Hundreds of beautiful Chinese lanterns lit up the Royal Lazienki Museum in Warsaw, marking the beginning of the "Festival of Light", an annual event aimed at getting the residents of Warsaw, as well as plenty of tourists coming to the city acquainted with the Chinese culture.
The "Festival of Light" accompanied by the concerts of traditional Chinese music and Chinese lanterns began on Sunday late in the evening in the Royal Lazienki. The festival will last till August 30th and give the guests an opportunity to travel through 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.
On Sunday evening the Chinese Garden in the Royal Lazienki Museum in Warsaw was illuminated by the glow of the colorful lanterns. The whole festival is aimed at bringing Chinese culture closer to the Polish people.
People began to gather almost two hours before the official opening, taking pictures in front of the beautifully illuminated Chinese-style pavilion and a pond filled with the lotus flowers. The paths leading to the Chinese Garden, as well as the Chinese Alleys were lit up with rows of various lanterns. Many people brought children to let them experience the beauty of Far Eastern Asian music and culture.
"We're here for the first time," said a young Polish couple to Xinhua reporter. "We got the information about the event online and decided to come. It is a rare opportunity to learn more about China. We love the glowing lanterns and the whole atmosphere of this place. It is so different from what we are used to."
During the opening concert, the Chinese Ambassador to Poland, Xu Jian, said that Polish and Chinese people have long lasting friendship and mutual interests, dating back to the eighteenth century, when the Polish King, Stanislaus Augustus decided on the creation of Chinese Alley in the Lazienki Park.
The Chinese Garden in Lazienki Museum was officially opened last year, with the cooperation and financial support of KGHM Polska Miedz and China Minmetals Corporation. The Prince Gong Mansion in Beijing provided architectural elements, entirely made by Chinese craftsmen according to old customs and from materials imported from China.
