The 2013 Jinji Lake Lantern Festival, part of the greater Jiangsu-Taiwan Lantern Festival, will be held in Suzhou, a beautiful waterside city in Jiangsu province in South China. The event has served as an exceptionally grand occasion for cross-Straits communication since its establishment in 2010.

The show will last for one month starting Feb 1. Tourists are free to attend from 10 am to 9 pm (9:30 pm on weekends and festivals). The number of tourists is expected to reach three million.

The?lantern festival?focuses on cross-Straits communication and Spring Festival celebrations. It features a Suzhou cultural exhibition, interactive activities for Spring Festival, a Taiwan temple fair, a Lantern Festival celebration and Suzhou cultural folk activities. Tourists can enjoy delicious food and guess lantern riddles (a traditional Chinese game)while appreciating the charming light show. The event aims to enrich people’s recreational life and cross-Straits communication.

The lantern festival will consist of four zones:

Zone A is themed around splendid Suzhou. Lighting sets displayed in this zone are themed around Suzhou’s official departments, such as the Suzhou municipal government, the Taiwan Affairs Office in Suzhou and the Suzhou municipal sports department. The lights are elegantly integrated with the surrounding natural environment and create a harmonious scene reflecting Suzhou’s local culture.

Zone B focuses on the cultural communication between Suzhou and Taiwan. It is the main zone for the light show where the opening lighting ceremony will be held. There will be different celebration activities held in the zone every week. The main light sets for Suzhou and Taiwan will be placed on each side of the main stage, symbolizing the close relations between the Chinese mainland and the Taiwan Straits.

Zone C is where traditional interactive activities are held such as lantern riddle guessing, the Taiwan temple fair, and the Children's Folklore and Folkgame activity. In this zone, one can experience Suzhou’s traditional culture as well as Taiwan’s local culture.

Zone D is will host stages built on a floating platform with lighting gantries overhead. The LED balloons will flicker against the water and change colors according to the theme of Suzhou traditional opera.

The light show area is located next to the commercial center in the Suzhou industrial zone. A series of interactive activities will also be held in Moonlight Wharf, the Suzhou Culture and Arts Center and the Suzhou International Expo Center.

Organizers:

Suzhou Municipal Government;

Jiangsu Provincial Tourism Bureau;?

Jiangsu Provincial Tourist Association;

Cross-Straits Sight-Seeing and Tours Association;

Suzhou Municipal Tourism Administration.