Chinese lanterns to light up Edinburgh Zoo this winter

More than 450 giant Chinese lanterns inspired by mythical creatures from Scottish and Chinese folklore will be on display at Edinburgh Zoo for 50 nights this winter.

The Giant Lanterns of China attraction, featuring unicorns, faeries, China's Monkey King and Nessie the Loch Ness Monster, will be open to the public from Nov 16.

Following the success of last year's animal-themed inaugural event, which attracted more than 83,000 visitors, this year's array of gigantic, handmade steel and silk sculptures will take visitors on a completely new nocturnal trail around the zoo.

The Giant Lanterns of China display is inspired by the Scottish tradition of storytelling, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's worldwide animal conservation work and the cultural heritage of Sichuan – where the zoo's resident giant pandas were born.

During its 105-year history, the zoo has been home to many famous animal residents, including the UK's only giant pandas, Tian Tian (which means sweetie) and Yang Guang (sunshine), who arrived in 2011 as part of a 10-year agreement on panda conservation signed by China and the UK.

The event was created in partnership with the VYA Creative Lantern Company and DDM Entertainment and Events Inc. More than 50 Chinese craftspeople from Sichuan will spend more than 25,000 hours expertly producing the installations.

"This year's Giant Lanterns of China event is set to be bigger and even more spectacular than ever," said Barbara Smith, chief executive of RZSS Edinburgh Zoo.

"We're bringing to life a new myths and legends theme in an awe-inspiring nocturnal trail around the zoo, which features everything from Scotland's very own Nessie to a colossal phoenix from China.

"Visitors will come face-to-face with famous fairy tales, folklore and fables from the Far East and Western cultures. Each night, we will illuminate the critical conservation work of RZSS by telling the stories of endangered animals that face extinction and the real risk of them becoming legends for future generations."

Paula Ward, regional leadership director of VisitScotland, said: "This cultural event is another demonstration of the unique links Scotland has with China – a valued visitor market – and comes in the wake of strengthened air connections between the countries, such as the Hainan Airlines direct service."

The route is approximately 1.6-kilometer long and will take around 90 minutes to complete. Tickets for The Giant Lanterns of China are priced from 9.5 pounds ($12.40) for children and 18 pounds for adults, and advanced online booking discounts are available.