Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival In Franklin Square

Dragon - Photo by Jeff Fusco for Historic Philadelphia

Dragon – Photo by Jeff Fusco for Historic Philadelphia

‘A Celebration of Light & Culture’ 

Great news! The Chinese Lantern Festival has been extended until July 8, 2018!

Be visually inspired as visitors will get to experience the Chinese Lantern Festival again at Franklin Square in Historic Philadelphia May 1 to June 30.

The Festival is a celebration of light and culture that features artisans from China and the Philadelphia region.

The square will come alive and glow with 28 new culturally-inspired lantern sculptures, featuring new lighting technology and displays never before seen in North America such as a huge 200-foot Chinese dragon, pandas, sea creatures, mythological creatures and more. These displays were created using traditional Chinese methods with thousands of LED lights in brilliant colors.

Most of the lantern materials for the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square will be created in China especially for this event and sent via ten containers on a ship to the United States. The lanterns will be assembled by a 20-person team of artisans over a one-month period in the Square. The public is invited to view the process and progress on select days in April for free.

Background on Chinese Lanterns and Lantern Festival

Traditionally, the Lantern Festival is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar marking the last day of the lunar New Year celebration dating back nearly 2000 years. In 2017, the date falls on February 20. Due to the cold winters in Philadelphia, it’s been decided to hold the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square in the spring, allowing visitors to enjoy more time with them outside, and incorporating symbols of spring into the design.

In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, and only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones. In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs such as the ones on view at the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square. The prominence of red in the designs symbolizes good fortune.

The festival also promises nightly entertainment with awe-inspiring performances such unusual and impressive art of the face-changing and a variety of different Chinese acrobatics, as well as taste Asian cuisine and American favorites, drink a toast at the Dragon Beer Garden, and shop for artists’ creations crafted on site.

Video: Plate Spinning – A traditional Chinese acrobatic performance where a person spins plates, bowls, and other flat objects on 3-foot bamboo poles, without dropping anything. The spinning plates resemble lotus leaves in the breeze and butterflies flying among the flowers.

Visitors will still be able to play mini-golf, ride the carousel and more. For details, Click Here.

Chinese Lantern Festival

Location

Franklin Square 200 N 6th St (6th & Race Streets) Philadelphia, PA 19176

Dates

May 1 – July 8, 2018

Times

Sunday – Thursday 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm  |  6:00 pm – 11:00 pm Friday & Saturday  |

Cost

At set times above, this is a ticketed event: $17 per adult  |  $12 for those 17-years-old and under  |  FREE Ages 2 & under  |  Nighttime admission includes daily live performances. (Timed tickets required for Friday & Saturday nights) – TICKETS: Get Tickets Now!

Web Site

Photos by Jeff Fusco for Historic Philadelphia, Inc. and Tianyu