QINGDAO – Qingdao has held lantern fairs featuring a blend of traditional festival elements and local characteristics as the Spring Festival approaches, creating joyful festive atmosphere and attracting flocks of locals and tourists alike.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is China's grandest traditional festival when people across the country return to their hometowns for family reunions. Traditionally, Chinese people make lanterns to celebrate this festival, which symbolizes reunion and carry their wishes.
The festival is based on a 12-year Zodiac cycle of characters, with 2024 being the Year of the Dragon, a mythical creature symbolizing auspiciousness and good luck in China.
Various giant dragon-featured lanterns, coupled with decoration with marine elements, were lit up Qingdao West Coast New Area in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province.

To create the exuberant atmosphere, various scenic spots in Qingdao set up groups of giant lanterns in some themes, including dragon elements, Spring Festival elements and the city's landscape.
The organizer also arranged folk art performance to make visitors feel the charm of the national-level intangible cultural heritage.
The lantern feast with dragon elements in various forms has been attracting tens of thousands visitors.

"It was so amazing when the lanterns were lit, bringing up the Spring Festival atmosphere immediately. The lantern festival is within our traditional Chinese culture, and we like seeing so many lanterns full of dragon elements here," said a tourist.