For Lantern Festival which falls on Saturday this year, celebratory events such as lantern shows, riddle-solving activities, hanfu parades, folk games, and markets will be held in cultural venues, communities, shopping centers, and street blocks across the city. Among the highlights, visitors can enjoy a unique roly-poly performance or boating and tug-of-war on a river. Don’t miss out on these special events that promise to make this year’s Lantern Festival truly unforgettable!

Roly-poly dance

Along Shenzhen Festival Avenue outside One Avenue shopping mall, visitors will enjoy a roly-poly performance in which a dancer dressed in a Tang Dynasty-style costume, will gracefully move and lean in different directions on a large hemisphere base to greet visitors. The roly-poly dance originated in 2019 at the Great Tang All Day Mall scenic spot in Xi’an, the ancient capital of 13 dynasties, including the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

In addition, visitors can partake in a hanfu parade and watch shadow plays, stilt-walking, traditional Chinese opera, and musical performances.

Roly-poly: 3-3:15 p.m., 4-4:15 p.m., 5-5:15 p.m., 6-6:15 p.m., 7-7:15 p.m., 8-8:15 p.m., Feb. 24

Stilt-walking: 11-11:30 a.m., 4-4:30 p.m., 7-7:30 p.m., Feb. 24

Shadow plays: 7-7:30 p.m., 8-8:30 p.m., Feb. 24

Fish lantern dances: 6:55-7 p.m., 8:30-8:35 p.m., Feb. 24

Live folk music: 5:30-5:45 p.m., 6-6:15 p.m., 6:30-6:45 p.m., 7:30-8 p.m., Feb. 24

Venue: Shenzhen Festival Avenue, Futian District (福田区节日大道)

Metro: Line 1 or 10 to Gangxia Station (岗厦站), Exit B; Line 2, 10, 11, 14 to Gangxia North Station (岗厦北站), Exit 6

Boating, tug-of-war on river

Earlier this week, hundreds of citizens were treated to complimentary boating activities, including kayaking and bumper boats, along Fuhai River in Bao’an District. Those who missed the events can seize the exciting opportunity to enjoy boating Saturday morning, followed by a tug-of-war event across the river to celebrate Lantern Festival.

Venue: Fuhai River, section near Expo Bay, Bao’an District (宝安区会展湾水岸附近福海河)

Metro: Line 12 or 20 to Shenzhen World Station (国展站), Exit C2

Free cherry blossom entry

On Saturday, visitors in hanfu can enter Mission Hills Ecological Sports Park to admire cherry blossoms free of charge. The park has a total of 1,200 cherry blossoms trees on display, and features a 1,000-square-meter landscape filled with snapdragon flowers.

Venue: Mission Hills Ecological Sports Park, Longhua District (龙华区观澜湖生态运动公社)

Metro: Line 4 to Mission Hills Station (观澜湖站), Exit A or B

Photo exhibitions

Some winning photos from the fifth Expats Eye Shenzhen Photo Contest will be displayed at the second International Street Photography Art Festival from Saturday through mid-March. The event will also include three other photo exhibitions, while a Lantern Festival market, Yingge dances and kylin dances this weekend will double visitors’ fun experience.

Venue: Bantian Handmade Culture Street, Longgang District (龙岗区坂田手造文化街)

Metro: Line 10 to Guangyayuan Station (光雅园站), Exit A1

Xiangmihu Subdistrict fair

Xiangmihu Subdistrict will host a Shehuo parade, an intangible cultural heritage workshop, a fair, and a lantern riddle solving session Saturday. Shehuo, a traditional folk celebration in China, is a festivity in multiple forms consisting of folk performances that vary in different regions.

Time: 2:15-6 p.m., Feb. 24

Venue: Qinshui Platform, Xiangmi Park, Futian District (福田区香蜜公园亲水台)

Metro: Line 7 to Nonglin Station (农林站), Exit C

Zhaoshang Subdistrict fair

The Lantern Festival fair in Zhaoshang Subdistrict this Saturday afternoon will feature 17 booths offering food, art, games, and cultural experiences.

Time: 2-7:30 p.m., Feb. 24

Venue: Minghua Ship Square, Sea World, Nanshan District (南山区海上世界船头广场)

Metro: Line 2 or 12 to Sea World Station (海上世界站), Exit A

(Cao Zhen, Yu Yuanfan)