Splendid China Lantern Festival: Ingenuity Crafts Light, Culture Gains New Glory

As the core production team behind Splendid China's New Year Lantern Festival, we aimed to address the pain points of traditional lantern festivals and create a benchmark for cultural tourism. Over six months, we saw the project through from conceptualization to implementation, delivering a phenomenal 3-month cultural tourism event that illuminated a sprawling 530,000-square-meter park.

During the initial planning phase, we accurately identified three major industry pain points: low appeal to younger audiences, superficial cultural expression, and short operational cycles. We then established a core positioning centered on "IP storytelling, immersive experiences, and long-term sustainability", and assembled a professional cultural research team to conduct in-depth analysis of intangible cultural heritage from the Greater Bay Area, Palace Museum culture, and film IPs, rejecting the mere stacking of cultural elements. For instance, we transformed the intangible heritage of lion dancing into the dynamic Leaping Lion over the Ridge lantern installation. Using a bamboo-woven frame to recreate the texture of the lion's body, combined with intelligent lighting that enabled "head-shaking and eye-blinking" effects, the lantern was a hit with visitors, who commented, "It’s like watching a real lion dance— the details are incredible". We also reproduced cloisonné inlaid glass palace lanterns from the Palace Museum, using cold light diffusion to recreate the texture of the glaze, earning rave reviews such as "With the palace lanterns against the red walls, it feels like stepping back in time to the Forbidden City in an instant".

In the implementation phase, we adhered to the principle of "traditional craftsmanship integrated with modern technology" for lantern production. Ancient Charm of Blue and White Porcelain featured a paper-cut frame outlining the shape of porcelain, with gradient LED lights simulating the flowing glaze; visitors noted, "When you get close, you can see the paper-cut patterns, and the lights make it look like real blue and white porcelain glowing". The large-scale Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity lantern installation used programming to control the swinging dragon head and fluttering phoenix wings, creating a magnificent spectacle that was awe-inspiring from afar and exquisitely detailed up close, with visitors remarking, "The grandeur is breathtaking from a distance, and the craftsmanship is exquisite up close— no photo can capture even a tenth of its beauty". We divided the park into three themed zones, guiding visitor flow with lighting design, and paired the setup with a culture-themed "silver ticket task system" as well as upgraded flagship performances and over 30 interactive intangible cultural heritage shows. Visitors shared, "We played from day to night— the interactivity was off the charts, and we didn’t feel tired at all".

The event ultimately welcomed over 1.2 million visitors, with young people accounting for 65% of the total footfall. Related content garnered over 1 billion views on social media platforms, and installations like Leaping Lion over the Ridge and Ancient Charm of Blue and White Porcelain became trending check-in spots online. Sincere feedback from visitors, such as "This was the most festive New Year’s Eve celebration ever" and "Presenting intangible cultural heritage this way is so appealing", served as the ultimate testament to our craftsmanship and creative ingenuity. This lantern festival has reinforced our belief that traditional culture is never an outdated symbol, but a rich mine of inspiration waiting to be explored. Only by refining every detail with dedication and breathing new life into cultural expression through innovation can we make the millennia-old cultural heritage shine with a timeless charm that resonates deeply with people today.