NORTH CAROLINA CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL FAST FACTS
SPECIAL NOTE: The Festival runs annually for 7 weeks from November to January
LOCATION: Cary, North Carolina (Koka Booth Amphitheatre)
HOURS: 6pm-10pm daily
COST: $25.00 Ages 3 & older, Children 2 & under are FREE
TIME TO COMPLETE: 1-2 hours
ACCOMODATIONS: Large parking lot and public restrooms
Every year, between November and January, the town of Cary, North Carolina hosts the Chinese Lantern Festival. To say it is a visual delight would be an understatement. It’s a celebration of Chinese culture, mythology and arts wrapped into an evening of colors, graphical imagination and live entertainment. No member of your family or friends will be disappointed by the (26) displays, each more stunning than the previous, and live acrobatic shows. 2019 is the fifth consecutive year the show has been presented at the Booth Amphitheatre in Cary.
The show attracted more than 100,000 visitors in 2018 and, judging by the numbers we experienced, 2019 attendance will be higher. Each display is crafted by hand using silk fabric, stretched over steel frames then lit with 15,000 LED lights that brighten up the night sky, reflect off the water and illuminate the trees. In all it takes about 1-2 hours to walk the ½ mile self-guided tour of the grounds, if you take in at least one live show, longer if more. You can follow the path or hop around but make sure you don’t miss any of the pieces. We’ve broken the show up into digestible chunks though they aren’t necessarily displayed in this order.
Welcome Gate
As you approach the entrance from the parking lot your eye is drawn to the colorful and elaborate Welcome Gate. Partly because of the contrast of the dark evening and the bright lit colors but also due to the complexity and detail of the design. As you get closer you see the gate has a dinosaur theme coupled with traditional Chinese colors and patterns. There is wonderful attention to detail, which helps since you’ll have a minimum wait of at least 10 minutes regardless of when you arrive. After you have paid you’ll pass through a butterfly tunnel on your way to the main entrance of the festival.
Animals
Upon entering you are greeted by one of the more colorful and intricate displays, Père David’s Deer. The display shows the “milu” gazing lovingly up toward a swarm of colorful butterflies. This begins a series of exhibits with an animal theme. Next are the American Bison followed by a massive blue Tarantula perched atop what appears to be a dog’s head (seriously). To the right are two colorful and massive Dream Wings that provide a perfect photo opportunity for everyone in your group that ever fancied themselves an angel.
Next up is the Rockhopper Penguins displayed at more than 3–times their actual size, which allows you to really appreciate the character of their faces and colorful crests. Down the hill you pass under a large green pond leaf, which serves as a seat for a multi-colored Poison Dart Frog. The next exhibit is one of larger displays featuring (4) adult Polar Bears and (4) cubs. They are in various poses from relaxed and playful to rolling about and observing. Then come (2) mighty Mammoth Elephants striding along confidently without a worry in the world.
Chinese Culture
The Pandas Play with Bamboo display is one of the largest and most intricate of the festival symbolizing the life affirming relationship between pandas and their primary food staple, bamboo. Next to the display is a tunnel that runs all the way up to the main concourse called the Panda Tunnel. It’s a series of half-moon tubes with baby pandas climbing or sitting along the base and atop the tubes. At the head of the tunnel, running the entire length of the park’s concourse is the Fish Lantern Corridor, a simple yet powerful display of traditional Chinese lanterns. One of the centerpieces of the festival is the Temple of Heaven representing religious buildings from the early 15th-Century.
Interactive Objects
Down the steps off the southeast end of the concourse begins the interactive displays. First off is an amazing array of Colorful Ripples which represent various forms of water and sea life featuring whales swimming and diving above and below the surface of the water. A bit further on you’ll find Romantic Notes, a large display of familiar instruments like the harp, the tuba and a few saxophones among dancing musical notes. As you gaze back towards the amphitheater you’ll see the trees light up in the Illuminated Forest in an explosion of pastels. Towards the end of the interactive section are the Giant Diamond Rings where you can get a romantic shot with your significant other.
Interactive Legends
Well, one legend anyway . . . Aladdin. There are (2) very large and colorful displays depicting the two most iconic themes of the legend, the magic flying carpet and the genie bottle. Flying Carpet shows Aladdin and Jasmine gliding along above the clouds. The Magic Lamp is an interactive display of a giant lamp surrounded by crescent moons that, when prompted, produces a gust of mist while the top opens revealing a smiling genie ready for mischief.
Interactive Animals
One of the most popular displays is the Whale that sits, appropriately enough, on the water that rings the Symphony Lake. It is an elegant blue whale sliding effortlessly above a sea bottom of kelp and seagrass while producing a spout just above the surface. A bit further on is the Color Changing Elephant. Reminiscent of a ceremonial Indian Elephant in design, this elephant changes colors every few seconds which creates a wonderful glow. Just to the right of the Panda Tunnel is another section that doesn’t really fit with the other displays but is certainly popular with the kids. They are interactive Dinosaur Simulations complete with animatronics, rides and plenty of photo opportunities.
Feng Huang
The showcase of the festival is the Chinese Phoenix Feng Huang lantern floating on Symphony Lake. This spectacular “Emperor of Birds” originated in East Asian mythology and is a composite of many species of birds while representing the celestial bodies. For instance, the feet are the earth, the tail the planets, wings are the wind, back is the moon, eyes are the sun and the head is the sky. In all, the Feng Huang lantern is 21’ (6.4m) tall and 200’ (61m) long.
Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese Zodiac, or shengxiao, rotate on a cycle every (12) years with each year represented by an animal. Along the western corridor of the festival grounds is a lantern depiction of each of the (12) zodiac signs. They are each playful and resemble bobble-heads. They are also perfect for a snapshot next to your spirit animal (I’m the Rat!).
Chinese Mythical Animals
If you aren’t familiar with Chinese lore the displays of mythical animals will be a special treat. First is the Nine-Tailed fox, known for its mischievousness and ability to shape-shift. There is the Bai Ze who was responsible for dictating to Emperor Huáng Dì the 11,520 different types of supernatural creatures in the universe and how to combat them. Finally there is the Fu Zhu, a four-horned mythical deer that portends the coming of flooded waters. Each of these displays are highly colorful and exotic.
Live Shows
Throughout the evening, in the central amphitheater, there are live performances. The acts can include acrobatics, juggling, traditional dance, martial arts and drum performances. The crowds start gathering early to get the best vantage points but the grounds slope upward away from the stage so you’ll always have a good view. The performers do an excellent job of engaging the audience and enjoying themselves.
Food & Refreshments
The Koka Booth Amphitheatre has one permanent place to get food and refreshments, The Cobblestone Courtyard, and it’s located right at the entry point. They serve light fare and snacks as well as wine and beer. For the festival there are also several food trucks, situated on the west end in between the Zodiac and mythical animal lanterns. The features are Korean Barbecue, Mexican, Japanese dumplings (Gyoza) and a Hot Cocoa & Coffee bar including cupcakes.
Festival Grounds
The Koka Booth Amphitheatre has an open layout, designed to amplify sound from the stage that is perfect for the Chinese Lantern Festival. You can choose to walk along structured paths or wander about freely. The lantern displays themselves are cordoned off but otherwise there are no restrictions on visitors. Despite the large crowds you never feel hemmed in or crowded. If you do you can simply go to any side and take a breath. The displays are well laid out so you always have excellent views of each.
The Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary, North Carolina runs from late November to mid-January every year. This is a perfect time of year since the temperatures are usually around 50° F (10° C) and ideal for strolling around. This event also takes place in other parts of the country so we’d love to hear from you if you’ve had a chance to attend.
Oh this looks fantastic – my kids would love it! And you guys don’t have to worry about snow and wearing huge jackets to go look at this!
It was amazing. Every year they feature different themes so it’s worth return visits.
The weather in November is just one of the great perks of living in NC. We came from the NorthEast so we really appreciate it.
What an amazing festival! Thank you for sharing all of your photos! I would love to go one day.
Thank you for sharing your trip to the Chinese Lantern Festival! We currently live in Phoenix and I don’t think we have anything like this. I would love for your to share this on the January Kid Culture Blogger Link-Up here: https://www.mypiccoloitaliano.com/post/january-kid-culture-link-up . The link up will be open until 1/31. I hope to see you there!
What a fantastic idea. Thank you for this opportunity to share our adventures!