千呼萬喚，中國彩燈節終於在上星期隆重開幕了，一千多個手工造型彩燈點亮了 Pomona 的夜晚，開幕週末人潮熱鬧得很，兩位丫丫小記者 Carissa 和 Ryan 這晚興奮來到了彩燈節的開幕禮，與活動公關 Jennifer Becker 進行了專訪，又親身體驗了彩燈節裡各種精彩活動和展示，玩得好開心呢！一起來看看當晚小記者的採訪報導吧！～

    Have you ever thought about seeing dinosaurs, killer whales, giraffes, and camels close up and life-sized?  Well, I just did! Ryan and I went to the first ever Chinese Lantern Festival at Fairplex Pomona as Junior Journalists for La JaJa Kids.  We were able to see over 1,000 different handmade paper lantern animals that glowed in the dark. It was a blast!

Chinese paper lantern making is an important ancient form of art started over 2000 years ago. The Chinese stretched paper over a frame-shaped into something, like an animal, then dyed with color.  For the final touch, a candle or is put inside (now we use LED lights). Pretty cool, right? Imagine a place full of those lanterns.

When we first arrived, we were greeted by a large intricate arch with a proud looking tiger on top and the words “The Wild”. They were all paper lanterns. Right after that, we passed between two rows of paper lanterns dolphins and fish flying in the tree above. It was the first few minutes and I was already awestruck, so I couldn’t wait for the upcoming surprises. To the left of the dolphins and flying fish, a herd of enormous elephants waived their trunks to us as we passed by.

We strolled past butterflies, ladybugs, and all other sorts of insects until we saw the display and my jaws dropped to my knees. It was so magnificent and beautiful.  Different colored bright coral encircled jellyfish that almost reached the trees. To add to the undersea vibes, the paper lanterns were put in the middle of a lake! I saw a colony of penguins and squealed in delight, penguins are my favorite animals!  I ran further hoping to see more of these amazing lanterns when I went face to face with a cheetah! There were actually a lot of them, along with zebras, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, and more! It was like a safari with all the animals in life-like postures.

 We headed back just in time for the Kung Fu performance.  I noticed that the stage backdrop was also a huge paper lantern!  The Kung Fu performers kicked, flipped and sliced with their weapons across the stage.  Behind us was a jumper for the younger ones and giant inflatable balls which you could go inside of.

At the other side of the festival, a large crowd watched a man as he twisted and sculpted dough into dragons, birds, and even Hello Kitty and Mickey Mouse onto a stick.  Besides these unique figurines, Chinese art, double-sided embroidery fans, and other handmade crafts attracted attention to the booth. Ahead of us was another large group of people gathering to watch a Chinese shadow puppet master, making the crane come alive behind the silk screen.  

We were almost to the end when we went back in time.  We didn’t, but it seemed like it anyways. Paper lantern dinosaurs roamed the place and one T-rex even bent low and opened his mouth for you to take a selfie!  That’s not the end, there are giant dinosaurs offering young kids a ride and the parents a picture opportunity. But sadly, this was the end of our adventure. Right before we left, we saw a building disguised as a Chinese food takeout container where you can purchase food for dinner.  We said goodbye to the white Indian elephants at the exit and left satisfied with this wonderful experience.

You too can experience the magical Chinese lanterns at Fairplex Pomona from now to January 6, Thursday through Sunday from 5:30 to 10 pm.  Don’t miss out!