(Photo provided to Xinhua Daily)

The Qinhuai Lantern Festival is set to take place from February 10 to 27, with the exhibition continuing until May 3, as announced at a press conference in Nanjing on January 30.

This event will showcase 330 sets of lantern designs across seven destinations, including Bailuzhou Park, the Confucius Temple scenic area and Laomendong area. This festival’s lighting ceremony is scheduled for February 2 at the Confucius Temple scenic area, and will be livestreamed to expand the reach, according to Lu Jie, deputy head of the Qinhuai District People’s Government.

The west square of the Confucius Temple is designated as the core venue of the traditional lantern festival, where more than 400,000 lanterns will be available for residents and tourists to appreciate for Spring Festival celebrations.

Additionally, the Qinhuai District Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall will showcase over 150 lantern-themed ICH creations curated from 15 regions across the country, including Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi and Shanghai, from February 2 to 24.

On the afternoon of February 3, the Laomendong area will host the opening ceremony of the Jiangsu Provincial Dragon and Lion Dance Competition (Nanjing Division). Adding to the festivities, at the Pipa Street, Tencent will present immersive lantern experiences that combine popular game characters with traditional lantern-making techniques.