LANTERN FESTIVAL
20 years on the trot
Where: Auckland Domain When: Tonight until Sunday, February 17 For more information: aucklandnz.com/lantern-festival
It started 20 years ago as a one-night showcase of second-hand lanterns brought in from Singapore at Albert Park. Now, the Auckland Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration, has grown into a four-day event, becoming the country’s largest cultural festival.
This year’s festival kicks off this evening at the Auckland Domain, and will feature more than 800 unique lanterns, including a new Year of the Pig lantern.
There’ll also be about 100 food stalls and a “traveller’s avenue” to commemorate the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism.
“The festival’s 20-year reign really does speak volumes,” said Stuart Turner, head of major events at Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (Ateed).
“Its enormous popularity has dictated the festival duration, venue changes, and range of performances and attractions over the years.”
Jennifer King, a former culture programme director for Asia NZ Foundation, has worked on every festival since its inception until last year.
She recalls the modest beginnings in 2000, which featured 300 secondhand lanterns imported from Jurong Gardens in Singapore and half didn’t light up because the generator broke down.
But despite the hiccup, King said the festival was a far bigger success than anticipated.
“I remember standing near the Albert Park fountain with a broom about 1am, when everyone had left, knowing . . . something quite special had just happened,” she said.
About 40,000 people came that night which prompted the police to ask the event organisers to stop using Albert Park again because the central city became blocked with traffic.
But the organisers got around it by turning the festival into a three-day event to ease congestion of both the crowds and traffic.
More lanterns — made in China’s Sichuan province, where the lantern festival was said to have originated — were added on over the years, depicting elements of Chinese culture including goldfish, dragons, good luck peonies and scenes of traditional life.
By its 10th anniversary, the
festival was drawing about 150,000 people and had become an iconic feature for Auckland.
In 2016, the festival finally outgrew Albert Park and shifted to the Auckland Domain, where it has been held since.
Now 20, more than 200,000 people are expected to attend the festival this year.
King said she was not surprised to see the festival reach this milestone.
“The lantern festival has lasted generations in China for the simple reason that it is a very beautiful event which appeals to all ages,” she said.
“Now Aucklanders have made it their own.”
King, now retired, added that she was looking forward to attending the event for the first time as a member of the public.
Over the past two decades, about 800 performers have come from all over China to take part in the festival, along with thousands from around New Zealand.
These included Chinese rock bands, reggae acts, traditional puppet shows and tea ceremonies.
Lion dance troupes from Singapore had also taken part in earlier festivals. The Macang Dance Company, based in Parnell, have performed at the festival every year since 2001.
“Auckland Lantern Festival is an event that brings all of us together despite our differences,” said Macang director Stephanie Lin.
“We see ourselves as ‘founding members’ . . . we will continue to support this great event for the years to come.”
Eric Ngan, festival producer, said this year’s event was “doubly special” as it also coincided with Auckland’s 30th anniversary of becoming sister cities with Guangzhou.
The traveller’s avenue at this year’s event will feature a 7-metre lantern of a China Southern Airline plane in the Guangzhou skyline.
Little pig sculptures, 22 of them, are being displayed throughout various Parnell galleries, stores and retail shops until February 22 as part of Parnell Business Association’s charity auction and Vector Lights is presenting a new light show for this year’s celebrations, with animations being beamed on to the Harbour Bridge from 8.30pm to midnight for the duration of the festival.