From the beginning of the Chinese New Year to the Lantern Festival this year, Guangdong's traditional cultural elements have taken the spotlight. Enjoying lanterns has become a hot trend for residents and tourists.From February 10th to 22nd, ticket orders for attractions with keywords like "Lantern Festival" and "lanternshow" have surged by 260%, and searches for the keyword "lanternshow" have increased by over 720% compared to the same period last year.

Guangdong has always been a gathering place for lanternshows. During theChinese New Year, the exquisite lanterns in Guangzhou's Yuexiu Park create a Cantonese festive atmosphere. A 100-meter-long dragon moves with the play of light and shadows, attracting numerous visitors to take pictures.

In addition to Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou Cultural Park's 2024 LanternShow continues to light up fromFebruary 21st to 24th. The theme lanterns incorporate seasonal flowers, showcasing the characteristics of southernChina. In Shenzhen, the "Super LanternShow in theGreater Bay Area"showcases lanterns in an area of 20,000 square meters, and all lantern groups are handmade on-site by artisans from Zigong, Sichuan. Shenzhen's Splendid China Folk Culture Village has kicked off the "Fifth Splendid Lantern Festival Carnival," with tens of thousands of lantern festival tickets sold on Meituan. The attraction has also introduced "tickets for people wearing Han-style clothing" on various platforms, attracting more traditional culture enthusiasts to visit.

In addition to lanternshows, various themed activities are also abundant. Foshan's annual "Xing Tong Ji"(a traditional custom for praying blessings) took place from February 23rd to 25th, where visitors could participate in themed activities, explore 93 temporary stalls, experience fashion elementsand China chic, and immerse themselves in Foshan's traditional intangible cultural heritage. Inthe westernpart ofGuangdong, the cultural customs of "firecracker attack on liondance" and "rolling on the thorny bed" have been preserved, showcasing local cultural traditions during the Lantern Festival with a mix of excitement and tradition.

Considering that the Lantern Festival falls on a weekend this year, the popularity of lantern-related cultural and tourism activities has soared across the country. Data from online travel services provider Trip.com shows that during the weekend of February24th to 25th, overall domestic tourism bookings increased by over 140% compared to last year. Many places organized activities such as lantern riddles, lion dances, and fireworks displays, creating a festive atmosphere once again. As of the 21st, searches for "Lantern Festival" on travel agency Tongcheng Travelincreased by more than 300% weekly, and the popularity of "Where to go for Lantern Festival" on Mafengwo, a Chinese travel service and social networking platform, also saw a 300% surge. On the Tongcheng Travel, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have become the two most active cities for cultural and tourism consumption during the Lantern Festival, with Guangzhou also ranking among the top ten popular cities on the Tujia, a homestay online platform.

Of note, a recent cooling trend has driven hot springs to become the most sought-after activity outside of lantern festivals. According to Mafengwo's big data, the popularity of "Guangdong hot springs" has increased by 133%, and "recommended unique hot springs" has become a popular topic in Mafengwo's Guangdong travel strategy group. The people of Guangdong aretakingthelead nationwidein their enthusiasm for a spa.

The Cantonese-style Lantern Festival atmosphere becomes stronger, and the peopleinGuangdong celebrate theChineseNew Year with lanterns, windmills, firecrackers, and dragon dances. The Lantern Festival marks the end of theChinese New Year celebration, but behind the sense of ceremony, the connection of history, culture, and emotions never fades.

Source:Yangcheng Evening News

粤式特色元宵节为龙年新春再掀高潮

今年春节至元宵节期间，广东传统文化元素频出圈。赏灯成为市民游客旅游消费热点。春节以来（截至2月22日），含“元宵”“灯会”等关键词的景点门票订单量激增260%，“灯会”关键词搜索量同比去年同期增长超720%。

广东素来是传统灯会汇聚之地，春节期间，广州越秀公园内美轮美奂的花灯营造的广府年景，长达100米的巨龙随光影而动，吸引大批游客驻足拍照。

据悉，除越秀公园外，广州文化公园2024年“元宵灯会”于正月十二至元宵节当晚持续亮灯，主题花灯融入了时花造景，尽显南国特色；深圳“湾区超级灯会”共有20000㎡亮灯，所有灯组皆由四川自贡手艺人亲临现场制作；深圳锦绣中华民俗村开启“第五届锦绣灯会嘉年华”，灯会门票在美团已售出数万张，景区还在各大平台推出“穿汉服人群票”，吸引更多传统文化爱好者入园游玩。

除了元宵灯会，各种主题活动也不能少。佛山一年一度的“行通济”于2月23日-25日再度上演，游客可参与主题活动，逛93个临时摊位，感受国潮及时尚元素，体验佛山传统非遗文化。在粤西，“炮仗攻狮”和“翻刺床”也保留并延续了地方特色的文化习俗，让元宵节不仅具备了喧嚣和热闹，更彰显出传统的力量和勇气。

基于今年元宵节遇上双休日，各地元宵文旅消费热度高涨。携程数据显示，正月十五到十六周末两天，国内旅游整体预订量同比去年增长超140%，多地举办花灯猜谜、舞狮巡游、烟花大会等活动，将过年的氛围再次拉满。截至21日，同程旅行平台“元宵节”搜索量周环比增长超300%，马蜂窝平台“元宵去哪”热度涨幅同样高达300%。在同程旅行平台，广州、深圳成为元宵节文旅消费最活跃的两大城市，广州同时跻身途家民宿平台元宵十大热门城市。

值得关注的是，近期新一轮降温带动温泉成为灯会之外最受关注的元宵玩法。据马蜂窝大数据，近期“广东温泉”热度上涨133%，“特色温泉推荐”成为马蜂窝广东攻略群中的热门话题，广东人民的“泡汤”热情领跑全国。

广府元宵年味愈浓，南粤人民用花灯、风车、鞭炮和舞龙书写自己的“年”。元宵是农历新年的句点，但在仪式感的背后，历史、文化与情感的联结永不落幕。

文 | 记者 刘星彤 梁善茵 实习生 何文涛
图 | 记者 陈秋明 邓勃 梁喻 受访者提供
翻译 | 赵凡