Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival lights up the night with animal display from China
An unusual caravan recently made its way to central Ohio, traveling more than 7,600 miles by truck, river, ocean, railway and truck again to reach its destination: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
Unveiled on Wednesday evening, a collection of flora and fauna from around the globe makes up a new attraction, the Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival.
The craftwork of Hanart Culture, the exhibit consists of more than 70 sets of luminous lanterns in the shape of animals, marine life, birds, insects and various plants created from steel wires, rayon, satin and paint.
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“This is a celebration of beauty and love,” said George Zhao, president of Hanart, which specializes in lantern festivals, animatronic dinosaur shows, martial arts demonstrations and acrobatic performances.
“Our cultures have many differences, but many shared values … appreciation for entertainment and the well-being of humans and the wild,” Zhao said.
The lanterns were hand-crafted by 35 artists in southwest China’s Sichuan province, who worked for 45 days on the pieces, which are lit from the inside by LED bulbs. Twenty artists also worked onsite to install the exhibit, Zhao said.
“We wanted to combine the beauty that lies within the lanterns with the existing beauty of the zoo and gardens,” he explained.
Intricate details give the creatures lifelike qualities, from the red panda’s facial expression and the gentle head-bobbing of deer to the wing movements of a giant eagle. There’s even a winking octopus.
Visitors will also see meerkats, warthogs, the requisite lions and tigers and bears, butterflies, colossal jellyfish in kaleidoscopic colors and many other sights.
Tom Schmid, president and CEO of Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, said bringing in attractions like the Lantern Festival and “Unextinct” earlier this year will help to “make the zoo a year-round destination instead of a season attraction.”
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“Unextinct,” which featured projected illusions of extinct and endangered animals, drew some 17,000 visitors to the zoo during a monthlong run that started in late March. Schmid said he anticipates the summery weather will result in an even bigger turnout for the Lantern Festival.
The exhibit travels throughout the United States and internationally, incorporating other elements of Asian culture into the experience. In addition to the lanterns, zoo guests can enjoy nightly performances such as acrobats, puppet shows, folk music and martial arts demonstrations.
The Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival is a separately ticketed event that operates after the zoo's normal hours. It will be open from 7-10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, through Sept. 29. A rain-or-shine event, it is not included in zoo admission.
The cost for Columbus Zoo members is $18.99 for adults and $15.99 for children. Nonmembers pay $25.99 for adults and $22.99 for children. Parking is free for the festival.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival offers luminous display through Sept. 29
