This week started the Hanart Culture Chinese Lantern Festival, a fully immersive multicultural experience the entire family will love every Thursday – Sunday for eight weeks, from 5:30pm to 10pm November 15-18, 22-25, 29-30, December 1-2, 6-9, 13-16, 20-31 and January 1, 3-6 at the Glade, Picnic Hill and Lagoon at Fairplex Pomona (1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, CA 91768).
This year’s theme, “The Wild,” features five different locations – America, Oceania, Asia, Antarctica and Africa – and will showcase lanterns representing wild animals from each region including cheetahs, panda bears, jellyfish, majestic cranes, lions, and even dinosaurs.
These impressive lanterns range in size from 12 – 23 feet tall. This visually stunning display combines art, tradition, and culture, creating opportunities for alluring photographs and wonderful memories. The Lantern Festival is one of China’s most traditional celebrations with the art of Chinese lantern making dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.). “These gorgeous lanterns have evolved through the centuries, from when they were used for lighting, to an art form all their own. Chinese lanterns are a cherished part of festivals and celebrations world-wide and we are proud to bring the Hanart Culture Chinese Lantern Festival to Southern California,” said George Zhao, president of Hanart Culture.
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A lantern’s construction is varied according to its purpose, from the finest silk or glass over the best wood used in Palaces, to the red gauze stretched over bamboo in the more traditional red lanterns recognized around the globe. Shadow-picture lanterns used a paper wheel inside which turned when heated, creating moving pictures around the outside of the lantern. Today, these lanterns are made of modern materials and technology with brilliantly lit colored LED lightbulbs, musical enhancements and sound effects, and visual moving parts to create larger-than-life imaginative shapes. Furthermore, four ceramic elephants made of 3,200 kitchen utensils such as dishes, bowls, spoons and wine cups will be on display.
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The festival will also feature food, Kung Fu shows and demonstrations, and shadow play. Guests will also be able to shop the craft marketplace where authentic Chinese jewelry, artifacts, dough figurines, as well as Chinese embroidery art, sugar art, paper-cut and fabric art will be available for purchase. “In addition to the spectacular lanterns, we are excited to share the beauty of other aspects of Chinese culture including food, arts, crafts, dance and martial arts. Guests will also be able to enjoy and experience a wide assortment of Chinese culture,” Zhao said.
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Tickets can be purchased at the event, or online at https://www.chineselanternfestival.com/tickets for $13 - $21. Fairplex parking is $12.
The Hanart Chinese Lantern Festival is open Thursdays – Sundays from November 15-18, 22-25, 29-30 and December 1-2, 6-9, 13-16, 20-31, and January 1, 3-6 from 5:30pm-10:00pm with the last admission at 9:20 p.m..
The Fairplex at Pomona is located at 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, CA 91768 Tickets $13-$21
Learn more about this event at https://www.chineselanternfestival.com/
Social Media: #ChineseLanternFestival
- Insta: @ChineseLanternFest
- Facebook: Facebook.com/ChineseLanternFestival
- Twitter: @LanternFests
**Sponsored post by the Hanart Chinese Lantern Festival - Macaroni Kid will also be reviewing this attraction in connection with this post.**
