Special Places for Lantern Festival in Changsha

Lantern Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar which is the last day of the lunar New Year celebration. Here are several places recommended with special activities for Lantern Festival.

Martyrs Park: 5-storey-high "flower baskets"

Have you ever seen "flower baskets" towering over 18 meters? This set of "flower baskets" is made up of huge lanterns. It is the highest one among 21 sets of lanterns at the central square of Hunan martyrs park, where a lantern cultural festival is being held. In addition, the longest set of lanterns reaches a length of 200 meters and is decorated by big red lanterns and "stars" which make the lantern-corridor resemble a "milky way".

Kaifu Temple: lanterns, acrobatics and lantern riddles

Two prayer meetings to be held at the Temple and the Kaifu Temple Road will see beautiful decorations of various lanterns on both sides. A lantern riddle zone is set up inside the Temple, where winners of riddle guessing will be awarded prizes.

Orange Chau Tau（Orange Isle）: magnificent fireworks

The lunar New Year celebration in Changsha will end with magnificent fireworks at Orange Chau Tau on the evening of the Lantern Festival. At eight o'clock, the 23th Changsha Orange Chau Tau music firework party with the theme "Great era, fantastic evening" will be started and last 20 minutes.

Window of the World: visiting temple fairs and receiving free lanterns

The celebrations at the Window of the World will dazzle your eyes. Dragon dances, bombing Lord Handan, visiting temple fairs and many other traditional activities will be performed. Citizens can get lanterns for free with their tickets and join the lantern parade.

Bombing Lord Handan is a traditional custom traced back to the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) and is seen at present only in regions of Taitung county in Taiwan province.

The Lord Handan is responsible for all the treasuries on earth, thus is also named as the God of Wealth. The more badly he is bombed, the greater amount of treasure will come. Millions of fireworks will be lit tonight at the location.

Tianxin Pavillion: stamps exhibition themed Spring Festival and the Year of the Dragon

Approximately 800 precious stamps and 200 pictures will be shown at the exhibition. This includes many collections from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao featuring the zodiac dragon and Spring Festival. The show ends after Lantern Festival.

Botanic garden of Hunan province: enjoyment of viewing flowers and butterflies

The "Flower-Butterfly" indoor exhibition 2012 lasts until Feb 20. More than 100,000 tulips, 200 kimjongilias and 200 Azaleas of rare shape will be on display at the exhibition. In addition, more than 50,000 butterflies of more than 20 species will be flying in the butterfly sector. Tourists can enjoy the activity of freeing a butterfly.

Yueyang Tower, Bianhe Street: cultural festival of temple affairs

Baling Opera, Shadow Play, Bian Lian (Face Changing) and original songs and dances are being performed at the cultural festival that lasts until the Lantern Festival.

Fantawild Adventure: free tickets through micro blog

From Feb 5 to 13, everyday fifth ticket is available for a free pass through the micro blog of the Fantawild Adventure. During the Lantern Festival, visitors can eat Yuanxiao for free with their tickets. On Valentine's Day, lovers enjoy a discount of 20 percent.

Ningxiang County: traditional party of lantern riddles

On the Eve of the Lantern Festival, 1,000 lantern riddles will be hung up, whose themes range from poems, idioms, words to spring festival couplets and puzzles.