Vivid lanterns combining traditional Chinese cultural elements and modern technology have been set up in Zigong of southwest China's Sichuan Province as the city gears up to host its long-running Spring Festival lantern show.
The 31st International Dinosaur Lantern Show will officially open to the public on Friday, according to organizers, giving visitors the chance to marvel at the dazzling displays.
The event comes as part of celebrations for the Spring Festival, the most important annual festivity in China which centers around the Chinese Lunar New Year, which this year falls on Jan 29, ushering in the Year of the Snake.
This year's show promises to be one of the best ever, boasting over a dozen giant lanterns and numerous large-scale displays which are sure to impress residents and tourists alike, while well over 200 smaller-sized lanterns featuring various intangible cultural heritage elements and modern lighting technologies are also included.
"This year, we will present the intangible cultural heritage elements in the lantern show in a brand new look. The ancient folk culture, classic artistic symbols and modern lighting technology will be integrated together. We'll create a visual feast with rich historical and cultural elements for visitors," said Chen Jinhong, director of the bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism of Zigong City.
According to the organizers, this year, the event will also incorporate intangible cultural heritage skills such as porcelain, Sichuan Opera, blow molding, and paper cutting, and launch lantern sets rich in Chinese traditional festive blessings.
The national-level intangible cultural heritage project, Zigong lantern show, boasts a long history. It can be traced back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.
Int'l lantern show in Sichuan ready to welcome Spring Festival
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for joint efforts to guide China-Russia relations to a new height in 2025 so that the stability and resilience of their bilateral relationship can better cope with the uncertainties of a challenging global environment, when talking with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video link on Tuesday.
Xi expressed his pleasure at meeting with Putin ahead of the Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan 29 this year, describing it as a time for reflection and planning.
"At the turn of the year, it is a moment to review achievements and chart new plans," he said.
Xi noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN).
"China and Russia should take the opportunities presented by the anniversaries to jointly safeguard the U.N.-centered international system, and the hard-won fruits of victory in World War II. Both countries, as founding members of the UN and permanent members of the Security Council, must uphold their institutional rights," he said.
"In the new year, I'm willing to work with you to continue guiding China-Russia relations to a new height in 2025, to respond to external uncertainties with the stability and resilience of China-Russia ties, to boost the development and prosperity of both countries, and to uphold international fairness and justice," Xi said.
Putin said he agrees with Xi's views, saying that Russia-China cooperation is built on a broad commonality of national interests.
"Our perspectives on how to properly handle relations between major powers are increasingly aligned. Our bilateral relationship is built on friendship, mutual trust, support, equality and mutual benefit. It is independent and unaffected by domestic political factors and the current international situation," he said.
Xi calls for strengthening China-Russia ties to address global uncertainties