Today I want to bring you my guide to the Magical Lantern Festival in London’s Chiswick.
Magical Lantern Festival in London
The Magical Lantern Festival takes place throughout the gardens of Chiswick House in west London.
As part of the city’s Chinese New Year celebrations, it features installations of brightly colored figures that light up the night sky and thaw the February chill (thank goodness!).
Excited to see the lights, I book tickets for the festival and head out to Chiswick House with my boyfriend.
He’s hugely skeptical about the whole thing, assuming he’s going to see a few dull lights and spend the rest of the night watching me Instagram them.
Magical Lantern Festival in London
But as soon as we arrive at the Magical Lantern Festival, he’s as awestruck as I am.
On our way around the 75-minute circuit, we pass under flowery lanterns, beside bright rows of colorful lights, and along wildly brilliant menageries full of everything from electric pink flamingos to tall yellow giraffes.
We see the forbidding Terracotta Army, whimsical Year-of-the-Monkey primates, and a larger-than-life dragon in a nod to Chinese New Year.
We stand in front of pretty rows of flowers and big patches of overgrown pumpkins, then peer at a pond full of giant lit-up lilies.
As people roast marshmallows over an open fire, we walk across a bridge with views of Asian elephants in the distance, then through a canopy with blinking crystals in the trees.
By the time we reach the end of the path, my inner child is bouncing up and down with joy. The festival is even more bright and brilliant than I imagined, and has brought a huge smile to my normally frozen February face.
And while my boyfriend is right about having to watch me Instagram (in my defense, I only post one photo), he ends up being won over by the sweet displays and playful characters.
The Magical Lantern Festival in London is not only exciting because it lights up the winter skies, but also because it’s fun for kids from 1 to 100.
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very colorful and cute:)
Yeah!
Oh my goodness, this festival is incredible – I love the pandas. It was great to see you earlier, Julie and have a fantastic time in Antigua
Yeah, the festival is great! It was lovely to see you, too!
Very nice! I dont know that festival, its a good reason to visit againg London.
Yeah!
Wow the photos are stunning! My March trip to London (#5?6?) just fell through and I am so disappointed, because every time I come, the city offers up something new and amazing – like this!
That’s too bad your trip fell through! I hope you can come another time and see the festival!