Lanterns on way to add festive glow in London

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The lanterns are handmade in China using traditional techniques before being shipped to the UK (Provided to China Daily)

One of London’s most famous lost landmarks will be restored this Christmas as part of a spectacular display of thousands of handmade Chinese lanterns.

Lightopia will illuminate Crystal Palace Park in South-east London throughout the Christmas and New Year period, with the centrepiece of the display being a recreation of the Crystal Palace, the famous building which was built for the first world fair, the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. Its memory has been kept alive in the name of the area, with its local English Premier League soccer team named after the place.

After a one-year absence, Lightopia returns to the capital for the second time, and for the third year running there will be a Lightopia display in Manchester’s Heaton Park. The festival will also be displayed at the Alton Towers theme park for the first time.

Around 250 people in China spent two months making all the lanterns by hand, and a team of 50 people has been working at each site to get them ready for display.

“It’s a big challenge to organise an event of this scale, but fortunately last year in Manchester, we were able to open it at the height of Covid-19, because it was outdoors and had timed slots, so we could manage things really well,” said Lightopia’s co-creator He Ying.

“Additional challenges like international shipping and the driver shortage have made it a tough year, but we’ve received a lot of support from local organisers so we’re confident we can put on a wonderful experience for our customers.”

Fellow creator Ian Xiang said the one crucial thing this year was moving across the capital from its previous location at Chiswick in west London to southeast London, which would make this year’s event much more spectacular.

Each Lightopia location in the UK has a different theme to its display (Provided to China Daily)

“Chiswick was a lovely venue, but there was no room to expand, and also there are several other illumination displays nearby so we decided to go across the city, which is a great opportunity for us,” he said.

Ian also said he was delighted Lightopia had been invited to be part of Alton Towers’ Christmas offering. “Lightopia is a world-class event, and that’s why they want us there. To be working with the Merlin group is something we’re very proud of, and we’re going to build what I’m sure is the largest lantern and lights festival outside China this year,” he said. Merlin Entertainments is the owner of attractions around the world, including Madame Tussauds.

Light displays seem to be increasingly popular in the UK, but Ian said he welcomes the competition. “We’re good at telling a story and creating something unique. There’s a long history and heritage behind Chinese lanterns, so we marry that to the western Christmas. We call ourselves joymakers － Christmas and winter need light and joy, and all across the country, that’s what Lightopia brings.”

Previously published on Chinadaily.com.cn