A global affair as Lantern Festival celebrations light up Jiading old street

On February 12, the vibrant Zhouqiao Old Street in Shanghai's suburban Jiading District came alive with the glow of lanterns and the sounds of laughter as City News Service co-hosted a Lantern Festival celebration.

The event, held in collaboration with the Jiading District Publicity Department and Jiading Town Subdistrict, marked the first "World Intangible Cultural Heritage" edition of the Spring Festival, drawing participants from around the globe to partake in traditional Chinese festivities.

Foreign guests engaged in crafting fish lanterns, playing lantern riddles, and tasting tangyuan (glutinous rice balls), all while experiencing the unique charm of Chinese culture. The fusion of diverse cultures added a new dimension to these age-old traditions.

Danny, an IT manager and artist from the Netherlands, has called Shanghai home for over 12 years. He brought a creative twist to the festival by designing visual interpretations of Chinese idioms.

"These paintings are kind of like an idea to put Chinese idioms in my own creative way. Not so much explaining, but the feeling when I first hear about them, and sort of visualizing it. Keeping a little bit to let people try to figure out what the idiom is," he told Shanghai Daily.

His favorite piece, inspired by the idiom "bai shou qi jia" (starting from scratch), reflects his own journey in Shanghai.

"When I first came here, it was like starting with nothing," he shared. His artwork combines personal elements with traditional motifs, creating a bridge between his Dutch roots and his life in China.

The festival offered hands-on activities, with artisans dressed in hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) guiding international guests in creating their own fish lanterns. Finland's Anna Maija Rissanen found the process challenging, joking, "You need four hands to do this, not just two."

Alejandro Davila, a student from Colombia, expressed enthusiasm about his first Spring Festival experience. "It's really good because it shows me your culture, which allows me to learn more about it, which I really try to do," he said, acknowledging his novice attempts at lantern-making.

As night fell, the old street transformed into a bustling marketplace of intangible cultural heritage. The fish lantern parade, featuring performers in colorful attire, wound its way through the historic route, engaging spectators along the way. Visitors, including those from abroad, joined in, holding lanterns and sharing in the joy of the festival.

Ketaki Charekar from India was particularly captivated by the spectacle. "I feel really happy and lucky to know this culture up close," she said, noting the similarities between Indian and Chinese celebrations. "We also have spring festivals, but not as colorful."

While celebrating traditional Chinese culture, the Lantern Festival gathering also fostered a global exchange of ideas and experiences, leaving participants with cherished memories and a deeper understanding of this vibrant tradition.