Dragon parade lights up Lantern Festival in Lishui

The Lishui Dragon Lantern Celebration for Lantern Festival took place on the evening of March 2. The event featured an innovative water-and-land parade centered on intangible cultural heritage.

For the first time ever, a water parade was held on Nanming Lake, where a dragon lantern from Yunhe county glided along the lakeside, creating a spectacular scene of dragon lanterns both in the water and on land.

The lantern parade then kicked off with a ceremonial performance. The procession consisted of 10 formations, each representing a different county's intangible cultural heritage, with all floats beautifully illuminated for the evening spectacle.

The banlong from Liandu district in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Lishui News Media Center]

Highlights included a 328-meter-longbanlong— a huge dragon-shaped lantern — from Liandu district. Performed by over 230 dancers, it incorporates seven traditional crafts with a history of more than 1,200 years.

Songyang showcased cloth dragon lanterns inspired by local irrigation legends, while Qingyuan presented a mushroom-themed dragon lantern depicting the region's signature produce.

The banlong from Qingtian county in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Lishui News Media Center]

Abanlongfrom Qingtian county embodied the deep nostalgia of overseas Chinese from this renowned hometown of emigrants. Jingning's formation showcased the charm of She ethnic culture.

The finale featured a 450-meter-long dragon lantern from the Lishui Economic Development Zone, performed by 350 people and drawing enthusiastic applause from the crowds lining the streets.

The event is part of Lishui's cultural tourism initiative. From March 1 to 3, a concurrent Lantern Festival fair at the Oujiang River Cultural Center is offering cultural experiences and aims to boost tourism consumption.