BEIJING, Feb. 10, 2026 -- As dusk settled over Pinghu on February 7, the lakeside paths of the East Lake Scenic Area began to fill with visitors drawn toward the opening night of the 2026 Jinpinghu Lantern Show, an annual Lunar New Year event that transforms the waterfront into a landscape of light after dark.
At 6:30 p.m., a formation of drones rose into the night sky above the Li Shutong Memorial Hall, a familiar landmark, signaling the start of the evening. Moments later, an announcement marked the official opening of the show, and 45 thematic lantern installations—along with surrounding decorative lighting—were illuminated at once, casting color and reflection across the lake and setting the tone for the holiday season in Pinghu.
Spread across roughly 72,000 square meters, this year's exhibition is laid out across four themed zones—among them sections called "Elegant Pinghu" and "Lanterns of Fortune"—its lanterns and ambient lighting shaped by a team from Zigong, a city long associated with the craft. Large-scale installations are interspersed with thousands of smaller lights, forming a nighttime circuit that comes into view gradually as visitors move through the grounds, guided as much by the contours of the landscape as by the displays themselves.
As outlined by the Pinghu Culture and Tourism Investment Group, the opening ceremony is only the beginning of a broader program that will continue throughout the Lunar New Year period. Plans include special performances on select evenings, as well as a recurring "Greeting the God of Wealth" parade that winds its way across the site during the holiday. During the Lantern Festival, a separate program focused on traditional arts—featuring performances such as Pinghu-style pipa music—is set to add another layer to the nighttime experience.
Taken together, these elements turn the Jinpinghu Lantern Show into more than a single evening spectacle. Over the course of the New Year celebrations, the lakeside paths become a place for unhurried walks, chance encounters with music and performance, and moments of pause beneath lantern light, as Pinghu marks the season through a blend of landscape, craft, and long-standing custom.
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