Chinese lantern festival in Paris heralds start of countdown to 2024

‌The Shanghai Yuyuan Lantern festival is making its debut in Europe, with a Festival of Dragons and Lanterns brought all the way from China to France.‌ On December 13, amid the rain and the cold in the Jardin d'Acclimatation in Paris, the dragons and lanterns came alive as the installation was officially opened.

"Lantern fairs, to Chinese people, are a very important festive activity, they are a reflection of the Chinese lifestyle and traditional customs," said Ni Qiang, the president of the Shanghai Yuyuan Lantern festival. "So the appearance of the festival in Europe is of great importance to China's exchanges with western countries."

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There are more than 1,000 lanterns installed in the gardens of the Jardin d'Acclimatation, in one of the French capital's biggest parks. The president of the gardens says there is a real connection between China and the park.

‌"This garden has often opened its doors to China. A few years ago we had a big Chinese museum that sent 300 artists and 300 artisans here for two months," said Marc-Antoine Jamet, president of the Jardin d'Acclimatation and also the general secretary of French luxury giant LVMH, which part owns the gardens.

"Also, we regularly celebrate Chinese New Year with the ambassador, and now today we have the Festival of Dragons and Lanterns. There is a very strong Chinese connection to this garden."

‌The lanterns were designed by dozens of expert artisans from Shanghai, some of whom moved to Paris for several weeks to prepare the display which will be in place for just over two months.

‌The design and creation of lanterns is an intangible cultural heritage of China, passed down through the centuries.

‌The festival comes ahead of a major year for France and China. Next month, the two countries will celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations and 2024 will also be the year of China-France Culture and Tourism.

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