Chinese lantern festival to light up UK

A Chinese lantern festival is set to open in Bath, UK this Wednesday.

Sponsored by the local Longleat House, the Department of Culture in Sichuan Province, the Guisen International Group, Chengdu Guisen Cultural Media and Zigong Xinya Lantern, the event is scheduled to last three months, covering the Christmas and New Year Holidays.

More than 100 illuminated displays, including those inspired by Chinese myths and featuring traditional images of the Chinese dragon, will be shown at the Longleat House and its 30 acres of landscaped gardens. Among all the handmade structures, the largest will measure 20 meters in height.

A cultural exchange event, the festival will feature special performances such as Si­chuan's "face-changing" opera. A wide selection of traditional handmade items will also be sold at the festival.

According to the official website for the Longleat House, this will be the largest lantern display to ever be shown in Europe, and is expected to attract more than 500,000 visitors during the course of its run. Approximately 200 VIP guests, including members of the royal family, local government officials and the Chinese Ambassador to the UK will attend the event.