Chinese Lantern Display Redesigns London’s Skyline

As part of a spectacular display featuring thousands of handcrafted Chinese lanterns, one of London’s most iconic landmarks will be restored this Christmas.

Lightopia will illuminate Crystal Palace Park in southeast London throughout the Christmas and New Year period, with the centerpiece of the display being a recreation of the famed structure—built for the first World Exposition, the Great Exhibition of 1851, but destroyed by a devastating fire in 1936. Its memory has endured in the area and in the name of the local English Premier League football team, whose crest still bears its legacy.

In addition to its second return to the capital, after a year-long absence last year, the third edition of the Lightopia exhibition will be held at Heaton Park in Manchester and will also take place at the new venue, Alton Towers Theme Park—one of the largest tourist attractions in Staffordshire, UK.

In China, roughly 250 people spent two months handcrafting all the lanterns, while a team of 50 has been working at each venue to prepare the displays.

“Organizing an event of this scale is a tremendous challenge, but fortunately last year in Manchester, we were able to proceed with a high degree of openness despite COVID-19, because we held the event outdoors and implemented timed sessions, allowing us to manage everything effectively,” He Ying, co-founder of Lightopia, told China Daily.

“In fact, compared with many other Christmas events, ours is one of the safest and most COVID‑friendly. We know we can pull it off, which gives us the confidence to make it even bigger and better this year,” she continued. “Additional challenges such as international shipping disruptions and driver shortages have made this year particularly tough, but we’ve received strong support from local organizers, so we’re confident we can deliver a wonderful experience for our customers.”

Last year, the event chose not to open in London. Ian Xiang, also a creator, said that this year’s key move is relocating the venue from its previous location in Chiswick, West London, to southeast London, which will make this year’s edition even more spectacular.

“Chiswick is a lovely venue, but it lacks room for expansion, and there are several other illuminated displays nearby, so we decided to travel across the city—this turned out to be a great opportunity for us,” he said. “The Crystal Palace is world‑renowned, with its famous dinosaur sculptures that have stood in the park for over 150 years. Each venue has its own theme—Manchester is fantasy, Alton Towers captures all four seasons in a single day, and the Crystal Palace represents rebirth. That’s why the highlight of the exhibition is the reconstruction of the palace itself, restoring it to its former splendor.”

Xiang said he was delighted that Lightopia had been invited to participate in Alton Towers’ Christmas gift event.

“Lightopia is a world-class event, and that’s precisely why they wanted us to take part,” he said. “We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with Merlin Entertainments—the global owner of attractions such as Madame Tussauds and the Ocean Park China—and we’ll be creating what I’m confident will be the largest lantern festival outside of China this year.”

Lighting displays appear to be growing in popularity in the United Kingdom, but Xiang stated that he welcomes such competition.

“Lightopia remains one of the premier events,” he added. “We’re starting here, with a deeper understanding of the UK market than anywhere else, but we plan to expand into the rest of Europe—our next step is for next year.”

“We excel at storytelling and creating something truly unique. Chinese lanterns boast a long history and rich traditions, so we’ve blended them with Western Christmas celebrations. We call ourselves ‘joy-makers’—after all, Christmas and the winter season are all about light and cheer, and that’s exactly what Lightopia brings to every corner of the world.”

(From ChinaDaily)