A spectacular lantern parade was staged in Yingdu town, Nan'an, Southeast China's Fujian province on the ninth day of the first month of the lunar Chinese calendar, which falls on Feb 24 this year.

The parade, named Ba Ba Deng, is a traditional folk activity in the region marking the most important festival in the country and has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item.

Every year, lanterns in all shapes and sizes are strung up onto thick ropes, nearly 100 meters long each, and pushed forward by local villagers, circling the town at a slow pace. The parade procession, roughly 10,000 meters in length, is accompanied by drums, lion dances and firecrackers.

Thousands of lanterns are lit up as people parade, making the night just as bright as the day.

The lanterns are usually patterned with Chinese characters like "兴旺", or "prosperity", and express the local residents' best wishes for the upcoming year.

This year, the event is scheduled to run throughout the Lantern Festival until March 2.

Ba Ba Deng, a lantern show in celebration of the Spring Festival, is held in Yingdu town, Nan'an, Southeast China's Fujian province on the ninth day of the first month in the lunar Chinese calendar, which falls on Feb 24 this year. [Photo/Xinhua]

Thousands of brightly-lit lanterns make the night in the town just as bright as the day. [Photo/Xinhua]