Changzhou Lantern Festival 2026 | Changzhou
Celebration
This year's lantern festival, themed "Unfettered Imagination and Fantastic Ideas," incorporates more technological elements and regional characteristics into traditional lantern art. Walking along Hehai East Road, the "Colorful Castle" lantern display is bathed in light, with pink and purple gradient light strips outlining a fairytale-like silhouette, complementing the nearby "Dinosaur Astronaut" lantern display and attracting many passersby to stop and take photos. Further along, the "Whale Dream Tunnel" is a sea of blue lights, with a giant whale shark-shaped lantern hanging overhead. The streamlined body of the lantern slowly changes color according to its built-in program, as if transporting people into a deep-sea fantasy. In the core area of Dino Water Town, "Unfettered Imagination" has revealed its magnificent form. A 35-meter-wide and 25-meter-high steampunk-style mechanical Pegasus stands in the street, its intricate gear structure clearly visible, its wings able to open and close, and the light and shadow effects perfectly matching the meaning of "striving posture." In front of Jinshui Bridge Square, the "Pegasus Breaking Dawn" light installation unfolds its 60-meter-long wings. The two-tone wallpapering technique gives the light fixture a textured look even under natural light. When illuminated, the Jinshui Bridge gate is enveloped by these shimmering wings, creating a dazzling spectacle. At the foot of the 120° East Longitude Observation Tower, the 100-meter-diameter "Ten Thousand Lights" light installation surrounds the tower, with 13 fantastical tree shadows symbolizing the prosperous development of Jiangsu's 13 prefecture-level cities. Not far away, the "Changbao" light installation innovatively adopts an integrated design of "light installation + commerce," showcasing the city's IP while providing an immersive consumer experience for the cultural and creative space at the base.