterns “Peony”, “Lotus Lanterns”, “Floating Clouds and Flowing Water”, “Concerning the South of Yangtze River”, “All of One Heart” and “Brilliant Purples and Reds” etc. New energy-saving light source and colorful lantern technique are combined to geometrically carve and decorate the traditional lantern subject “To Cross the Sea under Camouflage--to Practise Deception” and make it fashionable and sparkling. Various colorful lanterns are hung in the sky, some are on the trees like willow branches along the roads, glittering, translucent and dreamy. Walking along the colorful lanterns corridor, visitors can enjoy the art of lanterns in the colorful world.
10) Surprising and brilliant Chinese and foreign art show
Besides the taste of various lustrous lanterns, visitor can participate in and appreciate exciting interactive entertainment programs.
The first is the fun lantern DIY experiencing. In this Festival, there is a new and novel “Lantern DIY Experiencing Hall”, where visitors can fabricate colorful lanterns, paint palace lanterns by themselves and experience the fun of lantern DIY. There are also interesting quiz riddles with rich awards.
The second is authentic Taiwan food. The “Zigong Lantern Festival--Taiwan Food Festival” is to be held simultaneously. There are original Taiwan flavor, Taiwan food ingredients, souvenir box, Techno Prince of native Taiwanese, Girl of Ali Mountain and other Taiwan folk customs. These programs will accompany the visitors along the food festival street. Visitors can enjoy a trip to the Treasure Island Taiwan while chowing.
The third is the attractive The World Famous Wax Figures Museum. The World Famous Wax Figures Museum appears debut in Zigong. The world famous people like Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Teresa Teng, Fan Bingbing, Chow Yun-fat, Monroe, Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, and Vladimir Putin will appear in the Museum, lifelike. The fabrication of the first-class international standards, lifelike wax figures of celebrities, true or simulated scene changes will give visitor a strong visual feast.
The fourth is Korean fashion in the Festival. In the previous Festival, the Korean 3D Experiencing Hall was quite successful. This year, the “Korean Golem Art Hall” is the upgrade version of the Korean 3D Experiencing Hall of last year. The original Korean fluorescent paintings are magic, dreamy and amazing. Decades of fashionable art works are fantastic. Dislocation art is full of wit and humor. Interactive experiencing is happy and fun.
The fifth is the conspicuous paintings and calligraphy works of masters. The 7th Zigong Native Painters’ Works Show is to be held during the Festival. Sixty paintings of eight Zigong native famous painters are to shown with unique and different painting skills. The works are aesthetic and of high level and visitor may be deeply impressed and have a pleasant appreciation.
The sixth is the Smiling Face Wall. Through online vote, 2000 pictures of smiling faces of children, family, lovers and teams are put on the “Citizens’ Smiling Face Wall” and form brilliant lanterns. The bright smiles and the colorful lanterns are shining together showing the achievements of “Building a Happy Zigong”.
The seventh is the wonderful Big Performance Platform. The performance on the Festival Big Platform has been loved by audience all the time and the highlight of each Lantern Festival. It shows the prosperity and development of the cultural undertakings in Zigong. More than one thousand professional and amateur actors and actresses will perform thousands of new works created by themselves. There are nearly one hundred performances. Visitors can enjoy the sightseeing of lanterns while appreciating the songs and dances.
5. The upgraded service during the Festival
Wisdom tour idea will be penetrated in this Festival. We try our best to provide perfect and cozy services for visitors from both home and abroad. The new measures include:
1) Improving the appearance of the city. We take active measures to enhance the level of facilities and services of the city. The effect of lighting, beautification, hygienic work is quite obvious. The service function and city quality have been increased. We can provide cozy, safe and considerate services for all the visitors.
2) Wisdom tour through the Festival. We have carried out active improvement and expansion concerning travel services management, parking, accommodation, meals and sightseeing. At present, more than 20,000 temporary parking positions are added in the urban areas and more than 20,000 beds are added as well, which may meet the needs of the visitor.
3) Enhancing Web service. This year, we have launched the "Online Booking” system for Zigong lantern festival and visitors can buy the discounted tickets easily online. At the same time, we have also launched the “Panda Driving" APP, Zigong lantern festival WeChat, Zigong lantern festival Website, and Internet platform particularly for the Festival. Visitors can inquire the real information concerning the Festival at anytime and anywhere. As long as they log on any E-platform, visitors can book admission tickets, make hotel reservations, restaurant reservations, and check traffic conditions in real-time.
4) Additional temporary parking lots. Big parking lots are added at the expressway exits of Chengdu-Zigong-Luzhou Expressway, Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway, and Leshan-Zigong Expressway, free of charge. Four temporary parking lots are added in the urban. Meanwhile, free shuttle buses are available to pick up visitors from the above parking lots to the Park. Therefore, self-driving visitors have no concern.
All in all, through several months’ building and governance, comprehensive guarantee system has been formed. Professional ticketing center, propaganda of the Festival, logo and signs, catering and shopping, reception and other services are effective and guaranteed. The catering halls of all flavors and numerous sightseeing spots around Zigong can completely meet the all-round needs of tour, accommodation and lodging, culture, business, and entertainment. The beautiful Zigong warmly welcomes and serves for all the visitors from all over the world.
For the 2015 Spring Festival, Zigong is ready!
