Zigong lantern festival lights up

Another highlight is a 180-meter-long tribute to Chinese heroine Mulan, designed to coincide with the upcoming Year of the Horse. The display utilizes advanced animatronics, allowing the figure of Mulan to blink and mimic lifelike movements.

"The dinosaurs — it seems as if they are really breathing," said Katarina Justin Michael, a Tanzanian student among the first-night crowds. "This is the most wonderful event I have ever seen."

Breaking from traditional silk-and-wire construction, the 2026 festival emphasizes an "everything can be a lantern" philosophy. Artisans have utilized recycled and eco-friendly materials to create intricate sculptures.