Vancouver Chinese Lantern Festival 2017

Discover Vancouver in a whole new light with the debut of Canada’s largest Chinese Lantern Festival coming to the city this December.

This five week celebration of Chinese culture will feature massive lanterns, unforgettable performances, and incredible food. The outdoor festival is lighting up for the first time on December 15, 2017 and will until January 21, 2018.

Filling the void of last year’s Enchant Christmas Maze, the Vancouver Chinese Lantern Festival will transform all 14-acres of Hastings Park with over 35 colourful illuminated displays.

Some of the lanterns will reach almost 200 feet in length!

Chinese lantern festivals started almost 2,000 years ago, during the Han Dynasty. For centuries, lanterns have been lit on the fifteenth day of the first month in the Chinese calendar to gain the favour of Taiyi, the god of heaven, and pray for a good harvest.

The Vancouver Chinese Lantern Festival will be the largest of its kind in Canada. Some of the lanterns that will be on display include the Dragon (a symbol of worship and considered the noblest creature in the world), White Pagoda (a traditional part of architecture that offers great views), Kylin (a traditional beast with a calm temperament in ancient Chinese tales), and Huabiao Column (famous structures in the Forbidden City in Beijing).

In addition to the spectacular lantern displays, the festival will also feature two 30-minute performances each night in the PNE Amphitheatre. The shows will feature dancing, acrobatics, plate spinners, balancing acts and Erhu (a Chinese two-stringed fiddle).

The Vancouver Chinese Lantern Festival will be a great addition to the other events happening around the city this quickly-approaching holiday season.