Guangzhou Cultural Park's Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival, with a 68-year history, officially lit up on the evening of September 15th. Dating back to 1956, the Cultural Park's Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival was once renowned as one of Guangzhou's three "major exhibitions", alongside the Spring Flower Festival and the Yangcheng Chrysanthemum Exhibition of the 1950s.

The 2024 Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival will be open for viewing from September 15th to 17th and from October 1st to 7th, spanning a total of 10 days. Admission is free for the public.

This year's festival features 32 large and medium-sized lantern displays and nearly 2,000 atmospheric lanterns. The festival is divided into two main sections: traditional and modern. The "Ancient Charm Illuminates the Bay Area" is centered around the main entrance and central square, while the "Artistic Heritage with Modern Flair" is located in the southwest square.

Liwan District, known as the heart of Lingnan culture, is famous for its Xiguan mansions, Pantang Five Rarities, and Lingnan water towns—cultural elements well-known in the Xiguan area. The lantern displays in the "Ancient Charm Illuminates the Bay Area" delve deeply into the historical and cultural heritage of lantern art, blending in elements of Xiguan culture to recreate the bustling scenes of ancient lantern festivals.

Among these, the lantern displays "Lanterns Aplenty" and "Ten-Mile Lantern Street", located on both sides of the main entrance, are recreations of scenes from the ancient painting Illustration of "Lantern Displays during the Lantern Festival". The festival has enlarged and replicated some of the lantern designs from the painting, allowing visitors to experience the traditional festive atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty. Additionally, the lantern displays incorporate elements such as Lingnan fruits, plants, and musical instruments, adding a touch of local festive joy.

At the main entrance square, the "Celestial Palace Embracing the Moon" display is inspired by ancient gateways, combined with Xiguan elements such as Manchurian windows and wok-ear walls, creating an entrance that resembles a heavenly palace. Other displays, such as "Poetic Water Town", "A Cluster of Spheres", and "Bountiful Harvest", utilize cultural elements like the Pantang Five Rarities, colorful embroidered spheres, and festive decorations to evoke a celebratory atmosphere.

In this Year of the Dragon, dragon motifs are prominently featured throughout the festival. The centerpiece at the central square, Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl, is the largest display at this year's event, stretching nearly 40 meters in length and standing 7 meters tall. The two giant golden dragons, riding on clouds, approach a dazzling dragon pearl. The dragon pearl, inspired by the ivory carving technique from the traditional "Three Carvings, One Color, and One Embroidery" intangible cultural heritage, is a double-layered spherical structure with an internal revolving lantern, dynamically presenting the effect of a rolling dragon pearl.

The modern and visually striking "Artistic Heritage with Modern Flair" lanterns are displayed in the southwest square. The centerpiece of this area,"Silver Moonlit Reunion", measures 8 meters in both width and height. Above a traditional palace lantern, accompanied by osmanthus flowers and moon rabbits, it captures the beauty of a celestial palace. The display also features iconic buildings from cities across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which rotate within the lantern. Additionally, the display is flanked by curved light frames adorned with various small, ancient-style lanterns. These lanterns, inspired by ancient designs from the "Illustration of Lantern Displays," were created by two Foshan city-level inheritors of lantern craftsmanship, who are also senior arts and crafts masters.

This year's festival also emphasizes the use of energy-saving and eco-friendly materials, integrating the lantern displays with the park's water and tree landscapes to create a dazzling effect of illuminated trees and shimmering lights.

免费睇花灯！40米长龙、泮塘五秀亮相广州文化公园“中秋灯会”

有着68年历史的广州文化公园“中秋灯会”于9月15日晚正式亮灯。文化公园“中秋灯会”可追溯至1956年，与当时同样诞生于20世纪50年代的“迎春花会”“羊城菊会”曾并称为广州“三大展览”。

2024年“中秋灯会”展出时间为9月15日-17日、10月1日-7日（共10天），市民可免费前往观赏。

今年灯会展出32组大中型灯组和近两千盏气氛灯。本届灯会布局主要分为传统和现代两个区域，其中“古韵耀湾区”区域集中在正门广场和中心广场，“艺脉传新韵”区域集中在西南广场。

荔湾是岭南文化中心城市核心区，西关大屋、泮塘五秀、岭南水乡等元素是西关地区被人所熟知的特色文化。“古韵耀湾区”区域灯组充分挖掘彩灯的历史文化底蕴，结合西关文化元素，重现古时游人赏灯的繁华盛况。

其中，正门通道两边的《灯花万盏》《十里灯街》两组彩灯是复刻古画《上元灯彩图》的情景。灯会把画中部分造型的彩灯提取，并按比例放大制作，让市民游客感受明朝传统的节日气氛。同时灯组还增加了岭南佳果、植物、乐器，增添本地节庆欢乐色彩。

正门广场的《仙阙揽月》，以古代“门阙”为参考，结合满洲窗、镬耳墙等西关元素，打造仿如天宫般的门楼入口。此外，《水乡诗韵》《锦簇绣球》《硕果累累》等灯组则用泮塘五秀、五彩绣球、张灯结彩等文化元素，营造喜庆的节日氛围。

生肖龙年，龙元素在本届灯会中随处可见。中心广场布置了本次灯会最大型的灯组《双龙戏珠》，整组彩灯长近40米、高7米，两条巨型金龙踏祥云而至，奔向光彩夺目的龙珠。龙珠结合非遗“三雕一彩一绣”中的“牙雕”造型而创作，是双层球体造型，内部为不断转动的走马灯，动态呈现滚动龙珠的效果。

光影交织、充满现代感的“艺脉传新韵”彩灯集中在西南广场展示。西南广场中央位置的主题灯组《银辉满月乐团圆》，宽8米、高8米，传统宫灯之上，以桂花、月兔相伴，呈现天上宫阙之美。灯组中可以看到粤港澳大湾区各城市的标志性建筑在灯内走马转动。此外，灯组在两边以弧形灯架，悬挂各式古风小灯笼。这些小灯笼是以《上元灯彩图》中的古代花灯为蓝本，由两位佛山彩灯市级传承人、高级工艺美术师创作而成。

今年灯会还广泛使用节能环保材料，将灯组融入公园的水景、树景中，营造出火树银花、光影璀璨的效果。

文｜记者 马思泳 通讯员 荔宣
图｜记者 陈秋明
翻译｜郑圣浩
英文审校｜赵凡