Auckland Lantern Festival

Overview

In celebration of the year of the goat, and those gentle, shy and sensitive souls born in said year of the alpine climbers, Auckland’s Lantern Festival is set to take over Albert Park again. If you’ve missed the last fifteen years of Chinese New Year celebrations, the lantern festival promises Asian street food and drink stalls hidden amongst a maze of illuminated Chinese lanterns. We’re not just talking those collapsible, hanging paper obstacles you keep crashing into in your local BYO Chinese buffet – although they certainly make an abundant appearance.

Initially invented as a way to protect open flames from the elements, the Chinese lantern quickly became a staple to the Chinese culture. Lantern festivals quickly became a commonplace celebration, with the lantern suppliers competing to create the most elaborate decorations. This competition continues in Auckland’s rendition of the ceremony, where each year of lanterns boasts bigger, better, and more lanterns than the year before.

The festival runs into the night, so you can meander along at any time for a pot of noodles and some lantern-gazing, but if you are really interested in learning about the culture then get along to one of the performances. Check out some martial artists all the way from the Shangwen Martial Arts Academy in Shanghai, watch an award-winning puppet show based on Chinese legend, or listen to China’s first reggae band Long Shen Dao (The Way of the Dragon Spirit).