15th day of the first lunar month, Year of the Dragon — Top spots in China to admire lantern displays

       From February 4 to 7 (the 13th to 16th days of the first lunar month), a citywide lantern display themed “Prosperous Dragon Era, Happy Wenzhou” will be held at Wenzhou Century Square, with the opening ceremony taking place at 5:30 p.m. on February 4. Over 5,000 colorful lanterns from seven counties (cities, districts) will gather to celebrate the Lantern Festival, including nearly 300 rare intangible cultural heritage lanterns. Among them are the national-level intangible cultural heritage lantern “Yueqing Dragon Rack” from Yueqing, the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage lanterns “Ouhai Hundred Birds Lantern,” “Yueqing Jewelry Lantern,” “Longwan Word Puzzle Lantern,” and “Pingyang Hair-Hanging Lantern.”
       After the lantern festival, residents can enjoy the “Lan Jie Fu” (Street-Blocking Blessing) event. From February 22 to March 4, a 2,000-meter-long artificial giant dragon will span downtown Jinjiang Road (the main street) to pray for blessings for the people, with the whole street adorned with colorful drapes, flower gates, and bamboo decorations, recreating the ambiance of the traditional Lan Jie Fu event. The entire activity will include segments such as folk culture exhibitions, folk art and sports performances and competitions, tastings of traditional local snacks, cultural experiences at science museums, museums, and libraries, and the grand procession of the King of Dong’ou. Within the event area, folk handicrafts such as Ou sculpture, boxwood carving, fine-line paper cutting, and wooden movable-type printing will be colorfully displayed. On the stage, performances of Yong Opera, Peking Opera, Ou Opera, drum storytelling, and folk songs will take turns entertaining the crowds, offering a dazzling array of entertainment.
       The Wenzhou “Lan Jie Fu” tradition became popular across the region during the Qing Dynasty. Initially, Lan Jie Fu was a simple faith-based folk custom. Over time, it evolved from its original functions of spring prayers, disaster prevention, and seeking good fortune, into a unique composite folk event that combines folk beliefs, cultural entertainment, and commercial activities.