這裡的所有彩燈都出自中國自貢的彩燈大師之手。自古以來中國自貢的燈會都非常有名，如今，自貢的彩燈藝人將傳統彩燈技藝與現代工藝結合，所有彩燈都由鋼架框製成，再以人造絲包成「皮膚」，裡面由 LED 燈照亮，再以裝滿各種彩色液體的小瓶子組成類似馬賽克一般的藝術圖形。讓人耳目一新，好像置身夢境一般。

活動現場還有精彩的功夫表演、皮影戲、傳統手工藝如拉糖、剪紙、捏麵人、刺繡、中式美食，還有由三千多個廚具推砌而成的四座現代陶瓷大象，造型非常吸睛，絕對是秋日夜晚打卡拍照的好去處！

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!